Frank Lampard vowed Chelsea “will be back” as a major force after their Champions League quarterfinal exit leaves them facing the prospect of a season without any European football.
The Blues were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night to complete a 4-0 aggregate defeat as Rodrygo struck twice in the final 32 minutes to setup a semifinal tie with either Manchester City or Bayern Munich.
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“The motivation has to be playing for Chelsea,” Lampard said. “There are some players who are maybe quite new here, they are getting used to the club and that isn’t easy.
“Sometimes we’ve seen some of the greatest players in the Premier League when they first arrive, they need some time. Sometimes they go into teams that are flying and they get put in, they find their feet and you see them fly.
“So maybe there are reasons with some of our players where there is a bit of transition. But in terms of motivation, you are playing for Chelsea. There are individual motivations all throughout the squad and as a collective and we have to be competitive in everything we do every day.”
