Abracadabra Sports

Gianluca Vialli wasn’t just a manager; he was the man who shifted the DNA at Chelsea.

Record Breaker: At 33, he became the youngest manager to lift a European trophy after clinching the 1998 Cup Winners’ Cup. A record that held firm for 13 years.

The JT Legacy: He gave a young John Terry his debut against Villa in '98. Without that leap of faith, Chelsea's modern history looks very different.

Wembley Royalty: He was the final manager to win a major trophy at the old Wembley, bowing out with the FA Cup in 2000.

Silverware Machine: Five trophies in three years is a proper shift. He bagged the League Cup, Cup Winners’ Cup, Super Cup, FA Cup, and Charity Shield in a whirlwind spell.

He took Chelsea from being a decent cup side to a proper European force. A class act through and through.

A perfect gentleman

Derek Smethurst: First Foreigner to Win a European Medal for an English Side and the First South African to Do So

Who remembers him leading the line when Osgood was sidelined in the semi against Manchester City?

Scored in that tie too. 5 goals in 19 games. Nicknamed “The Stork.”

Less than 20 appearances, yet a European medal. Short spell but he did his bit.

Summed it up ✌️

I think Enzo Fernández has come of age. You can build a winning side around him and Caicedo, provided you bring in an experienced manager. I just hope the owners don’t go out and buy more “Gittens-type” signings at goalkeeper, in defence and up front this summer. Otherwise, we’ll keep going backwards.

And as for Gittens- how much did we pay for him again?

Nothing’s more frustrating than watching us knock it about at the back like that. The defenders and keeper just kept passing between themselves in our own half, needlessly risky and asking for trouble.

I hope we win.

Brian Laudrup at Chelsea should have worked. It didn’t.

He came in from Rangers with a big reputation, but it never really got going. You could see the quality, but he never looked settled.

Didn’t help that Vialli kept rotating him. One game he’s in, next he’s out. He clearly wasn’t having it.

There was that goal away at Copenhagen in the Cup Winners’ Cup. Funny really, seeing as that’s where he ended up soon after.

By winter, he was off.

Goldbaek came in instead. Not as good, but at least he looked up for it.

Shame, because Laudrup and Zola on paper should’ve been spot on.

So what was it wrong timing, or did he just not fancy it?

Quique De Lucas: Too good for a freebie?

In the summer of 2002, Chelsea were skint. The club was a financial mess, and Claudio Ranieri was told he wouldn't get a penny for new players. While the big clubs were splashing out, the only new face at the Bridge was Quique De Lucas, who arrived from Espanyol for nothing.

At the time, most fans didn't expect much. Usually, a free transfer in a cash-strapped side is just there to fill a gap on the bench. But De Lucas was a class above that. He was a tidy, clever midfielder with a great touch, and he became a squad player in a side that had to fight for every point.

He chipped in one goal in the UEFA Cup against Viking.

The irony is that by doing his job so well, he essentially finished his own Chelsea career. He helped the club finish fourth, which bagged that crucial Champions League spot. Without that top-four finish, it’s unlikely Roman Abramovich would have bought the club that summer.

Once the money started flowing in 2003, Chelsea went from looking for bargains to signing world stars. De Lucas was moved on to Alavés after just one year. He was only at Stamford Bridge for a short time, but for a player who cost £0, he played a massive part in keeping the club afloat before the big money arrived.

What memory of De Lucas still linger in the heart of supporters?

Bobby Knew the Way

He took the reins when heads were low,
A side that looked near gone.
But Bob knew well which way to go,
And slowly dragged us on.

No fancy talk, no grand design,
Just work out on the grass.
He built a team with proper spine,
That wouldn’t let sides pass.

He gave us Kerry up top sharp,
With Durie leading through.
And Roberts there to set the mark,
Driving others too.

From Bovril Gate to Wembley’s turf,
In that old tracksuit blue.
Said very little, just honest work,
And seeing the job through.

We had our day at Wembley then,
Something to hold at last.
A lift for all the Chelsea men,
A break from years gone past.

A steady hand when times were hard,
No need for show or flair.
Just someone who would raise the bar,
And keep the club with care.