Amsterdam: Chelsea landed their only silverware of a gruelling campaign by beating Benfica 2-1 in the Europa League final on Wednesday but assistant coach Boudewijn Zenden believes the triumph only partially atoned for a string of failures.
The European champions started their season in August dreaming of a possible seven-trophy haul with the Community Shield, European Super Cup, World Club Cup, Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup all up for grabs.
However, slowly but surely their hopes were dashed in each competition until salvation finally arrived in the 68th game of the season at the Amsterdam Arena where goals from Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanovic sank a battling Benfica side.
Looking back at the ones that got away, Zenden said Chelsea's World Club Cup final defeat by Brazilians Corinthians in Tokyo was particularly painful for both the players and the backroom staff. "The Europa League is a serious competition which has put us in a small bracket of clubs to have won all three major UEFA trophies but it doesn't make up for the rest of the season," Zenden told Reuters in an interview on Thursday....
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04:46 PM, May 16, 2013
Amsterdam: Benfica coach Jorge Jesus hinted he may leave the club following the heartbreak of their 2-1 injury-time defeat by Chelsea in the Europa League final on Wednesday. The 58-year-old, who has been in charge for four years, said the Lisbon team were the better side for most of the match and that defeat was hard to bear. After an emotional tribute to the quality of his players, Jesus said...
10:20 AM, May 16, 2013
Amsterdam: Frank Lampard suggested he was on the verge of signing a new contract with Chelsea after leading the London club to a 2-1 victory over Benfica in the Europa League final on Wednesday. The 34-year-old midfielder, who broke Chelsea's all-time scoring record when his double against Aston Villa on Saturday took him past Bobby Tambling's tally of 202 goals, looks like getting the new deal he has craved all...
10:05 AM, May 16, 2013
Amsterdam: A stoppage-time header from Branislav Ivanovic helped Chelsea become the first English club to win all three of UEFA's major trophies as they beat Benfica 2-1 in the Europa League final on Wednesday. The Serbian defender sent the London club's fans wild with delight when he climbed high at the far post to meet a Juan Mata corner and place a header back across helpless goalkeeper Artur into the...
02:51 AM, May 16, 2013
Amsterdam: Chelsea could be without captain John Terry and playmaker Eden Hazard for Wednesday's Europa League final against Benfica. After winning the Champions League title last year, Chelsea failed to reach the knockout stage this season and has long been a non-factor in the Premier League title chase. That means only victory in the lesser of Europe's two cup tournaments can salvage a disappointing season for the London club. Both...
09:27 PM, May 14, 2013
Paraguay striker Oscar Cardozo's well-taken double fired Benfica into a Europa League final with Chelsea after they beat Fenerbahce 3-1 in Lisbon to win their semi-final 3-2 on aggregate. Top scorer Cardozo, who signed a new deal in January and has a 60 million euros buyout clause in his contract, proved too hot to handle after Dirk Kuyt's away goal had given Fenerbahce the upper hand. Benfica, last in a...
08:49 AM, May 03, 2013
London: Chelsea's relentless march towards either more European glory or an heroic, battle-weary failure, continues on Thursday when they face FC Basel with the final of the Europa League beckoning. The Londoners, like Benfica who face Fenerbahce in the other semi-final, were eliminated from the Champions League after the group stage, but both dropouts could yet meet in the final at the Amsterdam Arena on May 15. Chelsea are well-placed...
10:00 AM, May 01, 2013
Istanbul: Egemen Korkmaz's second-half header earned Fenerbahce a 1-0 win in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Benfica and eased the tears of team mate Cristian on Thursday. The Turkish club hit the woodwork three times including Cristian's penalty which thudded against the post on the stroke of halftime, reducing the Brazilian to tears. Luckily for the midfielder, Korkmaz made the breakthrough after 72 minutes with a...
08:17 AM, Apr 26, 2013
London: Chelsea are in the last chance saloon as far as a trophy goes and Fernando Torres, complete with his 'Mask of Zorro', must continue his recent improvement in swashbuckling style in Thursday's Europa League semi-finals. Fenerbahce welcome Benfica in their first leg while European champions Chelsea face a tricky trip to Basel without the cup-tied Demba Ba, meaning fellow striker Torres will take up the fight as the Londoners...
11:36 AM, Apr 24, 2013
Nyon: European champions Chelsea will play Basel in the Europa League semifinals, with the first-leg match in Switzerland. Fenerbahce will face Benfica, with the opening leg played in Turkey, after UEFA made the pairings on Friday. Chelsea aim to complete an unlikely double by lifting the second-tier trophy as the reigning Champions League winners. All four semifinalists began the season in the Champions League before being eliminated and dropping into...
04:07 PM, Apr 12, 2013
Chelsea staged a thrilling comeback to beat Steaua Bucharest 3-1 while Tottenham made it on the away-goals rule. ...
04:02 AM, Mar 15, 2013
Benfica defender Fabio Faria has retired from professional football at the age of 23 because of heart problems. ...
11:09 PM, Mar 08, 2013
Barcelona's Lionel Messi has a bruised left knee and is a doubt for the leaders' next match in La Liga this weekend, the club said on Wednesday ending fears that the player had suffered a more serious injury. ...
08:28 AM, Dec 06, 2012
The Argentine was stretchered off with a leg injury as Barcelona drew 0-0 with Benfica at the Nou Camp. ...
03:50 AM, Dec 06, 2012
Vilanova rested a number of first-choice regulars for Wednesday's game at the Nou Camp, but not Messi. ...
10:26 PM, Dec 04, 2012
With Barcelona guaranteed first place in the group, the race for second reaches its climax with both Celtic and Benfica level on seven points. ...
09:03 AM, Dec 04, 2012
Moscow: Spartak Moscow won its first Champions League match this season on Tuesday by beating Benfica 2-1 from a first-half own goal by Jardel. Rafael Carioca gave Spartak a 1-0 lead in the third minute after overlapping down the left and receiving a clever pass from Jurado before poking the ball into the net. Benfica equalized in the 33rd minute through an unmarked header from Lima at the near post...
11:40 PM, Oct 23, 2012
Lisbon: Lionel Messi set up goals in each half for Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas as Barcelona beat Benfica 2-0 on Tuesday to make it two wins from two in the Champions League group stage. Messi hit a low cross from the left in the sixth minute that Sanchez poked in from close range. The Argentine dribbled into the penalty area before laying off the ball for Fabregas to fire...
02:44 AM, Oct 03, 2012
Moscow: Russian champions Zenit St. Petersburg paid 40 million euros each for Brazil striker Hulk from Porto and Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel from Benfica, Zenit general director Maxim Mitrofanov said. Following reports in the Portuguese media that the true transfer fees were far higher than the 40 million euros originally reported by Zenit, Mitrofanov showed R-Sport the sale contracts for the players, which show the fee for each as 40...
03:57 PM, Sep 07, 2012
Estadio Da Luz, Portugal: La Liga champions Real Madrid got some home truths from Portuguese club Benfica in a pre-season tie on Friday. At the Estadio Da Luz, Jose Mourinho's men were all over the place as the Spanish giants suffered a huge 5-2 defeat. Javi Garcia put the Portuguese side ahead with a header in the fourth minute. Real's Jose Callejon turned the game on its head with two...
12:45 PM, Jul 28, 2012
