Chelsea fans have been without Champions League football at Stamford Bridge since the 2022/23 season, and are pretty insistent on returning to Europe’s top table immediately.
This has cranked the pressure on current manager Enzo Maresca, who after a great start has seen his side drop outside of the top four following a poor run of form.
Chelsea are two-time winners of the illustrious competition, however will feel as if they have not achieved what they could based on the quality of the sides they have had through the years.
Legendary manager Jose Mourinho won the Champions League twice as a manager, although these accolades came from his time in charge of Porto and Inter Milan rather than the Blues.
They did reach the final in 2008, however it was Avram Grant leading them out in Moscow after Mourinho was sacked earlier in the season.
Thiago Silva broke Chelsea’s hearts in the Champions League before becoming club legend
The three-time Premier League winner led some brilliant Chelsea teams into battle in Europe, with one of the best coming in the 2014/15 season when they won the league and League Cup.
The Blues cruised through the group stages before being drawn against PSG in the Round of 16. Branislav Ivanovic’s away goal gave them a key away goal going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
With the Blues six minutes away from qualification though, Thiago Silva popped up with a big header to send Mourinho’s men crashing out.
It would be another five years before Chelsea would bring Silva in on a free transfer, with him enjoying four great seasons at the club.
Silva brought a leadership to Stamford Bridge that has been desperately missing under Maresca. John Obi Mikel recently criticised Reece James’ leadership as Chelsea captain.
It was clear the club meant a lot to the Brazilian. Silva was seen in tears at the club’s end of season awards just months before he was set to depart.
Levi Colwill said Thiago Silva was his role model at Chelsea
For the youngest squad in the Premier League, having a player like Silva in their ranks was no doubt crucial.
Promising young defender Levi Colwill saw Silva as a role model, saying he analysed anything that the Brazilian did on the pitch.
He said to Olivia Buzaglo on Instagram: “When he does anything on the pitch, for a split second, I try to analyse it and take it in because most of the time everything he does is perfect.”
Colwill is currently undergoing a difficult spell in the Premier League, making high-profile errors in his last two games. Gary Neville was highly critical of Colwill after defeat to Brighton.
Silva would have been the perfect player to give the young Englishman advice, however with the youthful look of Chelsea’s time right now he may need to figure things out on his own.
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