NOW WE FACE 8 FINALS
ALONSO'S WARNING
CHELSEA face eight cup finals if they are to make it back into the Champions League, according to Marcos Alonso.
The Blues crashed 3-0 to a Lionel Messiinspired Barcelona on Wednesday, losing their last-16 tie 4-1 on aggregate.
They now face a massive job just to make it back into European club football’s elite competition next season.
Fifth-placed Chelsea are four points behind Liverpool with eight games to go after Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final with Leicester.
Alonso said: “We showed until the last minute against Barcelona that we can play against any team and now we have eight finals. We have to make sure we play Champions League next year.
“We have to start fighting in these last eight games because I think we deserve to play in this competition again.
“If we play every game like we played against Barcelona, we would be top four.
“But it’s not the case, so it’s another thing we have to take into consideration and again learn from this defeat, get stronger and improve.”
The Londoners face key home league games against top-four rivals Tottenham and Liverpool, with five of their other six opponents to play in the bottom eight.
Spain defender Alonso said: “There has been a lot of positives in both games against Barcelona. We have to show this desire in the next games and make sure that we win every game.”
Chelsea’s French striker Olivier Giroud insists he has no regrets about his £18m switch from Arsenal in the January transfer window, despite another last-16 exit.
“It was definitely the right decision,” said Giroud.
“I am settling in quite well. I am very pleased with my understanding with the boys. Not everything is perfect but I am trying to be the target man that the boss is asking me to be. He wants me to be a link with the No.10.
“There is always room for improvement but I am happy with what I am doing on the pitch.
“We have a good team cohesion and I think if we play with this spirit, we hope that good things can happen towards the end of the championship.”