Chelsea won the Club World Cup in 2022, nearly a year after lifting a second Champions League title. It was a final flourish for Roman Abramovich and a full stop to an era in which the Russian had overseen unprecedented success in west London.
Over 19 years, Stamford Bridge had hardly been a bastion of stability, with a revolving door to the dugout and the ruthless hand of the owner never far away from tapping club legends on the shoulder. But Chelsea always had consistency. This was a club built to win, from the youth ranks to the very ceiling of the organisation: they barely dropped out of contention for honours, during managerial turbulence or even a transfer ban.
