Chelsea face Shakhtar Donetsk in UEFA Youth League final today
Chelsea Under-19s will be crowned European
champions for their age group this afternoon (Monday) if they can secure
victory in the UEFA Youth League final against Shakhtar Donetsk in
Switzerland.
The young Blues beat Roma 4-0 in Friday’s semi-final to set up a tie with the Ukrainians who achieved a 3-1 comeback win over Anderlecht.
Chelsea Under-19s manager Adi Viveash has been looking ahead to the final and told the official Chelsea website he was proud and calm heading into the encounter.
‘It’s a phenomenal achievement for us to get to a European final,’ he said.
‘We’re all looking forward to it. I’m very calm and just excited to watch the team play. If they perform like they did in Friday’s semi-final then they’re going to be a joy to watch again and hopefully we can put on a good game for the watching public in Nyon and those watching on TV.’
Viveash praised an outstanding semi-final performance from his side and reiterated his belief that a similar level of performance this afternoon would give them an excellent chance of lifting the trophy.
‘To score four goals and keep a clean sheet in a semi-final is a perfect scenario really. We avoided bookings for the boys who could have been suspended so it was a pleasing game all round. We were fantastic on the ball and that will be a key element in the final.
‘We’ve watched a bit of Shakhtar now and they’re unbeaten in this competition this season, albeit having come through two penalty shootouts. We’ll have to be wary of their threat because I believe it will be bigger than that posed by Roma.
‘They’ve come from behind in all three knockout games so that shows their resilience and their team ethic, from watching them play and seeing their behaviour around the hotel, is very similar to ours.’
The young Blues have experience of playing in finals and many of the current Under-19s group won the FA Youth Cup last term, while a few were also involved in the title-winning Under-21 side.
‘We have developed a winning mentality and that’s not as easy as a lot of people may think, especially with young players. The group are very comfortable with each other and you can definitely see that in the way they play. They have respect for opponents but they don’t fear anybody because they know how good they are if they get it right.’
The Chelsea Academy has a strong culture of recognising success in the older age groups is a product of years of hard work from many staff throughout the development pathway. Along with a sizeable group of players’ families, there will also be a strong contingent of Academy staff at the Colvoray Stadium cheering the team on and Viveash believes that support is crucial.
‘We had the support of a few staff at the semi-final and that was nice but I’m told a lot more are coming over for the final and that’s a great effort from them. It will make a real difference for us, as will the players having their families watching on. Some of the boys have played together since Under-11s so for them to be playing in a European final together is going to be a really special occasion.’
With the time for talking almost over, the manager believes his young side (all but three of the players used in the competition this season are Under-18s or younger) have developed well since August but emphasised now is the moment to add the necessity to win.
‘I think we have the two best teams in the final. We’ve conceded the least amount of goals and scored the most but now we play against a team with the second-best defensive record with some very good players on the counter-attack.
‘We had a lot of support from the locals in the semi-final. A lot of the people I’ve seen and spoken to here in Nyon have said they really enjoyed our brand of football against Roma so hopefully we can produce that again.
‘We’re focused and ready. Everybody is fit and raring to go; training has been excellent and I just want them now to go out and perform to their potential. We relish games like this and, even though it is a development competition, we’re very aware that finals are all about winning.’
Chelsea Under-19s versus Shakhtar Donetsk Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League final in Nyon, Switzerland kicks off at 3pm UK time. The game will be screened live on Eurosport, with Chelsea TV showing the game again in full at 11pm along with exclusive interviews.
The young Blues beat Roma 4-0 in Friday’s semi-final to set up a tie with the Ukrainians who achieved a 3-1 comeback win over Anderlecht.
Chelsea Under-19s manager Adi Viveash has been looking ahead to the final and told the official Chelsea website he was proud and calm heading into the encounter.
‘It’s a phenomenal achievement for us to get to a European final,’ he said.
‘We’re all looking forward to it. I’m very calm and just excited to watch the team play. If they perform like they did in Friday’s semi-final then they’re going to be a joy to watch again and hopefully we can put on a good game for the watching public in Nyon and those watching on TV.’
Viveash praised an outstanding semi-final performance from his side and reiterated his belief that a similar level of performance this afternoon would give them an excellent chance of lifting the trophy.
‘To score four goals and keep a clean sheet in a semi-final is a perfect scenario really. We avoided bookings for the boys who could have been suspended so it was a pleasing game all round. We were fantastic on the ball and that will be a key element in the final.
‘We’ve watched a bit of Shakhtar now and they’re unbeaten in this competition this season, albeit having come through two penalty shootouts. We’ll have to be wary of their threat because I believe it will be bigger than that posed by Roma.
‘They’ve come from behind in all three knockout games so that shows their resilience and their team ethic, from watching them play and seeing their behaviour around the hotel, is very similar to ours.’
The young Blues have experience of playing in finals and many of the current Under-19s group won the FA Youth Cup last term, while a few were also involved in the title-winning Under-21 side.
‘We have developed a winning mentality and that’s not as easy as a lot of people may think, especially with young players. The group are very comfortable with each other and you can definitely see that in the way they play. They have respect for opponents but they don’t fear anybody because they know how good they are if they get it right.’
The Chelsea Academy has a strong culture of recognising success in the older age groups is a product of years of hard work from many staff throughout the development pathway. Along with a sizeable group of players’ families, there will also be a strong contingent of Academy staff at the Colvoray Stadium cheering the team on and Viveash believes that support is crucial.
‘We had the support of a few staff at the semi-final and that was nice but I’m told a lot more are coming over for the final and that’s a great effort from them. It will make a real difference for us, as will the players having their families watching on. Some of the boys have played together since Under-11s so for them to be playing in a European final together is going to be a really special occasion.’
With the time for talking almost over, the manager believes his young side (all but three of the players used in the competition this season are Under-18s or younger) have developed well since August but emphasised now is the moment to add the necessity to win.
‘I think we have the two best teams in the final. We’ve conceded the least amount of goals and scored the most but now we play against a team with the second-best defensive record with some very good players on the counter-attack.
‘We had a lot of support from the locals in the semi-final. A lot of the people I’ve seen and spoken to here in Nyon have said they really enjoyed our brand of football against Roma so hopefully we can produce that again.
‘We’re focused and ready. Everybody is fit and raring to go; training has been excellent and I just want them now to go out and perform to their potential. We relish games like this and, even though it is a development competition, we’re very aware that finals are all about winning.’
Chelsea Under-19s versus Shakhtar Donetsk Under-19s in the UEFA Youth League final in Nyon, Switzerland kicks off at 3pm UK time. The game will be screened live on Eurosport, with Chelsea TV showing the game again in full at 11pm along with exclusive interviews.
No comments