The new era at Chelsea FC!
Roman Abramovich (55) had to give up the leadership of the club as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. In 2003, the oligarch bought the club for 210 million euros. By 2008, he had invested an estimated €764m at the club, mainly for transfer fees and salaries.
The Russian oligarch worked as a club boss for almost 20 years – shaped the Londoners from a wallflower club to the reigning Champions League winner. Now the club is shaking.
Player transfers are prohibited, accounts are largely frozen. So that the club does not collapse, a sale is pending
“This is currently a super sensitive phase with so many question marks,” says Sebastian Kneißl (39). The ex-professional and DAZN expert played at Chelsea as a young professional in 2003 when Abramovich bought the club.
Before the second leg in the Champions League against Real (live and exclusively at DAZN/advertisement)which he accompanies on the microphone, the club is also sporty (first leg 1: 3) with its back to the wall.
BILD: Herr Kneißl, how do you remember the time when Abramovich joined Chelsea?
Kneissl: “I was supposed to get my first Premier League appearances back then. Until he came and bought eight new players.”
Photo: DAZN
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/sebastian-kneissl-ist-dazn-experte-spielte-2003-beim-fc-chelsea-80e421064f1648fe95289660a7ed452f-79753584/Bild/3.bild. jpeg”/> Sebastian Kneißl is a DAZN expert and played for Chelsea in 2003Photo: DAZN
BILD: Abramovich bagged the record transfer (17 million pounds) with Damien Duff in your position.
Kneissl: “That was the end of it for me. (laughs) So much quality came over time, Arjen Robben, Joe Cole and Didier Drogba. There were names – Holla, the forest fairy. Coach Claudio Ranieri came to three young players back then: Joe Keenan, Joel Kitamirike and me: ‘Sorry. We wanted to set you up and build you in. But we’ve now moved from development status to success status. We have to deliver now.’ That was understandable. We were back in the second team. But there was no bad word from me about how it went. It was a very exciting time.”
BILD: What was your impression of the new “Big Boss”?
Kneissl: “He was at the training ground every week. At the time, he was shot at the old Chelsea site with five limousines at significantly excessive speed. You never knew which one he was in. For fear of attacks, he had to drive a different route every day. When he was with us, he was completely normal. He was one of us, watched, stood by us, returned a ball once. That’s it. There was never any criticism from him personally.”
BILD: How did he change Chelsea?
Kneissl: “You quickly noticed that he was a go-getter. Within a very short time there were improved training opportunities. We suddenly had a better fitness room and more modern training equipment. There was more staff. Instead of three physios, there were suddenly eight physios. You came to the gym in the morning and suddenly you no longer had to stretch yourself – you were being stretched. Finally, there was a completely new training ground in Cobham – a new philosophy within the stadium: the hardcore fans were successively exchanged for families in order to make a game more of an event character. Nobody could really imagine that. But in the end it was certainly a very successful time.”
BILD: It’s over now.
Kneissl: “One question is: where does the money actually come from? A player often has no insight into these things. A sign had to be set now, but as always there are several sides. The mistake was made back then because nobody asked where the money came from. That has to change in the future. On the other side I see the Chelsea FC staff – not the players who have enough money – but the staff in the background. They also have families. From one day to the next they might be on the street. Can these people be punished for this? Many staff members fear for their jobs. Others have already lost their jobs and I have a problem with that. I’m not sure myself which sign would be the right one now. Do you want to threaten a point deduction now? A bit late – Abramovich joined in 2003. It’s very difficult.”
BILD: Are these problems an issue in a team?
Kneissl: “It doesn’t matter whether it’s a district league or a Champions League team: the questions in a dressing room are the same. Of course, player no. 12, 13 or 7, 8 asks the captain: ‘How’s it going? Do you have any News? Do you know some more details? Do we still have coal? Should we report to the employment office?’ These sayings fall in the cabin. Yes, it’s a very privileged situation – of course. But there won’t be a player who isn’t concerned with this situation. These are professionals who want to play at the highest level. And also under certain conditions.”
BILD: Coach Thomas Tuchel was not considered a great communicator at his former clubs. Now has to justify himself in front of the cameras in this difficult situation.
Kneissl: “Chelsea can’t go to every press conference and say no questions about the current situation. You make yourself unbelievable. But Tuchel doesn’t give 0-8-15 answers like ‘That’s not my job’. He always gives you something to take with you. He has a good sense of when he can or must be a little funnier – and when serious answers are important. On the other hand, it’s clear that they deal a lot with what can and cannot be said at the club. Thomas is the only guy present in front of the microphone. I find him refreshing in the role of “press secretary.”
BILD: Chelsea clearly lost the first leg 3-1. How’s it going?
Kneißl: “First of all: Benzema is world class and we have to stop him. You always have to be careful with these superlatives that they are not used in an inflationary way, but with Benzema it is simply the case. Modric and he are the difference players. One thing is clear: Chelsea must come to make up for this deficit. You have to be more offensive. Against Southampton (6-0) there was the first step. Chelsea is not out yet! It can still be exciting.”
