Transcript
Aryaman: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Hello everyone, welcome to the Daily Chelsea podcast. Chelsea are back in the Champions League after last year's Conference League win. Back in the big time, the trophy with the big ears that that we've won twice. You're listening to Martin and Saps. And over the next 10 minutes or so, we're going to reflect on the draw that's just happened for the league phase.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Do Chelsea have enough to make it all the way to Budapest in May next year? Saps firstly, how happy are you to be back in Europe's premier competition?
Aryaman: Very, very, very happy. Very happy with it. It's going to be a first appearance in UCL since, what, 2022? 23 season. So I'm really happy to see that Champions League badge at Stamford Bridge, actually. The Champions League flags flying at Chelsea.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: Honestly, it's been a while and it's happy. I'm i'm really happy to be back. Those Tuesday and Wednesday nights going to be really nice.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yes. um And what did you think actually about the draw? At the start of the draw, before the draw even happened, Chelsea got presented with a special um award, if you like, for being the first the first team to win all of UEFA's men's trophies. That's the Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Super Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and also the UEFA Youth League.
Aryaman: Yep.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um clear The haters will say, well, you know, the Real Madrid can never win all of them because they'll never drop down to the Conference League and and have such a bad year that they play in that competition.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But, I mean, every time I go to Stamford Bridge and we sing, we've won it all. It's true. We've won it all. so So what are your thoughts on just, you know, last year's Conference League win and therefore, if you like, completing the set of UEFA tournaments?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: Yeah, no, absolutely. We won it all, so we should be proud of it. And, it it I mean, coming back to what you said, if Real Madrid gets dumped into the Europa League, you're telling me they're not going to celebrate it?
Aryaman: i mean, they're obviously going to celebrate and
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: It is a trophy at the end of the day.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Great.
Aryaman: So, if you're if you're in in that situation ah in the Europa League, in the Conference League, you you have to win it. ah you have ah You have an expectation.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: And if you don't do that as well, then, you know, that's ah that's another big problem. But we we still did it. And, um ah yeah, it's really good to be back as well. And, we've won it all, to be really honest with you. And I'm i'm really happy with that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, I agree. I think ah I think it's like I know the Club World Cup was a FIFA competition, but, you know, if Paris Saint-Germain had won that in the final, they would be again celebrating um tremendously as well. So, um no, i think I think we're well within our right to be very, very proud of of of that culture of winning as well.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Not just being in it to participate, but um being able to win, which...
Aryaman: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um is again, you know, I'm quite pleased last year's Premier League season ended the way it did. And then therefore we got Champions League. um Part of me wouldn't, I don't think have minded, let's say getting into the Europa League, because I think we would have got further in the Europa League and potentially even won it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Whereas getting the Champions League, I know it's good for finances. I know it's good for moral morale. I know it's, and we'll talk more about it, but we've born it we've been drawn against the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich. So there's some wonderful ties in there.
Aryaman: I'm
Global Sports Podcast Network: um But if we're really honest, Saps, if I certainly be honest, do I think we'll win it this year, the Champions League? Probably not. um What are your thoughts on not just the the league phase draw, but where do you see Chelsea in terms of the best, you know, if we get into the quarterfinals, where I guess one of the best eight teams in Europe, if get the semifinals, of one of the best four teams in Europe, if you like, are we in and around that that space?
Aryaman: Personally, i think yeah i think we should make it to the semis. ah
Global Sports Podcast Network: Okay.
Aryaman: Yeah, I think so. and ah Coming back to the seasons that we've won it, when we started out those those seasons back then, there was no expectation of winning it, was there? 2012-2021, there was no expectation to win it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Mm-hmm.
Aryaman: and There isn't any this time as well. so I just want to go as as far as possible, just get out of these ah these these group phases and knockout phases. And then it's going to be fun. But I think we can make it maybe Maybe not win it.
Aryaman: maybe But maybe get to the final. Maybe semi-final. um um
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Aryaman: I'm really positive about that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Good. We like the optimism. And I do have to say, you know, um football isn't a paper sport. So if, ah you know, on paper, we probably aren't as good as, you know, the Liverpools, the Manchester Citys, the Real Madrids.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um the Barcelona's, which would all already make us, you know, not one of the the the top five in Europe. But there's something there is something about Chelsea in a cup competition that can just dig out that, you know, extra 10% that you need. And again, I was hearing a few fans say it over the last couple of days, Chelsea is probably the one unknown.
Global Sports Podcast Network: for rival fans that, you know, when they play us, they actually don't know what they're going to get. Whereas I think a lot of other clubs now are a bit more known. You know, Manchester City, we know their style. Arsenal, we know their style. Liverpool, we know their style generally.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But Chelsea, I think, is the one big unknown, which could be a blessing and a curse because maybe maybe we don't know ourselves.
Aryaman: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um But that unknown and that unpredictability, you know, before it was a bit more predictable. It was almost was almost Cole Palmer FC.
Aryaman: Yep.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um
Aryaman: Yep.
Global Sports Podcast Network: whereas now we are a little bit more unpredictable. You know, Stavall could um could to turn up some magic. It could be Pedro Neto. It could be João Pedro. So um hopefully that but unpredictability and and that sort of unknown...
Global Sports Podcast Network: um about the team and even Enzo Mresca is still relatively unknown as a manager um hopefully that can that can pay off from working out working our favour a short break and then straight afterwards we will talk more about the draw for the league phase that Chelsea have been handed
Global Sports Podcast Network: Welcome back to the Daily Chelsea podcast. You're listening to Martin and Saps' reaction to Chelsea's league phase draw for this upcoming season's Champions League 25-26 season.
Aryaman: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um So, Saps, the draw happened. Chelsea were in pot one and now it's this automated button press which Zlatan Ibrahimović did the other day.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um Of course, now it's now it's this league phase. We play eight teams, not or have eight matches rather than six matches.
Aryaman: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: um Just to to run through the list, Barcelona, and actually I'll run through the list in order that we play them. Barcelona at home, Bayern Munich away, Benfica at home, Atalanta away, Ajax at home, Napoli away, Paphos at home, and then we end with...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Karabag away. And for listeners background, Paphos is Cypriot and Karabag is Azerbaijani.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um Again, I'm going to ask the obvious question, but what stands out amongst them?
Aryaman: Oh, Bayern, Barça, Napoli, sounds like we're talking about 2012 again.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yes. Yeah.
Aryaman: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, agree. the um As soon as I saw Barca, Bayern, Benfica, Napoli, um wonderful memories, absolutely wonderful memories, um particularly the Napoli game, I think was the turning point um in 2012, where listeners will remember we were heavily beaten in that and that first leg.
Aryaman: Yeah.
Aryaman: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: in our 2012 Champions League, but um turned it around in the second leg. And I will never forget that Branislav Ivanovic wheeling away in delight at his his winner in the second leg an extra time.
Aryaman: Yeah. yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: um But of course, they're very, very different teams now. um We start with Barcelona and with Bayern. So actually, two it's two pretty tough games to ah start.
Aryaman: Yeah, it is going to be tough. It's always going to be tough when you go to the likes of, you know, Barca, Real, Bayern. But if we get a good result out, if we get two draws out in the first two games, that sets up really nicely for the rest of the games.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: And that that is that would potentially be our ticket to the knockout stage, you know. And I think we can make it easily again, coming back to what I said, I think we can make it to the quarters, semis.
Aryaman: I believe it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, it's ah and again, this league phase is not the most proven, it's very difficult to to know. But generally, you sort of need, I guess, of the eight matches, probably about five wins.
Aryaman: Yes.
Global Sports Podcast Network: um Are you confident we have five wins in there?
Aryaman: um A couple of draws. i don't know, maybe a defeat somewhere here or there too.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: Maybe the Bayern, the Bartha game. may Might be a defeat coming there, but I think we can make it. Yeah, five wins is doable in this group.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. it's If I look at them again, and again, it's it's almost a shame, actually, that it's... um the the the difficulty is front-loaded because if Barcelona and Bayern, which are our first two match days in this league phase, if they are losses, let's say, if we assume the worst, um you'd hope morale can pick up pretty quickly.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Whereas we end actually with Pafos and Carabag.
Aryaman: No. yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: So if we assume Pafos and Carabag are two wins... think we can assume Ajax at home probably is a win as well. So that's three wins. But then the other five matches, which is Napoli away, which is never easy.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's Atalanta away, which again is never easy.
Aryaman: no
Global Sports Podcast Network: um It's Benfica at home, which, um yeah, it's quite doable.
Aryaman: Quite doable, yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And then it's the Barca and the Bayern to start. So you never know. it's And that I guess that is the the point of them them making it into a league phase is it goes right until the very end.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So hopefully, as you say, we have some... um morale boosting or performance enhancing draws or or sneak a win against Barca or Bayern and then we can be a bit more confident going into the remaining match days knowing that we end in particular with Pafos and Carabag which no disrespect to Pafos or Carabag you would expect very easy comfortable wins in the final minute or so Saps your reaction on sort of maybe the the other team's
Aryaman: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Draws, did you have a view on, you know, I actually thought Chelsea had quite a hard draw, but if I go to the other English teams, you know, Man City of sort of um Napoli, Monaco, Villarreal, Dortmund, Leverkusen, Madrid...
Aryaman: Mm-hmm.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Bodo Glynn and Galatasaray. So I guess for Man City, you could say the really tough ones there were sort of Real Madrid. um Liverpool, i've got Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid as well.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Inter Milan, Galatasaray, Eintracht, Frankfurt. So it's not easy for anyone. But where did you, on your sort of hopes before the draw, were you happy with how Chelsea got the draw? Do you think we have it harder versus some of our peers? Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: pi
Aryaman: Yeah, know a our group might be a little bit harder, but that just makes it fun, I think so.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: And if we can defeat maybe Bayern or maybe get a draw out of Barca, which is quite do doable ah to be really honest with you, then it sets up really nicely for the ne for the rest of the games.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Aryaman: And coming on to, say, Real Madrid, we always have a charm against Real Madrid. We always do something or the other. So I think i think i I feel really good about the season, like I said.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Aryaman: And um yeah, I think I'm just waiting for the first game now and hopefully we get a win.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And it all starts in the Champions League on the 16th to 18th of September. So not far away now for that home match against Barcelona. um Saps, thank you very much. Thank you all for listening. You've been listening to the Daily Chelsea podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Thanks for being with us and goodbye.
