Premier League needs to give clubs competing in Europe a break before next season, asserts Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard has called on the Premier League and FA to look into giving Chelsea a break because of their Champions League games with him asking for a fair start to next season. The Blues lost the FA Cup final but face a tough Champions League round of 16 second leg clash against Bayern Munich.
With the Premier League season and the FA Cup final over, Chelsea’s next target is the Champions League but the Blues have a tough task ahead of them. The Blues lost the first leg of their round of 16 clash 3-0 to Bayern Munich at Stamford Bridge which means that the Bavarians go into the second leg with three away goals to their name. It’s a massive mountain for the club to climb but if they do lose the game, then Chelsea have just 35 days to recover before the 2020/21 season starts.
If the Blues, however, reach the final of the Champions League then that number falls to twenty and it has Chelsea boss Frank Lampard concerned about the welfare of his players. While Premier League clubs have been reportedly looking at handing teams that play in UEFA competitions an extended break time, Lampard has urged the Premier League to make that happen. The Blues boss also admitted that his side deserves a “fair start" to next season “as a Premier League club competing in the Champions League”.
"I am guessing we will be told when we start and that will be dependent on how we will go against Bayern Munich. It is not ideal if we carry on against Bayern - the players need to be given a break to play at the level and the quality product that the Premier League is. Even in a worst-case scenario, we don't go through against Bayern, the 12th feels too early for me for the players to start playing again," Lampard said, reported Sky Sports.
"The players need a break. That is why we have pulled two hamstrings and had players pull out of the game before this. I would like to think the Premier League would look seriously at that. Hopefully they give us a fair start next season. We deserve to be [given a fair start] as a Premier League club competing in the Champions League."