Chelsea FC Not Grasping Slim Premier League Hopes After Champions League Exit
Chelsea FC just had its hopes dashed in the UEFA Champions League semifinal, and coach Jose Mourinho said the team’s slim hopes of a Premier League title aren’t much of a consolation.
Chelsea lost to Atletico Madrid 3-1 in the second leg of the Champions League on Wednesday, ending their UEFA hopes.
But the Blues have a small opening in the Premier League after defeating first-place Liverpool last weekend. Chelsea FC is now two points behind Liverpool and one point up on Manchester City, who still have a game in hand on both rivals.
Though a strong finish combined with some missteps from Liverpool and Manchester City could mean a surprise Premier League title, Mourinho said it’s realistically not in the cards for the Blues this year.
“We are realistic, but at the same time we are optimistic,” Mourinho said. “When things go in a certain direction, there is a moment where you dream and you think that things are possible, even if things are not. And because we did well in the Champions League and in the Premier League, there was a moment where we felt we could do it.”
Mourinho added that he’s already resigned himself to a Premier League finish outside of the top spot.
“In the Premier League it was the match against Aston Villa that made me believe that we had no chance to be champions,” he said. “In the Champions League, it’s the same. We knew that teams had more potential than us and were more ready than us to win the competition, but because you go step by step and beat Paris Saint-Germain after a 3-1 defeat, you build your dream.”
The Champions League hopes were raised even higher after Chelesa FC held Atletico to a scoreless draw in the first leg, executing Mourinho’s gameplan perfectly. But Atletico was too much to handle in the second leg, beating the Chelsea defense and putting away the semifinals.
The dream is technically not dead for Chelsea FC, but they will need to take care of business first. They have a home clash with Norwich coming up, followed by a season finale on the road against Cardiff City.
