No reason Chelsea can't beat Real: Hasselbaink
- Mumbai: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink loves Chelsea. It was evident in the gleeful manner in which he participated in an interactive coaching clinic with at-risk teenagers from a community in Dharavi on a hot Sunday afternoon in his role as a global ambassador for the Blues.
- Apparently, what he doesn't like is being reminded of how his four-year spell at Stamford Bridge came to an end in 2004, just before the season in which the West London club would go on to be crowned English champions for the first time in 50 years. And the former Dutch striker blames (2004-05 and 2005-06)." one person specifically for that.
- "I'm very upset with (Jose) Mourin ho," told reporters on the sidelines of his Dharavi visit, triggering laughter all around, while referring to the great Portuguese coach whose arrival at Chelsea in the summer of 2004 effectively led to his departure.
- "I would have loved to have stayed one more year and win the title with Chelsea. It was 50 years that they hadn't won it and when I left, the year after, they won it two years in a row (2004-05 and 2005-06)."
- You could sense the regret, especially considering how his tenure began. When Hasselbaink joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in July 2000 for £15m, it matched the Premier Le ague transfer fee record set by New- castle United's capture of Alan Shearer in 1996.
- And the Dutchman ensured the club got a handsome return on the investment as he topped the Premier League scoring charts with 23 goals in his first season.
- What else fills Hasselbaink with optimism is the support the club's new American owners have provided manager Graham Potter over a rough period of results, something unusual in comparison with the 'hire and fire' culture which prevailed in the Roman Abrahamitical.
- On the upcoming Champions League quarterfinal with holders Real Madrid, Hasselbaink was forthright. "It's a tough draw. Real Madrid is a good team but if you want to win the Champions League, you have to be able to beat everybody." he said. "If you wear the shirt of Chelsea, you have to be able to believe that you can beat everybody. We have done it in the past. Why can we not do it again!"