CAPTAINS..LEADERS ..LEGENDS
‘We’ve lost some important players at Chelsea so now everybody has to step up, especially the most experienced. I am one of those. We are the champions so for us failure is just not an option’ SAYS BRIDGE STAR THIBAUT COURTOIS
THIBAUT COURTOIS has called on Chelsea’s serial winners to guide the club through a changing of the guard.
The defending champions flew home from their Asia Tour yesterday morning after losing two of their three matches.
Blues boss Antonio Conte’s plea for reinforcements was strengthened by the ease with which Bayern Munich and Inter Milan beat his side in Singapore.
With long-serving defenders John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic gone, Courtois believes now is the time for new leaders to step up, starting with Sunday’s Community Shield against Arsenal.
“We lost somebody important last season with Ivanovic and this summer with John Terry,” said Belgian keeper Courtois.
“So everybody has to step up, especially the players with the most experience.
“We have lot of guys here who have won a lot, like Cesc Fabregas, Pedro, David Luiz, and Gary Cahill.”
Courtois is part of the Chelsea senior players’ committee, along with skipper Cahill and his No.2 Cesar Azpilicueta.
He added: “Obviously Gary and Azpi are the two captains now. And I think some players look to me now because I’m part of the players’ committee as well.
“For some things they will look to the captain but I also have to show my responsibilities on the pitch and off the pitch.
“I think everybody will contribute and I hope that as a team we have a great year again.” Chelsea will be hoping to escape the curse of the title winners – both Leicester and themselves flopped the year after winning the league.
Two seasons ago champions Chelsea finished 10th under Jose Mourinho – the first time they had missed out in Europe in the Roman Abramovich era.
Then last season Claudio Ranieri’s fairytale at Leicester had a nightmare ending with the Italian sacked in February, less than a year after guiding the Foxes to the title.
But Courtois said mid-table mediocrity is not on the menu for his side this season after their title triumph in May
The big Belgian added: “Leicester had an extraordinary season to finish champions
“The year before they struggled until the last week to avoid relegation so for them it was maybe not bad to finish 12th.
“But for us, our aim is to fight for the title until the last day of the season and, if not, to be as high as possible.
“But we also want to do well in the Champions League.”
And he underlined the importance of a flying start – on the opening day last season a late Diego Costa strike gave them a 2-1 win over West Ham.
“Two years ago we didn’t start well. So I think a good start helps to keep that level throughout the season,” he said.
Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez is set to miss the Community Shield – the Chilean international has flu and is yet to return to training.
Courtois was left fuming after Sanchez inspired Arsenal’s FA Cup final upset in May with a goal that should have been disallowed for hand-ball.
He is relieved that Sanchez could miss Sunday’s derby showdown but has warned his team-mates not to underestimate Arsenal a second time, despite Chelsea’s 3-0 friendly
win over them in Beijing last weekend.
“Alexis is a guy with a lot of quality.” he said. “If you see all the games from last season he was always dangerous.
“He has a very strong shot, he is quick, he has the technique. He is important for them but Arsenal have a lot of players with quality.
“So they will miss him but I think they have a lot of players with more than enough quality to replace him.
“I’d prefer him not to play because he is a good player! But we cannot only look to him.
“In the FA Cup final they were missing some defenders and everybody thought they would struggle.
“But Per Mertesacker played a great game that day. So you cannot look to the team as one player or another player. It will be a difficult game regardless but I hope for the same outcome as the friendly last week.”