I\u2019ve been doing a lot of research for my latest book in the First Football Histories series: The Chelsea FC story (available in all Amazon stores).<\/p>\n
One of the key moments in Chelsea\u2019s football history came almost 52 years ago against the same Associazione Sportiva Roma club that Chelsea faced on Tuesday evening in the UEFA Champions League (not the same side, obviously, as that would have required Zimmer Frames and oxygen tanks, all of which Ron Harris would probably have tackled from behind).<\/p>\n
Chelsea had won the League\/Milk\/Rumbelows\/Coke\/EFL\/Carabaou\/Caribou\/Elton John Cup in 1965 and qualified for Europe for only the second time in their history (they had first done so after their League Title win, 10 years earlier, but the Football Association and the Football League had ever so nicely persuaded them not to enter the new European Cup as, well, it wasn\u2019t a very English thing to do and probably only about money really).<\/p>\n
In the First Round of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup competition, on 22nd September 1965, in what subsequently became known as the \u2018Battle of the Bridge,\u2019 Chelsea beat Roma, 4.1, in a match simmering on the edge of barely controlled violence – including Eddie McCreadie being sent off for punching Roma winger Francesco Carponetti, after Carponetti had kicked him and then grabbed him by the throat.<\/p>\n
The return leg took place in Roma\u2019s Stadio Olimpico two weeks later, with a 0.0 draw eventually seeing Chelsea through to the next round but only after violence had periodically broken out on the pitch and in the stands. Chopper still remembers it, as clearly as a soothing chat with Jack Charlton:<\/p>\n
“It was a frightening experience over there to come away with all the coach smashed up\u2026players hiding under the seats at the back with glass flying about. But we qualified and that was the most important thing.”<\/p>\n
I mention this by way of a historical context for football in the \u2018Modern Era\u2019 but also in light of comments allegedly made by Chelsea\u2019s newest star \u2013 Alvaro Morata \u2013 in which he has given us a flavour of what it\u2019s like to be a Chelsea player these days. Thanks in part to technology, I\u2019ve been able to offer up what I think could be a fairly accurate English version of what his words might really mean.<\/p>\n
Morata: \u201cIn Spain, technique is dominant. In Italy, it’s tactics. In England, the most relevant aspect is physical strength.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation: \u201cAs long as you don\u2019t have two left feet like Chris Sutton, or hit your head on overhead bridges like Micky Droy, anyone could play over here; but don\u2019t be surprised if you get substituted for no obvious reason. They kick you lots, push you out of the way without first saying \u2018excuse me\u2019 and sometimes try to spoil your beautiful face, without any concern about image rights. And that\u2019s just in training. Apparently, there\u2019s a tradition of hard men here \u2013 something to do with limestone in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morata: \u201cThe disappointment was huge (when I returned to Real Madrid). I went right back to the start. They treated me like the kid I was before the two seasons in Italy. I should never have left Italy and Juve.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation: \u201cI thought, after two domestic Doubles in Italy, I would walk straight back into Real\u2019s first team. When I didn\u2019t, I had a few more doubles at the bar and thought \u2018sod this, if they don\u2019t listen to me when I tell them how good I am, I may as well go and get some extra cash to pay for my new ego.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Morata: \u201cWhen I say London is a stressful city, I’m talking about the traffic and a lot of people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation: \u201cYou might find this hard to believe but nobody gave up their seat for me on the London Underground the other day. I had to stand all the way to Fulham Broadway. It was as if nobody knew who I was. It\u2019s difficult, very difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morata: \u201cI’m really happy here and enjoying London with my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation: \u201cI miss the sunshine and all those hot chicks at the training ground, but need to stick it out until Catalonia is settled, as Pedro thinks things might get nasty and keeps making throat-slicing actions with an imaginary knife. Not that he\u2019d know much about it \u2013 he was born on an island. They call this sort of thing \u2018Brexit\u2019 here. Ha Ha Ha.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morata: \u201cI really miss Italy. My wife would like to live in Spain; I’d like to live in Italy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Translation: \u201cShe\u2019s being a nightmare, but I dream about Antonio. He is my true love and (just saying) \u2018please take me with you when you return to Italy next year. I\u2019d even play for Roma, if absolutely necessary.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I\u2019ve been doing a lot of research for my latest book in the First Football Histories series: The Chelsea FC story (available in all Amazon stores). One of the key moments in Chelsea\u2019s football history came almost 52 years ago against the same Associazione Sportiva Roma club that Chelsea faced on Tuesday evening in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":1288,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n