Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has admitted that Chelsea must win the Champions League before they can be considered a force in the game.
Despite enjoying plenty of domestic success during Joe Mourinho’s three-year tenure Chelsea have yet to secure the club’s first European Cup.
Twice the Londoners have been beaten at the semi-final stage by Liverpool and Kenyon has again emphasised the importance of winning the trophy.
“It is one of the hardest trophies to pick up but, to fulfil our ambitions as a world club, you have to win the Champions League,” Kenyon said in an interview with Chelsea TV.
“It doesn’t rest on that, this season; that’s not what it’s about. But one of the things we’ve said is that you have to win trophies on a regular basis – you have to win the Premier League and Champions League more than once to reach those heights of being truly recognised as a world club.
“I think we’re well equipped and, as always, we’re confident going into all these campaigns because we’ve got a great squad and a great manager who knows what needs to be done. We’ve brought in some good players.
“If there was ever any concern about [staleness in the squad], then the first morning’s training blew it away – the freshness, the eagerness. There’s an absolute hunger in this team for success and there’s hunger to get the Premiership title back.
“That hurt everyone last year. There was no complacency. Everyone worked hard and I think the way everybody’s come back after a good rest – the first time that they’ve had that much rest for a long time – I feel very confident about the team.
“The squad is definitely stronger than last season. What with the quality of the teams around us, you can’t afford to drop points early because by picking them up it then puts the onus on someone else and we never like someone else to determine our future.”
