Chelsea manager Graham Potter expressed excitement about the upcoming Champions League quarter-final match against Real Madrid. Despite finishing 10th in the Premier League, the team will need to defeat the reigning champions in order to advance in the tournament, after being eliminated by Borussia Dortmund in the previous round. Chelsea defeated Real Madrid on their way to winning the Champions League in 2021, but they were defeated by the same team the previous season. Real Madrid, who won their 14th Champions League title in May, defeated Liverpool in a repeat of the previous year’s final to reach the quarter-finals.
If Chelsea advances, they will face either Manchester City or Bayern Munich, the Premier League and Bundesliga champions, respectively, in the Champions League semi-finals. When asked about his reaction to being drawn against Real Madrid, Graham Potter stated that he was excited rather than sad.
‘I’ve said we’ll try to win the Champions League, and I’m sure the other seven clubs in the draw will do the same.
‘We will focus on Real Madrid when we get there but at the moment our thoughts are on tomorrow and Everton. I’d rather concentrate on Everton because everything else is so far away.’
While Potter was hesitant to discuss Chelsea’s European clash with Real Madrid in detail, he did heap praise on Bernabeu manager Carlo Ancelotti.
When Real Madrid won the Champions League last season, the legendary Italian became the first manager to win four titles.
‘I don’t know Carlo personally, but I played against him at Everton and he’s a gentleman,’ Potter said.
‘I have a lot of admiration for him and his career. The Champions League wins, the longevity… it’s amazing, incredible.’
The quarter-finals of the Champions League will be played in two legs on April 11-12 and April 18-19, with the semi-finals on May 9-10 and May 16-17.
The 2023 Champions League final will be held on June 10 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
Chelsea has won their last three games after a poor performance under Potter and will look to maintain their momentum in their upcoming match against Everton, who are fighting to avoid relegation, on Saturday. When asked about facing Sean Dyche’s team, Potter admitted that it would be a difficult task regardless of their league position. He praised Dyche for being an exceptional coach with a proven track record of success with Burnley. Potter also mentioned that Everton is a motivated team with clarity in all phases of the game, which makes the game difficult. He admitted that Chelsea will need to perform well in order to win.
