Chelsea

The defending European champions just keep getting stronger. 

Chelsea reportedly have agreed to add Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez on a €5 million ($5.9 million) loan, per Fabrizio Romano of The Guardian. Per Matt Law of The Telegraph, the London side are hopeful of completing the loan move with an option to buy after the season. 

Chelsea paying €4m loan fee for Saul Niguez and they will have €35m option to buy. Player is not flying to London tonight. Player, Chelsea and Atletico all in agreement. All working hard to make sure deal is done by tonight's deadline.

— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) August 31, 2021

Saul, 26, is a talented box-to-box midfielder but one who perhaps fell down Diego Simeone's depth chart after Atletico added the talented Rodrigo de Paul on a  €35 million ($41 million) transfer this summer. 

Saul appeared in 33 games for the La Liga champions last season (22 starts), registering two goals and an assist. His 6.76 average match rating from WhoScored.com in league play ranked just 12th among Atletico players who made 20 or more appearances, however. 

He'll bring versatility to Chelsea's midfield, having been utilized as everything from a defensive midfielder and occasional defender at Atletico to the occasional forward or wing-back. But a box-to-box role is his sweet spot. 

Throwback to when Saul Niguez scored one of the best Champions League goals ever against Bayern Munich 🤯

(via @ChampionsLeague)pic.twitter.com/3992GeJxwW

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 31, 2021

Chelsea's top options in central midfield are N'Golo Kante and Jorginho, with Mateo Kovacic providing depth and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ethan Ampadu and Trevoh Chalobah available in a pinch. 

Saul loan signing is the perfect solution for Chelsea. Top quality midfield options for the season and all options open for next summer. Lukaku + Saul = great window #cfc

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) August 31, 2021

Few teams in world football can boast central midfield depth like Thomas Tuchel will now have with Kante, Jorginho, Saul and Kovacic at his disposal. Few clubs are as stacked as Chelsea, period. 

Anything less than a Premier League title or a second successive UCL conquest will be seen as a disappointment at Stamford Bridge this season. 

Jorginho capped off an unforgettable 2020-21 season with the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award, beating out teammate N'Golo Kante and Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne.  

JORGINHO IS THE UEFA MEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR ⭐ pic.twitter.com/hDMv9UbUJZ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 26, 2021

For both club and country, the Brazil-born midfielder excelled. His seven Premier League goals were the most for Chelsea as the Blues finished fourth in the table, and he was instrumental in the club going on to beat Manchester City 1-0 in the Champions League final.

The 29-year-old then started in every game for Italy at Euro 2020 and was subbed off just once in seven matches as the Azzurri lifted their second European title. Though he missed his penalty in the shootout in the final against England, he converted the decisive spot-kick against Spain in the semis. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3QTMTnkmsE

Quantifying the impact of a player such as Jorginho can be difficult because he isn't much of a threat around the 18-yard box—17 of his 26 career goals in domestic leagues have been penalty kicks. And unlike De Bruyne, he doesn't account for a high volume of his team's assists.

But it's not entirely a coincidence the former Napoli player collected two major trophies within a two-month span.

"Jorgi is a very strategic player," Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said in August. "He knows what to do in possession, he can imagine what is going to happen one or two passes ahead, and he knows where to help out in short distances and longer distances.

"He knows when to switch the play and not to switch the play. He has a good sense of rhythm. He organises the environment around him and that allows him to show his true abilities in controlling the rhythm of a game."

Early into his Chelsea career, Jorginho couldn't shake the perception he was a favorite of then-manager Maurizio Sarri after following him from Naples. As a result, he probably caught more criticism than he deserved when the Blues finished a distant third in the Premier League in 2018-19.

Now, there's no longer any doubt as to his value to the side. Chelsea is shaping up to be a serious threat to Manchester City for the 2021-22 league title, and Jorginho is likely to have a big say in whether the reigning champion is dethroned.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel announced United States international Christian Pulisic will miss Sunday's Premier League match against Arsenal after testing positive for COVID-19.

"Unfortunately, [he] had a positive test and needs to follow the protocols," Tuchel told reporters Friday. "He's not been training and is not available for the game." 

Pulisic started the Blues' Premier League opener against Crystal Palace on Saturday. He played 82 minutes and scored a goal as part of the club's convincing 3-0 win.

He posted a statement on his Instagram story saying he's fully vaccinated and hasn't dealt with any coronavirus symptoms so far:

Pulisic posts on IG that he’s fully vaccinated and isn’t experiencing any symptoms after testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this week. pic.twitter.com/q1ygT2PAjG

— Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) August 20, 2021

His strong start to the campaign for Chelsea came after a summer where he led the USMNT to the Nations League championship with a clutch 114th-minute penalty kick to beat rival Mexico in June.

The 22-year-old Pennsylvania native's positive COVID-19 test result comes less than two weeks before the U.S. kicks off World Cup qualifying. The U.S. is scheduled to face El Salvador on Sept. 2 followed by fixtures against Canada on Sept. 5 and Honduras on Sept. 8.

Although the U.S. national team showcased some impressive depth by also winning the Gold Cup earlier this month with what amounted to its "B" team, being without Pulisic for the qualifiers would be a major setback for the side as it attempts to exorcise demons from missing the 2018 World Cup.

Chelsea has one more match, an Aug. 28 clash with Liverpool, before the three-match international break. Tuchel didn't provide an update on the winger's potential availability beyond Sunday.

Pulisic faced transfer speculation following the 2020-21 season, during which he played an unsteady role for the Blues, but he told ESPN FC's James Olley in May he was focused on earning a more consistent spot in the club's starting XI.

"People have always doubted and said: 'Oh, he's not playing. Does he want to go here, does he want to go there?' I'm always up for a challenge, I love competing, I love the position I'm in, and I'm enjoying my time here," he said.

Hakim Ziyech, who's recovered from a shoulder injury, is among the options to replace Pulisic in the Chelsea lineup against Arsenal.

Court documents entered by four of the 10 Black former Chelsea youth players who've filed civil lawsuits against the club allege a culture of "racist bullying" in the 1990s, including physical and verbal abuse by coaches Graham Rix and Gwyn Williams.

Daniel Taylor of The Athletic reported Thursday the court papers, filed ahead of a trial that begins March 7, include statements from one player who said Black players were "treated like a race of f--king dogs" and another who called it a "mini-apartheid state."

Chelsea previously accepted an investigative conclusion that Williams subjected Black players to a "daily tirade of racial abuse," though they've responded to the civil lawsuits by saying they "deny vicarious liability" in the case, per Taylor.

Williams and Rix, who weren't criminally charged following an investigation into the allegations after police said there was "insufficient evidence," continue to deny wrongdoing, according to The Athletic. While both former coaches declined comment on the situation, Williams filed a response saying he used racial language, but did so without malicious intent.

One player, who's now in his 40s, alleged in court documents Rix punched him between the legs and he's since dealt with post-traumatic stress disorder.

The trial is expected to include 62 witnesses, including several prominent members of the club and the Premier League in the past, including former Liverpool goalkeeper David James, a Black former England international who's listed as a witness to a racist incident involving Williams.

A player alleged he was walking past Williams and James following a December 1995 game when Williams grabbed him by the collar and called him a "fake c--n" and James a "proper c--n," per Taylor.

In August 2019, Chelsea released a statement saying it apologized for the "terrible past experiences of some of its former players" following an investigation into the matter and pledged "abhorrent abuse like this can never happen again":

Although the club today is a very different place from the club then, with new ownership, operational structures and safeguarding procedures in place, we will not shy away from responsibility for what happened in the past.

The intention of the review was to shine a bright light in the dark corners of the club's history so that we can learn lessons to help protect the players of the future. We also have no desire to hide any non-recent abuse we uncover.

The allegations surround time where the club was owned by Ken Bates, who purchased the team in 1982 and sold to current owner Roman Abramovich in 2003.

Lawyer Emma Ferguson, who represents some of the former players who've filed lawsuits, told The Athletic the players are "disappointed" Chelsea have "changed their position" from that 2019 statement to fighting the allegations in civil court.

"Chelsea's hypocrisy in appearing to support Black lives in public, whilst refusing to support Black victims of racist abuse in seeking the justice they deserve, simply aggravates our clients' pain and suffering," Ferguson said.

The March 2022 court case is scheduled to last five weeks.

Chelsea has officially announced the addition of striker Romelu Lukaku after agreeing to a transfer from Internazionale:

Welcome home, @RomeluLukaku9. 💙#LukWhosBack pic.twitter.com/P43CAIVqfU

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 12, 2021

Simon Stone of BBC Sport previously reported Chelsea paid a £97.5 million transfer fee for the 28-year-old, the biggest in club history. With cumulative fees of nearly £300 million over his career, Lukaku is also now the most expensive player of all time, per James Benge of CBS Sports.

Lukaku was previously on Chelsea's books from 2011-14, but he appeared in just 10 Premier League matches for the club while spending significant time on loan at West Brom and Everton. 

"The relationship I have with this club means so much to me, as you know," he told reporters Thursday. "I have supported Chelsea as a kid and now to be back and try to help them win more titles is an amazing feeling."

The Belgium international has also played for Anderlecht, Everton and Manchester United in his career before spending his past two seasons at Inter. Lukaku is coming off arguably his best season as a professional with 24 goals and 11 assists in 2020-21 to lead his club to a Serie A title.

20/10 - Romelu Lukaku is the only player in the last 15 seasons to score 20+ goals and make 10+ assists in a single Serie A campaign. Coup. pic.twitter.com/u8DN0dF1tr

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 12, 2021

Lukaku also scored four goals in five matches at Euro 2020 this summer while leading Belgium to the quarterfinals.

His goal-scoring ability could be a huge addition for Chelsea, which rode a great defense to a Champions League title last season but finished just fourth in the Premier League table because of inconsistent form up front.

Midfielder Jorginho led the club with seven Premier League goals and all of them came on penalty kicks.

Adding a true striker could make this team even better as it looks to contend for more trophies in 2021-22.

Chelsea won the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday with a win over Villarreal and they begin their league season on Saturday against Crystal Palace.

The six English clubs that attempted to join the failed European Super League—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—have reportedly agreed to pay more than $31 million in combined fines to the Premier League for their actions.

Matt Slater of The Athletic reported Wednesday the agreement also includes a $35 million fine and a 30-point deduction in the table for any future effort to join a conglomerate similar to the ESL. The money collected will be used for grassroots football.

It's the latest punishment for the clubs that swiftly abandoned the Super League idea after it was met with resistance from UEFA and fans. The ESL was suspended April 20, just two days after it was announced, because of the mass exodus of teams.

In April, Der Spiegel (via Max Winters of MailOnline) reported ESL contracts included a $184 million "break-up fee" for backing out of the project.

UEFA then announced in May that nine of the 12 clubs that pulled out had agreed to "reintegration measures" that included a combined $18.3 million donation to grassroots football, a five percent hold on revenue from their next UEFA competition and major penalties for any future breakaway effort.

The governing body of European football also said the cases of the three remaining holdouts—Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid—would be sent to its disciplinary bodies for review and possible sanctions.

In addition, Premier League owners will now be required to agree to a new rule "committing them to the core principles" with the top division of English football or face "significant" penalties, per Slater.

The Super League was a failure of colossal proportions, and the six Premier League clubs involved continue to face the ramifications for the effort to create a lucrative Champions League alternative.

A full announcement from the Premier League about the newest punishment is expected later Wednesday.

Chelsea announced Friday it agreed to a two-year contract extension through the 2023-24 season with manager Thomas Tuchel after he guided the club to its second UEFA Champions League triumph.

"I cannot imagine a better occasion for a contract renewal," Tuchel said. "I am grateful for the experience and very happy to stay part of the Chelsea family. There is far more to come, and we are looking forward to our next steps with ambition and much anticipation."

Winning the UCL trophy capped a term when the Blues also reached the FA Cup final, which they lost 1-0 to Leicester City, and finished fourth in the Premier League table.

Tuchel took over as the club's head coach in January after Frank Lampard was sacked following a lackluster start to the season that left Chelsea ninth in the EPL standings.

"When Thomas joined us in January there was still so much to play for domestically and in Europe. He slotted in seamlessly and immediately became an integral part of the Chelsea family," club director Marina Granovskaia said. "Returning us to the top four in the Premier League was crucial, and we could not be happier with our success in the Champions League which crowned a remarkable season at Chelsea."

Tuchel guided the Blues to a 19-5-6 record across all competitions with a plus-21 goal differential (37-16).

Chelsea wrapped up the campaign with a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the UCL final last Saturday. Kai Havertz scored the match's only goal.

"The level is now set from when the celebrations are over and when we have digested this experience, it is the moment to evolve and to use it, become better to learn," Tuchel said after the triumph. "It is absolutely crucial. We have young players; now it is a big challenge to stay hungry and go for the next one."

Tuchel, a former defender, started his managerial career with FC Augsburg's reserve side in 2007. He's since made stops with Mainz, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. He led PSG to last year's Champions League final before falling short against Bayern Munich.

Now it appears the 47-year-old German has found a long-term home at Stamford Bridge.

For the second time in club history, Chelsea are UEFA Champions League champions thanks to Saturday's 1-0 victory over rival Manchester City.

Barely five months since taking over The Blues, head coach Thomas Tuchel finds himself hoisting the European Champion Clubs' Cup—an incredible feat after PSG fired him on Christmas Eve.  

Now, the successor to Frank Lampard at Stamford Bridge has reached the pinnacle of the sport in Europe with the help of an historic performance from N'Golo Kanté while Kai Havertz scored the lone goal.

Kai Havertz’s first Champions League goal of his career is the opener in the #UCLFinal

(🎥: @ChampionsLeague)pic.twitter.com/FPBnfph5Fp

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 29, 2021

- Premier League 🏆
- FA Cup 🏆
- World Cup 🏆
- Europa League 🏆
- Champions League 🏆

N’Golo Kante 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/KljKVfYSC6

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) May 29, 2021

N'Golo Kanté's #UCLFinal game by numbers for Chelsea:

85% passing accuracy
53 touches
11 duels won (most)
10 ball recoveries (most)
4 aerials won (!)
3 tackles
2 touches in the opp. box
2 clearances
2 interceptions
2 fouls won

One of the great UCL Final performances. 👏 pic.twitter.com/dukI1LEL5d

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 29, 2021

"I could have never imagined as a young coach that I could touch this cup!" 🏆

An emotional night for Thomas Tuchel who had his family in Porto as he won the Champions League, and the importance of some lucky shoes! 👟#beINUCL #UCLFinal

Watch Now - https://t.co/RRmQgctETJ pic.twitter.com/GRGkep1rlQ

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) May 29, 2021

3 - Thomas Tuchel is just the second manager to record three consecutive wins in all competitions against Pep Guardiola (excl. Barcelona B), after fellow German Jürgen Klopp did so in 2018 with Liverpool. Masterminds. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/s8T4xVuGnv

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 29, 2021

"It was a tight game and for our first final it was a good, good final," MCFC head coach Pep Guardiola told reporters. "We showed courage. First half was bad, second half was much better. But it is a bad day. We struggled with the long balls, the second balls. It was an exceptional season for us. We tried but we did not do it."

1 - Pep Guardiola has lost his first cup final as Manchester City manager, with this loss only the second major cup final defeat of his managerial career (after the Copa del Rey in 2010-11). Unfamiliar. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/QFmbyoCtRi

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 29, 2021

Mood. pic.twitter.com/B6mV8bDHsA

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 29, 2021

The match was especially noteworthy for Chelsea reserve Christian Pulisic, who became the first American to appear in a Champions League Final. The midfielder nearly scored Chelsea's second goal of the day shortly after taking the pitch.

CHRISTIAN PULISIC WITH A CHANCE TO DOUBLE CHELSEA'S LEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/9RbDepUqXS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

“I couldn’t imagine winning the Champions League ever in my life, and now I’m here. It’s just crazy.”

@cpulisic_10 reacts to becoming the first male American to play in and win the Champions League. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rdwzjklarM

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

The moment Christian Pulisic became the first male American to play in and win a European Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XD7ahuTkiP

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

"I never thought I’d get so far,"  Chelsea's Antonio Rüdiger told the Sky Sports broadcast. "We were willing to suffer for this win. I was on the ground, but I showed you should never underestimate people who lie on the ground, and thanks to Thomas Tuchel and the staff I pulled through."

Mason Mount: "At this moment in time we are the best team in the world. You can’t take that away from us." #CFC #UCLfinal

— Paul Brown (@pbsportswriter) May 29, 2021

THE MOMENT CHELSEA BECAME CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE 🎉 pic.twitter.com/GPHFB1KDjq

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

The party is only just getting started for Chelsea on Saturday night with plenty of celebrations to continue once the club returns home from Estádio do Dragão in Porto, Portugal. 

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz picked a great time to score his first-ever UEFA Champions League goal.

The 21-year-old's 42nd-minute goal was all the Blues needed to beat Manchester City 1-0 to win their second-ever Champions League final.

Kai Havertz’s first Champions League goal of his career is the opener in the #UCLFinal

(🎥: @ChampionsLeague)pic.twitter.com/FPBnfph5Fp

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 29, 2021

Chelsea otherwise had the upper hand over Manchester City en route to a decisive win. Here's a look at the two biggest winners and the biggest loser on the night.

    

Winner: Kai Havertz

Havertz is naturally the evening's biggest winner thanks to a brilliant run and move past Manchester City goaltender Ederson to put the ball into an empty net.

The German hadn't scored in his first 19 Champions League matches for Bayer Leverkusen and Chelsea, but that drought didn't matter much after he scored the decisive goal in the final:

✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️⚽️

In his 20th game in the competition, Kai Havertz scores his first Champions League goal.

Absolutely worth the wait. #UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/Uj5cKOYEDL

— Squawka (@Squawka) May 29, 2021

He's also the youngest German player to score in a men's Champions League final in 24 years.

Kai Havertz is the youngest German player to score in a UEFA Champions League Final since Borussia Dortmund's Lars Ricken in 1997.

Chelsea leads 1-0. pic.twitter.com/94QGmE5PsD

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 29, 2021

The Tactical Times praised Havertz's general performance too:

Kai Havertz vs. Man City

75% Pass accuracy
1/2 Accurate long passes
2 Big chances created
1/1 Shot on target
1 Goal
14/22 Duels won

A complete performance, the goal is what they'll remember.

What a moment. Kai just took a shortcut into the halls of Chelsea folklore. pic.twitter.com/6mzGH8mnDa

— The Tactical Times (@Tactical_Times) May 29, 2021

Havertz has faced criticism while struggling to make an impact in his first season in west London after arriving in the summer for a club-record £72 million fee, but he came through when his team needed him the most.

               

Winner: Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel deserves much credit for putting Havertz in the starting XI, and he got it from numerous analysts, including Liam Twomey of The Athletic.

Until that Havertz goal, it felt like we were waiting to find out which would decide this game: a counter-attack or a counter-counter-attack. Advantage Chelsea, and Tuchel #CFC #MCFC #UCLFinal

— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) May 29, 2021

Chelsea has made significant strides in general under Tuchel, who took the job four months ago. Soccer analyst Kristian Jack pointed out a few elements in their goal that pointed to improvements made by the German:

https://twitter.com/KristianJack/status/1398730256052260868

Overall, Tuchel was the master tactician over Guardiola en route to leading Chelsea to its third victory over Manchester City since April 17.

    

Loser: Pep Guardiola

On the other hand, this was not a good night for Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whose decision not to include a defensive midfielder in the starting XI backfired.

Jonathan Smith of Goal.com and Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News pointed out the issue:

https://twitter.com/jonnysmiffy/status/1398753561505419268

Worst possible time for City’s centre halves to play so badly but not been helped by absence of a proper defensive midfielder. Guardiola tries to be too clever for his own good sometimes. He at least has another half to resolve things. Chelsea very impressive. #UCLfinal

— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) May 29, 2021

Guardiola curiously left both defensive midfielders, Rodri and Fernandinho, on the bench in an unprecedented move this season:

At least one of Fernandinho or Rodri started in 59 of Manchester City's 60 games this season before tonight.

In Porto, both were named on the bench... 🤔#UCLfinal pic.twitter.com/JYmFhV8iHt

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) May 29, 2021

Freelance football writer Constantin Eckner pointed out more issues with space:

City cannot really protect the back line without Rodri, as Havertz and Mount have plenty of space. Key in possession should be Bernardo. Chelsea's defenders are pretty aggressive in how they step up. #UCLFinal pic.twitter.com/Hh0H4OHwlG

— Dr. Constantin Eckner (@cc_eckner) May 29, 2021

The Manchester City back line struggled throughout and almost allowed a second goal courtesy of Christian Pulisic:

CHRISTIAN PULISIC WITH A CHANCE TO DOUBLE CHELSEA'S LEAD 😱 pic.twitter.com/9RbDepUqXS

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

On the other end, Manchester City only had one shot on target, which was a shocking output for a team that was coming off a Premier League title-winning season that had seen them score 83 goals in 38 games.

With all that, Chelsea is the Champions League winner for the first time since 2012, when the Blues beat Bayern Munich.

Christian Pulisic had a lot to celebrate Saturday during the UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City. 

The 22-year-old became the first American to play in a Champions League final when he was inserted as a sub in the 66th minute:

HISTORY MADE

Christian Pulisic becomes the first American to play in the men's Champions League final 👏 pic.twitter.com/DN6taWIycl

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 29, 2021

Pulisic came within an eyelash of adding to his legend by scoring a goal, but his attempt was just wide of the net:

Thomas Tuchel reacting to Christian Pulisic's miss 🙈 pic.twitter.com/lGLY2IdpKo

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

Even though the reaction in that moment was one of distress, Pulisic ended the day in a state of euphoria when the Blues held on for a 1-0 win over City. 

The moment Christian Pulisic became the first male American to play in and win a European Cup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XD7ahuTkiP

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) May 29, 2021

Pulisic became the second American to win a UEFA Champions League title. Jovan Kirovski was the first as a member of Borussia Dortmund in 1996-97. 

Chelsea finished the Champions League season unbeaten. It won Group E with a 4-2-0 record to advance to the knockout stage. 

The Blues beat Atletico Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid to earn a date with Manchester City in Saturday's final. 

Chelsea won the UEFA Champions League title for the second time in club history. Pulisic contributed two goals and two assists in the 10 matches he played.