Chelsea are back in the Champions League, and tonight play their final league phase game, hoping to beat Napoli and avoid a two legged playoff next month.
This is standard stuff for most fans, who watched their team win the competition not long ago. But for some players it’s all new. That includes Malo Gusto, who has been speaking about how enjoyable it is for him and some of his colleagues to finally achieve their dreams.
Malo Gusto on “great experience” in Champions League
Napoli fans in the Diego Armando Maradona.
Napoli fans in the Diego Armando Maradona. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images)
“It’s been a great experience,” Gusto said in quotes on the club’s official website.
“Since I was young, I have always wanted to play in this competition. I’m very proud, and even prouder to play in it for Chelsea. So yeah, it’s a great feeling. I have learned there is more intensity in the Champions League. The quality is different as well. We know how tough it is play in this type of competition.
“Compared to the Conference League, there are more periods when we are under more sustained pressure because of the intensity of the games and quality of the teams. It’s a level up from the Conference League and that’s where we want to be playing. If you are Chelsea, you are supposed to play these types of games the whole time.”
We certainly do Malo – let’s hope tonight’s game lines us up for a few more games this season.
In other news…
A win tonight will likely get Chelsea through to last 16, thanks in part to the situation with the two teams above them in the Champions League table.
To win tonight is going to take a huge effort from the Blues – the home team have lost just once against English opposition in their last 11 games.
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Liam Rosenior applauds the Chelsea fans.
Enzo Fernandez labours in midfield.
Liam Rosenior on the touchline.