Chelsea owner Todd Boehly humiliates himself with his prediction for the first game against Real Madrid. His highly paid stars faded in Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, it was noted in England.
Boehly’s prediction about ‘Chelsea’s Galácticos’ in Madrid
The question is whether owner Boehly will be tempted again to make a bold prediction. Before the game in Santiago Bernabéu, the American had predicted a 3-0 win for The Blues against Sky Sports. “It was showbiz, this was trash talk from the owner of an elite club on the eve of a big game. Was it smart?” The Telegraph wondered. “On the one hand, Chelsea came to Madrid as number eleven in the Premier League. On the other hand: keep faith, 3-0.”
“Chelsea was lucky that it suffered a defeat with some perspective, according to the English media. Boehly’s prediction was hopelessly wrong. Real Madrid relegated Chelsea,” wrote The Guardian. Apart from Boehly’s prediction, the only surprise was that Real Madrid only won 2-0. It’s hard to look at Chelsea and imagine how little you get in this day and age for over €600 million.
“Boehly’s prediction came back like a boomerang. Chelsea’s Galácticos looked like strangers in the humiliating defeat at Real Madrid. This toothless defeat offers little hope for Chelsea fans over the costly refurbishment that continues to fail,” wrote the London Evening Standard.
Frank Lampard remains hopeful
Despite the defeat, Frank Lampard remains hopeful. “Amazing things can happen at Stamford Bridge,” said the manager. “We must keep faith. The door is unlocked, we just have to kick it open. It lacks a bit of confidence. The players don’t know how good they are. We need to be more positive. If we do… I’ve had more nights like that at Stamford Bridge.”
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who does not want to know anything about a race that has been run, knows Lampard from his time at Stamford Bridge. “I have fond memories of Frank, a fantastic player. I hope for him that he becomes a fantastic manager. But not yet next Tuesday,” said the Italian.
The signals do not point to a dream scenario for Chelsea. Lampard lost 13 of his last 16 games as manager (to Everton and Chelsea), while Chelsea went four straight without scoring for the first time since 1993. The London team has not found the target in seventeen matches this season, the most since the 1994/95 season.
Nevertheless, a stunt is also taken into account in Spain. “It should have been the final blow,” AS concluded. MARCA knows that Chelsea will have to show a lot more to beat Real Madrid: “Whoever wants to dethrone the champion will have to earn it.”
