Chelsea Knocked Out of Europa League

Chelsea FC were Tuesday night knocked out of the competitive Europa league courtesy of Samuel Eto'o goal in the 78th minute which ensured that Inter Milan secured home and away victories over them.

The keenly contested match saw Chelsea wasting most of their opportunities especially in the first half. Worst among the culprits who jeopardized their chance of advancing into the quarter final stage of the competition were Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard. Joe Cole later came in as a substitute but was a shadow of his usual self.

We knew the task at hand and understood we needed to win by at least a lone goal having secured a vital away goal in our first leg match at San Siro. But that was never to be as we lost all opportunities and failed to connect in front of goal. Had we managed to convert one of those begging chances things would change and put the Inter boys under intense pressure and then give us more confidence. We got all things wrong; we mounted series of pressure in the first half but failed to put the ball past the goal keeper who was vulnerable on several occasions.

Inter Milan boys came back strong and more determined in the second half having been able to absorb all our pressures in the first half. The combination of Milito, Wesley Sneijder, Lucio and Samuel Eto'o was very effective; and after series of endless pressure they eventually got the all important goal through Samuel Eto'o in the 78th minute ensuring that they prevailed over Chelsea both home and away. This victory paved way for Inter to advance into the next stage of the competition and that Chelsea was out for the first time at this stage since 2005.

Now that we have lost the opportunity to win the highly coveted trophy this season we have to go back to the drawing board to find out what led to our ouster and what we can do for a better outing next season. All the same we still say 'Up The Blues'. Our remaining hope for the season is to win the FA and the Premiership. We hope to come back stronger next year.

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UEFA Europa League - How it Makes a Difference

For the new season, the UEFA Cup is now known as the UEFA Europa League. It is the second competition organized by ruling European football authorities in terms of glamour and importance, after the Champions League. However, many critics consider it to be very far behind in the two areas and are cynical of the change in name and format of the tournament by the organizers. They believe that the rebranding will not amount to anything in the end and that interest by fans, media and the clubs will continue to be lukewarm at best.

They could not be more wrong if one were to consider a few factors that accompany the change. The name as UEFA Europa League already makes a subliminal difference in terms of branding appeal and power. It gives a better idea of what the competition is about. Calling it a league gives it a considerably catchier ring than a tournament that is simply named a Cup for UEFA.

In terms of the number of clubs taking part in the whole event, there is also an improvement over previous editions. There will be over 190 clubs who would have been in the tournament at one stage or another at the end of it. There are some who have said that the number is too excessive. But they have failed to recognize the fact that giving more teams a taste of European action can only help to promote greater participation in the future. It will help to raise the profile of the Europa League with other clubs who might normally not even have a chance of playing against other quality European football teams.

A few quarters have also criticized the allowance of teams eliminated from the Champions League to join the UEFA Europa League at different stages. According to these observers, they claim that such moves demean the competition as a whole and is the main reason why many view it as a second rate tournament, one that is full of unwanted clubs. It might have a hint of that, but the reality is that these clubs do add to the overall quality of the event. Teams that have previously qualified for the Champions League were able to do so because of their quality. From past history, the likes of AC Milan, Arsenal, Chelsea and even Real Madrid could now grace the competition. Their presence would boost interest and coverage of the Europa League at one point or another.

Therefore, to say that the Europa League will be no different from its predecessor the UEFA Cup would be very wrong. While some of the changes might seem contradictory to claims by UEFA President Michel Platini of making the competition stronger, on closer inspection, they do fulfill such an ambition. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, as they say. The best way to find out will be when the season concludes when the final will be held in May 2010.

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