Chelsea boss Graham Potter on facing Carlo Ancelotti in the Champions League. (Photo by PAUL CHILDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea boss Graham Potter reacted to the prospect of facing Carlo Ancelotti when the Blues meet Real Madrid in the quarter-final of the Champions League.
In the repeat of last season’s tie at the same stage of the competition, Chelsea face the defending champions who just battered Liverpool by an aggregate score of 6-2 in the last-16.
The only difference from last season is that the second leg will be at Stamford Bridge. We know what happened when Borussia Dortmund came to the Bridge for the return leg earlier this month – we overturned a one-goal deficit to win the tie. Madrid are a different beast though, but the home advantage for the second leg could come in handy.
Here’s what Potter said when asked about Ancelotti (h/t Chelsea website):
“I do not know him personally, but I have faced him when he was at Everton. I know he is a gentleman. It goes without saying, the amount of respect I have for him and what he has achieved is amazing, the length of time between winning the Champions League, 20 years, that is amazing and incredible.”
Ancelotti is one of the best managers ever to have graced the game. His record at every club he has been to is just phenomenal. The Italian won Chelsea the Premier League and the FA Cup double back in 2010 as well.
Potter, on the other hand, is at the starting point of his career in terms of managing an elite club. He has had a rocky start to life in west London, but things have settled down in the last week or so.
The former Brighton boss will be tested to the nth degree against the might of Ancelotti though. The latter also has players who know how to win big ties in the Champions League.
Some of our players have done the same in 2021 too, but the volume of experience is still less than what most of the Madrid players possess. So, it will be tough for Chelsea to go past this team. They have to be perfect and have some luck going their way as well.
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