Frank Lampard’s Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League (Picture: Sky Sports)
Frank Lampard reminded Chelsea fans of Manchester United and Arsenal’s failure to qualify for the Champions League after the Blues were knocked out by Real Madrid.
Chelsea faced an uphill battle to progress to the semi-finals after losing the first leg at the Bernabeu 2-0 and were downed by the same scoreline in the return leg at Stamford Bridge.
With Chelsea currently 11th in the Premier League and closer to relegation zone than the top-four, the club will have to make do without European football next season.
Lampard has lost four games in a row since returning to west London as caretaker manager but believes he can still ‘set the building blocks’ for success next term.
But the former England midfielder admitted no team has a ‘divine right’ to play in the Champions League, referencing Manchester United and Arsenal’s absence from the competition.
Both United and Arsenal have spent several years out of the Champions League over the past decade, though both clubs will almost certainly return to the pinnacle of European football next season.
Asked if he was confident Chelsea’s absence from the Champions League would be short-lived, Lampard – speaking after the 4-0 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid – said: ‘I think the way that the Premier League is moving so fast, the landscape changes.
Real Madrid outclassed Chelsea over two legs (Picture: Getty)
‘To say that any given team has this divine right to be in the top-four and in the Champions League, it’s tough. Manchester United have spent time out of the Champions League, Arsenal have spent time out of the Champions League. Lots of big clubs have.
‘In this moment, to try and predict what is going to happen going forward – will it be good or bad – is pretty pointless.
‘But I do think we can set the building blocks now to where we want to get to. I’m here for a reason, obviously, because this season being what it is and this role that I’m in.
‘Can I affect it in this period? Hopefully, yeah, but the bigger thing for the club will be that we want to get back to where we were. But the challenge is big.
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‘Every club is investing. Maybe some clubs are more stable than we are at the minute in terms of the squad. So I don’t think we can get ahead of ourselves in terms of moments like tonight where there’s disappointment.
‘I know what it takes to get back from being here as a player for a long time and as a coach before in the Champions League. We have to set those standards high again and I keep saying the same stuff but only the work of the group and having a clear direction from the group is the way.
‘Let’s see it. In my next seven games, I will do my mini version of that. If the performance can rise, I think it will give the fans a good feeling and give us a good feeling in the summer and I think that’s as far as we can look.’
Lampard also said his team have plenty to play for in the Premier League run-in despite being knocked out of the Champions League.
‘I just see it as a chance to work here every day which is a pleasure for me because of my link to the club,’ he added.
‘I enjoy that side. I don’t like losing games. I came into a team low on confidence, losing a lot of games, we haven’t had time to work. We now get a little period to work.
‘People on the outside may well write it off, coming in eighth or 12th, or whatever it is. To me it means a lot. That for me is the challenge; to raise performance.’
Chelsea, who have had three different managers this season, return to action next Wednesday against west London rivals Brentford.
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Chelsea’s Champions League hopes are over.
