Kalidou Koulibaly has revealed what Frank Lampard has told the players in training ahead of Chelsea's clash against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-final first-leg. Carlo Ancelotti's side will welcome the Blues to the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening as either club hopes to return to winning ways.
Both Chelsea and Real Madrid head into the blockbuster tie off the back of a defeat over the weekend; the west London outfit lost 1-0 to Wolves, while Villarreal waltzed away from the Spanish capital 3-2 victors. The Blues' hopes of clinching top four appear out of reach but Lampard has apparently claimed he will 'support' the squad until the end of his reign and do his best to climb the table.
In an interview with the BBC, Koulibaly conceded that Chelsea are in a difficult period at the moment but insisted that he's determined to set the record straight. The 31-year-old defender said: "In training, he has been saying he will support us until the end and help us to be out of this situation.
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"We know he is a legend here and he has already trained half of the team. We know it is a difficult situation for everybody, including the club, manager and supporters, but we will give everything to get out of this and make them happy. Our first objective is to win the games and make our supporters happy."
Then, when quizzed on Graham Potter's tenure, Koulibaly added: "He is a nice manager, a nice person and helped me a lot. It is true I had difficult moments when I first came here to Chelsea, but his staff were really important and they helped us a lot.
"I feel sorry for him but it is part of the job. I hope that he will have a nice future but now we are all concentrated on Chelsea and Frank Lampard."
Koulibaly has featured 22 times for Chelsea in the Premier League this season, helping the Blues keep eight clean sheets. Despite arriving in west London with a star-studded reputation, the defender has struggled to impress.
In an interview with The Times earlier this month, the Senegal international admitted that he's not been up to scratch but has vowed to improve. Koulibaly said: "I know I’m not at 100 per cent yet, but think I’m coming to my level. Chelsea made a big decision to sign me [last summer for £33 million] and there’s a big desire in me to give back.
"I want to be part of this club for many years. This is not the year Chelsea were expecting, but sometimes when you have big changes, new proprietors, and half the team is new, everybody has to adapt. But we know how big the ambition is here and we’re going to work to win back the confidence of the supporters."
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