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Portal [link="http://www.eurofootball.com"]"EuroFootball.com"[/link] continues the column "Fan Thoughts" that saw the light of day last week! From now on, before the most important, interesting, and most high-profile matches, we will interview fans who support the clubs entering the field.
Approaching the clash in the "Premier" league between and London clubs, the forum member Scientist, who supports the "blues," agreed to answer our questions.
EuroFootball.com: How did you start supporting Chelsea? Have you been a fan of this club for a long time? What were the first Chelsea games you watched and what was the result?
Scientist: I have always supported Chelsea in England, so the beginning of my fandom should probably be considered a transformation from a supporter to a fan who, given the opportunity, does not miss a single game of the beloved club.
It's a bit difficult to determine the exact date, but I think it was around the end of the 2002-2003 season. That year, the club secured a spot in the Champions League, surpassing none other than the footballers of "Liverpool" in a fierce battle.
The first game I watched was the 2000 FA Cup final against Birmingham's "Aston Villa," which Chelsea won 1-0 with a goal scored in the closing minutes. By the way, the winning goal was scored by the current "West Bromwich Albion" coach Roberto Di Matteo, sending the ball into the net after a mistake by David James.
EuroFootball.com: Which Chelsea games against Liverpool are most memorable for you?
Scientist: Probably all the most memorable recent matches between these two clubs took place in the Champions League. The two most memorable losses for Liverpool were in the semifinals. The first - after the "ghost goal" (as Jose Mourinho described it) in 2005, and the second - after the penalty shootout in 2007.
If I had to choose the more painful blow, I would probably choose the first one, as Chelsea was then considered the clear favorite to win the Champions League trophy. Many experts considered the "blues" the strongest team in Europe and had created more than one football drama before the semifinal.
EuroFootball.com: What will determine the outcome of the match on Sunday?
Scientist: As always in matches between Chelsea and Liverpool - cold-bloodedness and the ability to take advantage of created opportunities.
In matches between these teams, opportunities are usually scarce, they are "sticky," do not feature open football, neither team dominates, and the cost of wasted opportunities is much higher here, as it is much harder to create another one.
EuroFootball.com: Which Liverpool player will pose the biggest threat to the Chelsea team?
Scientist: In my opinion - Steven Gerrard. Although the Englishman is not showing his best form, he is still the engine of Liverpool's game and the player on whom the performance of the entire team depends.
EuroFootball.com: What do you think about the current situation at Liverpool?
Scientist: Their position in the standings is certainly not what everyone predicted for the Liverpool team before the season. However, the "reds" won their last three games, and from this we can conclude that the team is gradually getting into gear and sooner or later will be not far from the predicted positions.
Regarding the new owners, it seems that so far the end of all the sale saga had a positive impact on the team, and finally, everyone can focus on action on the football field, not beside it. However, judging whether the new owners will be much better than the former is still too early, and we will see that in the future.
EuroFootball.com: What will be the final result? Who will score the goals?
Scientist: Since I am an optimist - 2-0 in favor of Chelsea. Drogba and Anelka will score the goals.
Anonymous: I don't want to offend, but would you like your phone call ringtone to be this: "F**k Off Chelsea FC, You ain't got no history, Five European Cup's and 18 Leagues, That's what we call history..."?
Scientist: Yes, very much.
EuroFootball.com: Thank you for your time!
If you want to contribute to this column, write an email to [email protected] and don't forget to mention the team you support. We will definitely get in touch with you!
