About an hour's drive from London's southwestern suburbs, in the southeastern er of the small town of , sits a modern training base spanning nearly 800 acres.
Turning off the town road onto a two-h, you wind forward for two or three hundred meters before seeing a long row of parking spaces on the left. At the end of the parking lot is a magnifit building with a curved, vaulted roof modern and stylish in design.
This is the beati of Chelsea Football Club, another masterpiece brought to life under Roman Abramovich's ownership.
Across the narrow path, rge-scale stru is underway. Two tall es stand promily as new developments take shape.
"This is the sed phase of our training base," Abramovich expihusiastically as he stepped out of the car, gesturing toward the stru site in the distance. His tone carried pride. "We're building a state-of-the-art facility for the first team, along with an indoor training ground. This means that even during harsh winters or snowstorms, training sessions will never be disrupted."
Abramovich ughed as he tinued, "We'll be one of the first Premier League clubs with this kind of advanced indoor facility. From now on, Chelsea will undoubtedly have the best training enviro in the league. No more training in that decrepit warehouse near Heathroort."
He couldn't help but ugh at the memory.
Ba 2003, when Abramovich first acquired Chelsea, he brought in superstar pyers like Cude Makélélé, spending exorbitant sums of moo assemble a dream team. But despite the star-studded lineup, Chelsea's training ground at the time—north of Heathroort—was little more than a run-down structure resembling an old warehouse.
The football world ridiculed Chelsea, mog them as a nouveau riche club with no css, as if they were driving a Ferrari to haul vegetables. It was a ughingstock, a colossal waste of resources.
However, it wasn't just Chelsea. Most Premier League clubs at the time had subpar training facilities, even the giants like Maer United.
The exception was Arsenal's Arsène Wenger. After selling Nicos Anelka, he reied the funds into both signing Thierry Henry and strug the ey training base, ensuring that Arsenal remai the forefront of training infrastructure in the Premier League.
Stung by the ridicule, Abramovich made it his mission to address Chelsea's shortings. After expl several options, he finally settled on , officially opening the training base in 2007.
---
Standio Abramovich was Guus Hiddink, the Dutch coach who had guided the Russian national team to success in the European Championship the previous summer. Hiddink was best known for leading South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup.
But everyone khe real reason for his presence.
As a renowned European coach, Hiddink shared a close personal retionship with Abramovich. Rumors suggested that Abramovich had even facilitated his role with the Russian national team. This eade it impossible for Hiddink to dee Abramovich's call to take over at Chelsea.
"And further ahead," Abramovich tinued, pointing into the distance, "is our youth training base. It's already operational and will ensure a steady stream of talent for Chelsea's future."
Abramovich theured invitingly, leading Hiddink into the vaulted-roof building.
As they approached the entrance, a group emerged from the building. At the front was a bald middle-aged man in a blue Chelsea tracksuit—Ray Wilkins, a familiar fa English football.
Wilkins had pyed for clubs like Chelsea, Maer United, and A before transitioning into coag. He'd served as an assistant at Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, and even Chelsea during Gianluca Vialli's tenure, following the Italian to Watford afterward.
In 2002, Wilkins became an assistant coach fnd's U21 team. By 2008, when Luiz Felipe Scori took charge of Chelsea, he was invited back to Stamford Bridge to assist the Brazilian manager. After Scori's dismissal, Wilkins took charge of the team's training sessions on a temporary basis.
Now, as Chelsea's most familiar face, he would undoubtedly bee Hiddink's most valuable assistant.
Abramovitroduced Wilkins to Hiddink. After exging pleasantries, Wilkihem toward the team's locker room.
"The pyers are waiting," Wilkins said as he walked ahead.
---
Chelsea's squad this season remairong, with many key pyers from Mourinho's era still at the club.
When Scori oihere had been high hopes. His early matches were thrilling, showg an aggressive aertaining brand of football. At the time, people often grouped Chelsea alongside Napoli in Serie A and Bara in La Liga as teams with electrifying attag py.
But as the seasressed, things unraveled. While Napoli and Bara surged ahead, Chelsea faltered.
Their struggles worsened after the winter break. Chelsea suffered a string of defeats, including poor results against top-four oppos, managing just one draw and four losses in five such matches. With a win rate of only 56%, Scori had the lowest success rate of any Chelsea manager i years.
After a crushing loss to Liverpool, Scori faced open opposition from the locker room and fans. Isoted and abandoned, he eventually left with a ￡7.5 million severance package.
Scori's attempted transformation of Chelsea had failed.
Now, Hiddink was stepping into the chaos, taking over the "hot potato" at Abramovich's request.
---
In the locker room, Hiddink stood before Chelsea's star-studded lineup: Drogba, Anelka, Deco, Joe Cole, Balck, Lampard, Essien, Terry, Carvalho, and Cech.
He sed their faces. What he saw wasn't fide deje.
This wasn't Mourinho's Iron Lions anymore.
fidence, so difficult to build, had been shattered.
Fortunately, Hiddink had time, two weeks before their first matder his charge.
Abramovich addressed the pyers first, introdug Hiddink as the new head coa a solemn mahat left no doubt about the importance of cooperation. It was clear that ma expected everyoo fully support Hiddink.
Once Abramovich fihe room erupted in polite appuse.
Hiddink stepped forward.
As a coach with a decorated career, his presenanded respect. The pyers couldn't help but sit up straighter as he began speaking.
"Do you still want to win a championship?" Hiddink's first words sent shockwaves through the room.
A championship?
Was that still possible?
The pyers exged uain gnces, unsure of how to respond.
Abramovich, standing behind Hiddink, smiled to himself. He knew Hiddink well.
"I know what you're thinking: 'How is this possible?'" Hiddink said, voig their doubts.
"But let me remind you, in football, nothing is impossible."
His sharp gaze swept over the pyers.
"In February 2006, Real Madrid was ten points behind Bara in La Liga. The entire world thought they were finished, a relic of the past."
The room fell silent.
"But as you all know, that team made the impossible possible. They not only overtook Bara but went on to win the Champions League, g a historic double."
Hiddink paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. Even Abramovich seemed captivated by the reminder of that legendary feat.
"That coach achieved the unthinkable. And as fate would have it, he will be our first oppo in the Champions League."
The pyers were silent, their attention locked on Hiddink.
"Let me ask you this: If those Real Madrid pyers could do it, why 't you?"
His question hung in the air. Slowly, some pyers shook their heads. None of them wao admit they were less capable than others not even the Galácticos of Real Madrid.
"I've watched some of yames," Hiddink tinued. "I won't ent on my predecessor, but I will say this: blindly imitating other teams' styles won't work. Even the most advaactics won't succeed if they don't suit you. Chelsea has its owy, its owage."
Several pyers nodded in agreement.
"You are all adults, seasoned professionals who've succeeded at the highest levels, whether in the Premier League, the Champions League, or the World Cup. I know you're among the best in the world."
Hiddink's tone softened.
"When I walked into this locker room, I worried I might find a team that had lost its spirit. But after seeing you, I am full of fidence."
"Because I know you're not afraid of challenges."
"I'm here to help you. In the weeks ahead, let's respect each other and face the challeogether. I'm fident we reverse our fortunes in the Premier League, the Champions League, and beyond."
"I just need your cooperation."
Turning toward Wilkins and the rest of his staff, Hiddink decred, "With all of us w together, success is iable."
He paused, letting his final words linger:
"And it begins by defeating Gao Shen and his Napoli!"
****
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