Pride of London?

[Term-X 7,891]

14 professional football clubs reside in London. Making for a respectable collection of trophy's, Yet one is missing..

It's one particular set of fans which remain in a delusional state, despite going 6 years without a single trophy. Sure, as a club they can boast 9 more league titles, and only 4 more FA cups. Nevertheless they remain without what makes a football club supposedly 'Great'. London is the home of football, and the first team to claim the UEFA Champions league will have the ultimate boast. As Chelsea fans we have been nailed to a cross in Europe, almost teased by the Cheshire cat that is Platini. So close, yet so far. Which is exactly why it would be the ultimate victory.

I've expressed my dismay at the luck and criminal referring, but can anyone really argue this competition isn't exactly what we need. European glory is the sole reason Roman hired Carlo, I mean lets face it. Ancelotti doesn't have the most desirable league record amongst managers. I remember a few fans on here saying they would rather win the league, in the fear of siding weak teams. In order for older players to gain rest for European nights. This view I agree with, considering the gamble involved. The age and size of our squad would certainly be a problem, not to mention the frequent injury's to key players. Or is the current side psychologically damaged, thus being unable to defibrillate their attitudes from nights of heartbreak and injustice.

Should a football club set the champions league as an achievable target. Or is it just a case of 'luck permitting'. Would being the first ever London club to win it, be an achievement worthy of respect?

[Fulham Broadway 17,362]

Some good questions there. I think as with any cup competition there is definitely a case of ''luck permitting''.

The CL over the years has certainly had its element of luck. Bindippers 3 down at half time springs to mind, and I sometimes wake up in a sweat having dreamt it's been won by the Yids at first attempt. We know that the likelihood of this is slim, but stranger things have happened.

As you say with other clubs in London in the knockout stages, the worst case scenario is one of the Norf london mobs win it.

If you beleive the press its the Holy Grail that Abramovich craves, and certainly some fans too. The positive if there is no European silverware this year, I can see some proper rebuilding of the ageing squad, and a major clearout.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Out of all the clubs that have ever tried, we've probably been the most unlucky team to do it.

The phantom goal.. The discussions between Rijkaard & the referee.. The other screw job vs Barca & JT's penalty. - Certainly to win the most coveted trophy in football, you need skill, quality but also luck. When we played Inter last year we we're the weaker side. We can argue we should've had a penalty at the San Siro as much as we want, but we came out 2nd - We deserved it.

For me, this season, we've already conceded the League. We might as well go for the Champions League. With the way the squad has been lately this seems like an impossible task - But so was Liverpool's back in 2005. While I'm not as obsessed about CL glory as PL glory, I would like 1 of those in our trophy cabinet - At least to get one over the Arsenal fans!

[daNcfc 1]

if chelsea continue this bad run there is no way there gonna win the champions league my honest predictions

copenhagen 0-2 chelsea

chelsea 3-0 copenhagen aggregate: 5-0

ac milan 2-2 chelsea

chelsea 1-0 ac milan aggregate: 3-2

barcelona 3-0 chelsea

chelsea 0-1 barcelona aggregate: 0-4

sorry blues fans but i can see us being drawn against barca only cause i think uefa have something against chelsea

and as current form goes i seriously cant see anyone beating barca

[zolayes 14,489]

if chelsea continue this bad run there is no way there gonna win the champions league my honest predictions

copenhagen 0-2 chelsea

chelsea 3-0 copenhagen aggregate: 5-0

ac milan 2-2 chelsea

chelsea 1-0 ac milan aggregate: 3-2

barcelona 3-0 chelsea

chelsea 0-1 barcelona aggregate: 0-4

sorry blues fans but i can see us being drawn against barca only cause i think uefa have something against chelsea

and as current form goes i seriously cant see anyone beating barca

sadly I must agree with you

[True_Blue 469]

Well your predictions are not realistic,the Barcelona part at least.Everytime we lost to Barcelona we had a man down (apart from our 5-1 ET defeat at Nou Camp) but in the ''new'' era they always defeated us when we got a red.When it was 11 vs 11 we won or we drew.

[cfc-meleady 192]

Can't see us winning the CL this season, I hope i'm wrong but we've been so much stronger other years and not done it..and Barcelona are still as strong (if not stronger) than ever!

Really can't see anyone beating them too it, in a way it is luck..but not completely. Games like when liverpool won it, luck, when united beat us on penos, luck, but you have to be a quality side to even make it to the final and just can't see that happening this year.

[Tomo 21,751]

if chelsea continue this bad run there is no way there gonna win the champions league my honest predictions

copenhagen 0-2 chelsea

chelsea 3-0 copenhagen aggregate: 5-0

ac milan 2-2 chelsea

chelsea 1-0 ac milan aggregate: 3-2

barcelona 3-0 chelsea

chelsea 0-1 barcelona aggregate: 0-4

sorry blues fans but i can see us being drawn against barca only cause i think uefa have something against chelsea

and as current form goes i seriously cant see anyone beating barca

I really dont see how some peeps think Barca are unbeatable, there not.

Granted we will have to play a defensive system against Barca, because as Arsenal proved last season attack Barca they will rip you to shreds but we have the players to sit back absorb Barca at the Nou Camp then get them at Stamford Brigde, the last time we played them we should have been atleast 3-0 up before Iniesta scored (I was pissed at the time off that goal so the raw pain of that moment set in the next morning when i had Mancs waiting for me in college).

It will be hard but Barca are beatable, tbh id be more worried about Madrid because of the Jose factor.

[Ollie 4,400]

Barca, Barca, Barca. I'm telling you, and anyone here that they fear us more than we fear them. Yes they can pass a lot but we have power and the teams that Barca struggle with are teams with physicality. Look at Inter last season and us in the last few years, they haven't humiliated us like they have against Arsenal and Real Madrid. We've been them as much as they've beaten us and their football and calibre of player hasn't changed.

We have to win the Champions League, it's the holy grail of club football and if we do it before Arsenal, i'd feel unbelievably happy, like my life is complete lol i hate Arsenal and their fans so much it's almost impossible.

[Lampards Bitch 21]

Champions League is what Roman wants and I sware with Russia getting the world cup bid he sorted the Champions League. This is the last time that this actual squad can win this. they have all been throught the ups and downs in the latter stages and I think the hunger for it is burning more than for the League, especially now. I personally would rather CL than EPL.

[Wilson 358]

To hell with Barca, why fear them? We are not Arsenal. We can win Champs League.

[Cloudy 6]

I also think this is our last chance with the current squad before we go into a transitional phase. I'd really like Lampard, Terry, Drogba to win a CL.

[Term-X 7,891]

It's typical that the year the final is at Wembley, we go our worst run of results for almost 15 years.

Technically we've come closer to winning it than arsenal, the danger is that Wengers youngsters prevail, and our golden generation will have ran it's course. Although older teams such as Milan have proven it can be an advantage, rather than a hindrance. Imagine an all london final, in london, with the winner being the first london club to win.

[termninja 5,290]

Winning Champions League this season is going to be very very hard, but if we start playing as we did before it is possible and it would be a dream come true. We can as well be 16th in the league and win Champs League and I'd be damn happy.

[Grandmaster 2]

in a choice between the two, Id take domestic success over European success any day of the week

Would love to win the Champions League, but domestically is our bread and butter and where we should be concentrating on

[Term-X 7,891]

Spooky.

[Kez 2,727]

First London club to win it... Such an achievement.

Clearly the best team in London.

[Spike 12,049]

So full of pride right now.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Fuck the luck. We made our own luck. It was an accumulation of all the luck that's gone against us over the years.

Gooners are small time pricks. If Arsenal had won the CL in such a stirring, dramatic fashion; upsetting the odds nearly every match from the Group Stage onwards, I would be applauding them, I would not care at all that they would have been the first Londoners to do it. They can't hack it that we beat them to it. If we were any other club we would have had the goodwill of millions of neutrals because of the incredible scenes that have taken us to this trophy.

[The Big Drog 1,110]

Fuck the luck. We made our own luck. It was an accumulation of all the luck that's gone against us over the years.

Gooners are small time pricks. If Arsenal had won the CL in such a stirring, dramatic fashion; upsetting the odds nearly every match from the Group Stage onwards, I would be applauding them, I would not care at all that they would have been the first Londoners to do it. They can't hack it that we beat them to it. If we were any other club we would have had the goodwill of millions of neutrals because of the incredible scenes that have taken us to this trophy.

Forget them. Bitter. We are Chelsea FC, tonight belongs to us, I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks. The Chelsea lads tonight were nothing short of heroic, just like they were against Barcelona, just like they were against Napoli, just like they were against Valencia. Those players, the Chelsea staff and and background team deserve all the praise in the world, they have cemented themselves in the history of the club and tonight is a night that will hold a very special place in every single Chelsea fan's heart.