In an executive suite at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, the scene at a Chelsea directors’ table was serene.
Club chairman Bruce Buck welcomed guests including Chelsea manager Marina Granovskaia and British Olympians Lord Sebastian Coe and Sir Steve Redgrave. Savoring a starter of smoked fish, a main course of roast chicken and a cheesecake dessert, the cast were joined by technical and performance adviser Petr Cech, as well as the club’s loanee technical coach Carlo Cudicini.
In usual times, former Chelsea goalkeepers Cech and Cudicini may have shared their views on the performance of Edouard Mendy, who excelled in the Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool, or the projection of Kepa Arrizabalaga, the goalkeeper who replaced Mendy for the shooting, failed. to save one of 11 penalties he faced and then missed the decisive shot.
Yet even a missed opportunity for silverware is unlikely to have overly concerned those handling the day-to-day running of Chelsea. After all, this weekend had been dominated by two statements published on the club’s website, first concerning owner Roman Abramovich and then the club’s view on the war in Ukraine.
On Saturday evening, Abramovich released a 110-word statement in which he said: “Today I entrust the trustees of the Chelsea Charitable Foundation with the management and care of Chelsea FC.” He concluded that he believed that “at present they are best placed to look after the interests of the club, the players, the staff and the supporters”.
On Sunday morning, the club released a second statement, this time in just 24 words: “The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating. Chelsea FC’s thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace.