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Chelsea 25/26 Season Preview: Freshly-Crowned World Champions! (25/26 Ep1)
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Welcome to the Daily Chelsea podcast, or should I say welcome back, for a new season, the 2025-26 season
Fresh from our Club World Cup win, the season’s already got underway with two pre-season wins against Leverkusen and AC Milan
You’re listening to Martin, Yashar and Saps and over the next few podcasts we will wrap up the summer for Chelsea including the big win against PSG in the Club World Cup Final, reflect on the transfer window incomings and outgoings thus far, and give our predictions for the upcoming season – are we ready?
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Transcript
Introduction and Upcoming Episodes Overview
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone, welcome to the Daily Chelsea podcast, or should I say welcome back for a new season, the 2025-2026 season, fresh from our Club World Cup win.
00:00:19
yashar
Thank you.
00:00:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
The season's already got underway really with two pre-season wins against Leverkusen and AC Milan.
00:00:23
Aryaman
Thank you.
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're listening Martin, Yashar and Saps. And over the next few podcasts, we will wrap up the summer for Chelsea, including the big win against PSG in the Club World Cup final.
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll reflect as well on the transfer window, incomings, outgoings thus far, and give our predictions for the upcoming season. Are we ready? Before all of that, maybe Yashar, firstly, welcome back. How was the summer?
00:00:54
yashar
Good, especially in a good mood.
00:00:55
Aryaman
you
00:00:56
yashar
Club World Cup winners, um good position, good sign-ins.
00:00:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:01:01
yashar
So far, so good, really.
Impact of Short Summer Break and Tournament Prestige
00:01:02
yashar
So it's a it's a <unk> big it's a long journey, but it's a really rewarding one so far, yeah.
00:01:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And it's, it's fun cause it's, um, there wasn't too big a gap actually of no football because normally there is a proper sort of three month gap, whereas this was sort of maybe two weeks before the club world cup, we stayed the full sort of month of the club world cup.
00:01:15
yashar
Hmm.
00:01:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
So those are something sort of drip fed Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday.
00:01:26
yashar
Thank you.
00:01:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
um and then that only had sort of two, that was only three weeks ago, I think. and And now we are straight back into, into the league again. Um, Zaps, how was your summer?
00:01:37
Aryaman
Oh, not bad, mate. I was buzzing after the win.
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:40
Aryaman
Absolutely buzzing.
00:01:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:01:42
Aryaman
Yes, i I had two great days, mate.
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:01:44
Aryaman
I got graduated the day before and then I got C-Chelsea thrashed PSG.
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh but
00:01:49
Aryaman
So, yes. I'd
00:01:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to make it difficult. Which was more important to you?
00:01:54
Aryaman
say the graduation, but the win was very good.
00:01:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
like Yeah, no, I agree.
00:01:57
Aryaman
Oh, yeah.
00:01:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's also it's one that sounds good, isn't it? It's one to save for the next four years.
00:02:02
Aryaman
oh Yeah. yeah
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
World champions um again, rival fans, they they will hate.
00:02:10
Aryaman
Oh yeah, definitely.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:02:11
yashar
Thank
00:02:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm still quite not sure whether it was essentially a post-season tournament or a pre-season tournament. But either way, um think it's going to become more and more popular as it builds out, especially as it's now every four years, not every one year.
00:02:18
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:02:25
Aryaman
Yeah, that's the best part though.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:02:26
Aryaman
We get to hold that badge on for like four years.
00:02:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. It looks good, doesn't it? I'm annoyed that actually...
00:02:31
Aryaman
It looks very good actually. Haha.
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I bought this shirt before it. um And I don't know if I can return it and just say, can you can you stamp on the badge for me?
00:02:36
Aryaman
but
00:02:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even for an extra, you know, tenner. But I'll have to ah have to sort that afterwards. um Just on the Club World Cup then, obviously, most of the games were our
Tactical Insights and Player Impact
00:02:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
time. Some weren't. um I guess...
00:02:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, how much did you guys catch? What did we learn from it? I assume, you know, that the certainly the latter stages, I think we ought all would have caught, caught everything. um Maybe, yeah, maybe Yashar, was there anything you learn from it now that you you think back?
00:03:11
yashar
Well, think the biggest thing was think really understanding Mariska's tactics a little bit more.
00:03:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:03:20
yashar
um Really trusting and giving some trust in him, really.
00:03:26
yashar
it was something that I'm more of a confidence booster for me, seeing his tactics, if they worked or not.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:31
yashar
So think for me, was it was something to, especially play the players who I think who haven't played much as well.
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:41
yashar
It was big confidence booster. So I really think that was the biggest thing for that tournament.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. No, agree I agree. I mean, everyone was coming up against a lot, right? that The heat, ah sheet ah thunderstorms that would stop matches for two hours.
00:03:52
yashar
Yeah.
00:03:55
yashar
Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:55
Aryaman
ah That was ridiculous.
00:03:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, and also the sort of the week-long window before the win. You know, Jean-Pierre didn't even, i mean, came in halfway through and and and did spectacularly well, having had no sort of chance to probably even shake hands with his this new players.
00:04:04
Aryaman
Oh yeah.
00:04:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:04:14
Aryaman
hello He was chilling on the beach in Brazil.
00:04:14
yashar
No.
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Saps, what was the main thing you were doing?
00:04:18
Aryaman
We called him up.
00:04:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:20
Aryaman
Come over. Help us out.
00:04:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, agree. Was there anything else that you learned or took away from the tournament?
00:04:28
Aryaman
I just feel that we we have been amazing. And I think we have not given Enzo Merez that much credit.
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:34
Aryaman
And I was actually looking at the analysis of the game after the PSG game, the analysis and the way we were transitioning in attack and defense, it was amazing.
00:04:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:45
Aryaman
And this was, I think, I think if we keep this on for the next season, I am definitely, I think we're going win it.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, I think it's... Yashara, I agree with you as well. more... um It's just nice to know that we can do it.
00:05:00
yashar
Yep.
00:05:00
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was the main thing. There's been many finals over the last few years that we've lost or, you know, a lot has always made of this team being a young team. And we have lost, you know, quite a few, you know, FA Cup finals over over recent years as well.
00:05:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's quite nice just to... just to know that you know we're in and around it. PSG took it very seriously. You could just tell from, you know this wasn't...
00:05:24
yashar
yeah
00:05:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And anyone who says that it was a nothing tournament, I always just say, look ah look at who was starting for every team. People cared.
00:05:32
yashar
Yeah.
00:05:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
This wasn't you know PSG's second string goalkeeper.
00:05:32
Aryaman
Thank you.
00:05:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
All of the first team players were playing. um And yes, I know everyone will say we had the nicer side of the draw and we absolutely had the nicer side of the draw. um
00:05:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Certainly, yeah. I mean, if I look at quarterfinal, semifinal, final, Palmeiras, Fluminense, even the round of 16, we had Benfica. And on the other side of the draw, it was PSG, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich. um But you've still got to do it.
00:06:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've still got to do it. um And then when the best of the best came came up against each other in the final, we, I mean, it was probably one of the most comfortable games I've seen actually after about 25 minutes, we were there.
00:06:16
yashar
yeah i think I think one comment is is we can't control if City can't qualify. We can't control the fact that Inter couldn't qualify.
00:06:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:06:24
Aryaman
No.
00:06:26
yashar
We couldn't help the fact that El Halal couldn't qualify. And these things, people don't see that.
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:06:31
yashar
People just see the teams we're coming up against. but it's the fact that we can't control what other teams couldn't do. And I think that's a big testimony towards Maresca. And I think that's one thing he learned from Pep in a way of, rather than playing one-way system, we play the way we play the, I think somewhat of the kryptonite of the opponent.
00:06:53
yashar
So we saw that in PSG.
00:06:53
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:06:56
yashar
Maresca was very observant in the sense of, In possession, PSG shifted back three with Vitinha hitting the left center back role.
00:07:06
Aryaman
yeah
00:07:06
yashar
And that's exactly what Maresca says when we have someone like Neto in that right and left wing, as well as Cole Palmer coming in as an introverted inverted right wing.
00:07:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:19
yashar
Vitinha is not fast. And we saw that literally two goals just from hoof ball with Malo Augusto coming over. And that's what happens. And it's again, It could have been a different final if we played City, if we played Al-Halau, but again, the that's not what champions do. Champions get it done and that's what we did.
00:07:35
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:07:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, agree. And you know what loved as well? It was that it was the pre-match press conference with Enzo Maresco. And I think one of the journalists asked a very leading question of something like, you know, are your players willing to suffer um because there will be long periods of the game where you do not have the ball?
00:07:52
Aryaman
yeah
00:07:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And it was just the ice cold. I mean, he initially said he didn't hear it. So he asked the journalist to repeat it. um But then to have the ice cold, who said that?
00:08:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think they did end up having more possession in the match.
00:08:07
Aryaman
Yeah, we did.
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
like said But ultimately, we controlled where it matters. um And yeah, we can call ourselves world champions. So that that doesn't doesn't hurt. um We will continue talking in just a moment, but firstly, a word from one of our sponsors.
Effects of the Tournament on Squad and Pre-season
00:09:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back to the Daily Chelsea podcast. You've got Saps, Yashar and myself, Martin. We are debriefing the Club World Cup win for Chelsea out in America over the last couple of weeks.
00:09:08
Aryaman
Thank you.
00:09:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Gents, I guess the other thing people were concerned about with this tournament was just it really did not give us much time to have a break or the players to... um to relax.
00:09:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
We heard the news last week that um or a few days ago that Levi Colwell had to undergo surgery for the ACL. Again, I'm not necessarily linking that to just overexerting in the Club World Cup, but you never know. It probably did play a factor.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then obviously we've had a massively truncated preseason of, you know, two games, frankly, done and dusted over about 36 hours. um
00:09:51
Aryaman
yeah
00:09:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do we think again, you know, crystal ball time, but what do we think, you know great to have won it, got some good minutes under our belt, but we could potentially be more tired. We could therefore be less ready for the start of the season, which is next week.
00:10:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
um what are your thoughts on on sort of the costs of the Club World Cup? Maybe Saps first.
00:10:17
Aryaman
ah No, i think you're right. you know Players are going to be tired and definitely... ah by what I do actually feel like is is we've had such a good run-in. We've had a change of formations. We've had so many new players come in.
00:10:29
Aryaman
So, if we need... And the the these new players are looking good on the field. We saw it yesterday. We saw it today. We saw it against... We saw this last game against Leverkusen.
00:10:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:41
Aryaman
And these players are good. So if we need to actually bench someone for the first time, we can actually get someone good on the field instead of relying on someone else to come back from the subs.
00:10:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:51
Aryaman
You know what I'm saying? So I just feel that this this could be this could be a blessing in disguise with the number of players that we have. I think we can give everyone a chance and I think we can find out who actually is good.
00:11:02
Aryaman
I think Andre Santos is going to be good. I think Gittins is going to be really good.
00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:05
Aryaman
And if we have the chance, we can we can get them on for the Premier League.
00:11:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yashar, any costs of participating in the Club World Cup?
00:11:17
yashar
Yeah, I thought to begin with, to be honest, I thought, I really thought we're going to get tired, nostalgic, high chances of injuries, which um I thought the injury of Levi Colwell, it was, I don't think it came from the World Cup.
00:11:28
yashar
I think it just come from just unluckiness.
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:11:31
yashar
You know, the ACLs, it's like, you know, footballers say all the time, it's something that you don't expect. You know, if, if he would have, you know, torn his ACL, it would have been, you know, it would have been pure season. It would have been in the season. So, but,
00:11:43
yashar
You know, the my first thought was that it was the initial thought of, yeah, we might be tired.
00:11:47
Aryaman
Yep.
00:11:48
yashar
We might be lethargic. We might be high ah chance of injuries. But to be honest, seeing the Leverkusen game, sharp. We looked sharp. We looked we like real intent in our game.
00:11:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:56
Aryaman
yeah
00:11:59
yashar
And then again, the second, the second, the challenge was Ace Milan two days after. And, you know, thinking that, you know, and Yeah, we rotated a lot, but again, the same players were playing.
00:12:11
yashar
You know, Palmer started, you know, these players, you know, like the back line started the same. And, you know, you look at it and you say, we look good. We look sharp. We look up for it.
00:12:21
yashar
And again, there was a lot of question marks, especially around the team.
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:24
yashar
um Obviously, Jamie Carragher talking as, you know, as he always does, as someone who,
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:12:29
yashar
who, again, who doesn't who doesn't see the good side in Chelsea, but he says, you know, since we won the club World Cup, we might not be up for it.
00:12:32
Aryaman
Thank
00:12:35
yashar
And it's it's something nonsense because the these group of boys you see now, you know, oldest player in the team is 27. You know i mean? And it's these boys are hungry. They're real hungry.
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:46
yashar
You can see it. And you can see the togetherness, especially after the pitch. You know, everyone's joking about it. I think the biggest indication for player morale is seeing...
00:12:55
Aryaman
Yep.
00:12:56
yashar
I think the backup goalkeepers and the backup players to see their face and smiling, the Ola, you know, Jorgensen was happy and smiling, so was Tosin, so was Trevor, especially, you know, ah I think Trevor could have a whole podcast to his own, to be honest.
00:13:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:10
yashar
this he's He's someone who I admire, not only just because of his ability, but someone who got kicked to the curb and he didn't say anything.
00:13:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:18
yashar
He didn't say anything.
00:13:19
Aryaman
yep
00:13:19
yashar
Even even today, Chelsea are still open to offer us for him. And it's something that I'm so... but I'm guessing that would change now, obviously, with the unfortunate news with Trevor, but um with Levi, excuse me.
00:13:28
Aryaman
Thank you.
00:13:29
yashar
But we are looking for a new centre-back, hopefully.
00:13:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:13:31
yashar
And that's something we'll get into shortly.
00:13:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:35
Aryaman
but
00:13:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and And you know what? Just to to wrap up on the Club World Cup, it's one of those where, okay, yes, we might be more tired. ah Time will tell. But it's absolutely priceless to breed in early ah winning mentality.
Fostering a Winning Mentality and Closing Remarks
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And just the fact that, yeah, like just...
00:13:50
yashar
I couldn't agree more no no yeah I couldn't agree more especially when we beat the Champions League winners you know someone who who we're coming into we had no hope to be honest going to no one backed us no one had a had us in the game and the and even Mresca said in the first 10 minutes you could see us winning the game and you know he might just be saying that but I mean it's it's something that oppressing was on it and we didn't let them play the way they played and it was testimony to the coaching staff to be honest
00:13:57
Aryaman
yeah
00:14:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:18
Aryaman
It really was.
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. No, agree. And also, like, bluntly, if we didn't do the Club World Cup, we probably would have actually just filled it with four games in Asia or just some other pre-season tournament.
00:14:28
yashar
Yeah.
00:14:29
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
if that
00:14:30
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:14:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
It would have been tired without a trophy. um
00:14:33
Aryaman
Yeah.
00:14:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're not going include pre-season trophies ah as a trophy, unlike a... maybe some of our peers with the Aldi Cup and and so on.
00:14:38
Aryaman
yeah yeah
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, Yashar Saps, thank you very much. Thank you, everyone, for listening. You've been listening to the Daily Chelsea podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. Thanks for being with us and goodbye.