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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Jacob Steinberg

Do Chelsea have the leaders or quality to offer any fightback against Real Madrid?

João Félix cuts a lonely figure after Real Madrid score in the first leg at the Bernabéu
João Félix cuts a lonely figure after Real Madrid score in the first leg at the Bernabéu. Photograph: DeFodi Images/Getty Images

The dust was still settling on Chelsea’s demoralising defeat by Brighton on Saturday when three of the club’s owners – Todd Boehly, Behdad Eghbali and Hansjörg Wyss – walked into the home dressing room to hold a debrief with their squad.

The mood could have been better. It is not unusual for owners to go into a dressing room but this particular intervention made a lasting impact. The language was strong and Boehly did not hold back. “Embarrassing,” was how he described Chelsea’s plight and, although the intention was to rally the troops before Frank Lampard’s side host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night, there was some surprise at the messaging given that the episode involved one senior player being singled out for some fierce criticism.

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