Levi Colwill makes bold Chelsea prediction for new season after Club World Cup glory

Levi Colwill has insisted Chelsea will be title challengers and can win the Champions League next season.

Colwill says their Club World Cup success was a “statement” of intent and he says it proves that Chelsea can be back among Europe’s elite. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca guided the Blues to glory in the United States which earned the club £97m in prize money after Cole Palmer’s dazzling display to beat Paris Saint Germain in the final.

That has now given them belief they can step up next season and fight for the Premier League crown as well as being contenders in the Champions League. Colwill says that winning mentality comes from glorious Chelsea heroes of the past like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba - and this generation is determined to keep up the club’s best traditions.

“I said at the start of this tournament, the Club World Cup, that our plan is to win it and people looked at me as if I was crazy!" Colwill said. “So I’m going to say the exact same thing now going into the Premier League and Champions League. I think we’re ready and we’ll see next season.

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“We’re a team and that’s in the Chelsea identity. You stick together no matter what. Players like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, they started that and we’re carrying it on. They were all amazing players, the best players who won a lot but we’ve got the best players in our team - young players for sure - and that’s our plan: to win the biggest trophies for Chelsea.

“We’re definitely capable of doing it. We’ve shown that. Everyone said that PSG were the best team in the world but we won 3-0. This was a statement. No matter what, we’ve got to stick together. That’s what we’ve been saying all tournament and that’s what we did.”

Chelsea have gained a reputation for being big game players and causing upsets in major finals, overcoming Bayern in Munich to win the Champions League in 2012. They did similar to beat Manchester City in the 2021 final and now have seen off Paris Saint-Germain in a major upset in the first new-look Club World Cup.

But Colwill says it was not so much upset - it was more standard for Chelsea because they revel in being underdogs and thrive off it. He added: “It’s a bit surreal, amazing feeling to lift the trophy and hopefully it can lead on to better things in the future.

“I wouldn’t say upsets, just because everyone was rooting for PSG or saying they were going to beat us. It’s not an upset because we know how good we are, if other people don’t believe that then hopefully we have changed their minds now.

“This performance was amazing and we should get the credit we deserve. It was a statement victory and, in the future, if we keep winning trophies then everyone will give us the love that we deserve. But we’ll only know that in he future.”

Colwill also insists the Club World Cup will become the biggest trophy in football. And he laughed off the idea that all of the players at the 32 team tournament would rather be on holiday.

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It has taken a lot of stick but had 81,117 fans at MetLife Stadium for the final to witness Chelsea's victory. FIFA have made it clear the Club World Cup is here to stay, Brazil and Spain have both said they want to host it in 2029 and it could even get expanded.

Colwill said: “In the future, I think this will be the biggest trophy of all. It will be bigger than the Champions League and we were the first team to win it. I’ve really enjoyed it, playing games every four or five days. Playing to sold out stadiums, playing against different teams who you would never normally get a chance to play.

“I might be saying that just because we’re winners now but I really have enjoyed it - and it’s been good. This is the biggest tournament I’ve ever won. Going into the game I was a bit nervous, thinking it was the biggest game I’ve ever played but in years to come I will look back and think what a day it’s been.”

Chelsea’s players were treated to a celebration in their hotel in New York on Sunday night before flying home on Monday. They have been given three weeks off but, incredibly, start their next Premier League season in less than a month, kicking off against Crystal Palace on August 17.

The Premier League refused to budge or move the game and insisted there would be no special favours despite Chelsea flying the flag for English football.

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