Latest news with #JohnTerry
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'In two years' – Claude Makelele agrees with John Terry as he makes major Chelsea claim
'In two years' – Claude Makelele agrees with John Terry as he makes major Chelsea claim Former Chelsea star Claude Makelele believes the Blues can compete for the Premier League title in two years time. Enzo Maresca has overseen a successful first season in charge as he guided Chelsea back to the Champions League with a fourth place finish. Advertisement The Italian also guided the Blues to Conference League glory, their first trophy under the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital ownership. Makelele backs Chelsea to challenge for the title in two years Attention now turns to the Club World Cup with Chelsea set to face Los Angeles FC in their first game on June 16th in Atlanta. Chelsea expect Enzo Maresca to go on a deep run in the competition, but what fans really want to see is the Blues back challenging for the league title. Makelele thinks Chelsea can challenge for the Premier League in two years. (Photo by) Chelsea haven't won the league since 2017 under Antonio Conte and during that period they've haven't even got close. The Blues face a critical summer and if they get their recruitment right they could put themselves in a position to challenge. Advertisement A deal has been agreed for Liam Delap, but the Blues will need more and club legend Makelele feels it could be two years until they challenge for the league. 'I think in two years Chelsea will compete for the Premier League,' he said as cited on John Terry has also previously stated he thinks the Blues are a couple of years away from challenging the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Blues need reinforcements This summer is arguably the most important under the new ownership with several of the top teams going through rebuilds. More Stories / Latest News 'In two years' – Claude Makelele agrees with John Terry as he makes major Chelsea claim Advertisement 1st Jun 2025, 11:30am Official: Chelsea's opponents for first Club World Cup match finally confirmed 1st Jun 2025, 11:00am 'Medical today' – Chelsea close in on first summer signing after latest Ben Jacobs update 1st Jun 2025, 10:30am Chelsea have got the bulk of their squad in place and two or three top quality additions in key areas could put Maresca's men in a really strong position. With Champions League football now on offer the Blues should be able to attract a higher calibre of player, and they've been linked with the likes of Hugo Ekitike and Nico Williams.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘There are so many in the making' – Nathan Aspinall reveals there's an army of Luke Littlers ready to take over darts
NATHAN ASPINALL reckons darts has boomed so much these past two years that 'footballers and actors' are all obsessed with what is happening on the oche. But he claims the next generation of tungsten throwers will be groomed in sports academies rather than unearthed on building sites. 4 4 4 The 17-week Premier League Darts reached its climax last Thursday night with Luke Humphries beating Luke Littler in the O2 Arena final. Two days before that, Prem semi-finalist Aspinall was a guest at Tottenham playmaker James Maddison's golf day at The Centurion Club with darts pal Joe Cullen. The annual invitational golf tournament – which raises funds for different causes – was attended by ex-footballers John Terry, Jimmy Bullard, Wes Morgan, Gareth Barry and comedian Michael McIntyre. And Aspinall – a two-time major winner – claims everybody was talking to him about Littler and Co. Stockport's world No.9 said: 'Everyone is obsessed with darts. I was at this golf day and everyone wanted to talk to me about the darts. 'I'm looking around, all these footballers and actors and stuff. Everyone was speaking to me. 'Everyone loves darts. Whatever you're a celebrity, own a company, from a council estate. Whether you're a kid. A woman. A Man. 'We all know we owe a lot of it to Luke. But also the rest of the guys that turn out week-in, week-out. 'Oh my god, John Terry shot four under gross. And he plays off five. 'Joe Cullen played as well. He was a bit worse for wear the next morning, shall we say. Luke Humphries apologises to fans after hilarious nine-darter fail leaves even rival Nathan Aspinall laughing 'Humphries was asked to play in it but he didn't want to risk injuring himself before the finals. Whereas I couldn't give a s***.' Littler emerged on the senior scene in December 2023 aged 16 and raced all the way to the World Darts final where he lost to Humphries. A year later, he went one step further and lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy at the age of 17. It is a far cry from previous world champions like Phil Taylor (ceramic factory), Gary Anderson (grate builder), Peter Wright (tyre fitter) and Rob Cross (electrician) who had other jobs before throwing darts. Yet Aspinall – who runs a darts academy in the North West – reckons there is an army of wannabe Littler s set to appear in the coming years. Aspinall, a father of two, said: 'There are so many more Luke Littlers in the making at the moment. It's mental. 'I might be 33 but I'm an old boy compared to what's coming through. 'If the money gets to like golf levels, there's no way people are doing this for 25 years. 'Guys in their early to mid-30s are the last of a generation and after us it's going to be all these kids coming through, who're fearless. 'Then it will go from this pub game, which everyone still calls it, even though it is not. And it will finally be called a sport in 5-10 years. 'But the problem you're going to have is: Where are the characters? 'You see it with footballers when they do their interviews, they are robots. They get told what to say. And they are all the same answers all the time. 'I think people like myself, I just say it as it is. It gets me in trouble a lot of time. I've had no media training in my career. 'I was thrown into the deep end. I don't want darts to get that to level. Because you do need those characters in the game. 'If everyone turns up and they are all the same, they all throw the same, no-one celebrates, does the interviews the same, it would get boring. Hopefully that doesn't happen.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Claude Makelele reveals John Terry STOLE the final-losing penalty off Chelsea's 'best' taker during 2008 Champions League heartbreak - and how the Blues legend grilled Didier Drogba after
Claude Makelele has opened up on John Terry 's infamous penalty shootout blunder during Chelsea 's 2008 Champions League final defeat against Manchester United. Terry took what could have been the decisive penalty at the end of a 1-1 draw in the first ever final between two English clubs, but slipped on the run-up and hit the post to send the shootout into sudden death. Nicolas Anelka went on to miss Chelsea's seventh spot-kick to hand Man United a domestic and European double, but Terry's miss is still seen as the decisive and iconic moment at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Now, Makelele has revealed that Terry was not initially meant to take the spot-kick but took the fifth penalty off of Chelsea's best taker - Salomon Kalou. Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Makelele said: 'It's [Kalou's] turn, but Johnny took [his] ball.' Ferdinand asked: 'So John Terry took the penalty instead of Kalou to win the game?' Makelele affirmed, explaining that Terry took the penalty in 'a good way', implying there was no confrontation between the ex-Blues captain and Kalou. But he explained that Terry's eagerness to be the main man is ultimately why the former defender only has one Champions League title to his name instead of two. Makelele added: 'Exactly, but it's in a good way. It's in a good way. But the way I see it, Johnny [doesn't] have two Champions Leagues now. Because Kalou was the best penalty [taker] at that time at Chelsea.' Ferdinand then asked Makelele why he did not interject at the time and tell Terry to allow Kalou to take the penalty instead. Makelele explained: 'I didn't know [that Kalou was Chelsea's best penalty taker] until later. Because in the game, if I knew this, of course, I would tell John: "No John, [let him take the penalty]." 'But of course, he's my teammate also, no? He [Terry] would be crying [if he was told not to take the penalty] . Because of all the players we lost this game.' Ferdinand went on to ask Makelele about the impact of Didier Drogba's dismissal in the game; the legendary striker was sent off in extra-time for violent - with the affair level at 1-1 - after slapping Nemanja Vidic. Makelele said: 'Sometimes it's difficult to talk about this. Me, I'm a [forward] person. Didier, I tell him. Didier, you can't do this. Red card, we're dead. With you, maybe we win before going to a penalty [shootout]. 'Because we knew if we went to penalties, you [Man United] have the better players for taking penalties. Ferdinand replied: 'Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, he would have taken a penalty. Bloody hell. It's true, isn't it? I didn't think about that.' Last year, Terry revealed on the Up Front Podcast that it was 'probably the worst moment in my footballing career'. He added: 'I'm still not over it today. I don't think I ever will be. It's interesting because as a player you have so many highs, but it's the lows that stay with you longer. 'That night we lost we went back to the hotel and the manager was asking us all to go down for a drink, but I stayed in my room because I couldn't face the lads. Eventually I went down and had a beer with the rest of the group. 'I just remember standing in my hotel room on the 25th floor, looking over Moscow and asking myself, 'why then, why did it start raining then, why did I slip? 'The hardest thing for me was that three days later we had a friendly for England against USA at Wembley and we drew 1-1 I scored a header from outside of the box. If I could swap any two goals in my career it'd be those two.' He also previously told Sky in the months after the miss: 'Every morning I wake up, that's the first thing I think about. I am still so desperately disappointed about it. 'But I am a big man with a big character and it is now down to me to deal with that.' Speaking ahead of the 2008-09 season, he added: 'I'm certainly looking forward to the new season so I can wipe away that bitter disappointment for the club, and especially for me.' Despite his heartbreak in 2008, Terry did go on to win a Champions League title later down the line. Despite being suspended for the final, Terry took home a winners' medal when Chelsea overcame Bayern Munich to win Europe's elite club competition in 2012.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
John Terry aims another thinly-veiled dig at James Maddison after winning trophy at Spurs star's golf foundation event
John Terry has continued his new-found rivalry with James Maddison after winning a trophy at the Tottenham midfielder's golf foundation day. Terry, 44, has been involved in numerous good-natured ribbings with Maddison, 28, after Tottenham won their first trophy in 17 years by beating Manchester United in the Europa League final in Bilbao last Wednesday. After winning an award at the event, the ex-Chelsea centre-back took yet another cheeky dig at Maddison and his current employers. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, with over 800,000 views on X, formerly Twitter, Terry was presented with a gold cup by Maddison. The former Chelsea skipper then joked: 'I'm so happy with this. By the way, it's been a week and I've won the same amount of trophies as Spurs'. Maddison can be seen laughing and embracing Terry for his jibe at the Lilywhites, taking the comment in good faith. Maddison missed the final due to a knee injury, but was heavily involved in Tottenham's post-match celebrations as he arrived on the pitch to lift the trophy with his team-mates while wearing full kit. The 28-year-old rocking up in full kit despite not playing evoked memories of Terry doing the same when he was suspended for Chelsea 's Champions League triumph in 2012. Taking to Instagram after Wednesday's final, Maddison poked fun at himself and Terry as he posted a photo of himself and Brennan Johnson with the trophy alongside the caption: 'To kit. Full @johnterry.26 mode. Anything to say tonight John?' It did not take long for Terry to respond as he reminded Maddison that he won 17 career trophies at Chelsea, and mocked Spurs' performance in the final. 'I remember my first trophy, ah bless them,' Terry began. He added: 'Get the tequila out. Great season from you boys, you should all the proud! 16 (trophies) to go. After that performance I think you have a chance. You just have to live for 900 years.' Terry also posted a photo of his personal trophy cabinet at home, which includes five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Levi Colwill reveals the bizarre addiction that turned his Chelsea form around - as he looks to write his name into club history at Conference League final, writes KIERAN GILL
Levi Colwill is talking us through his addiction to blocking, but not the type we would usually associate with a 6ft 2in Premier League defender. It is to do with his love of Lego, and how if this Chelsea graduate can secure his first trophy in Wednesday's Conference League final, after a week in which he was called up to Thomas Tuchel 's England squad and scored the winning goal at Nottingham Forest to clinch Champions League qualification, a celebratory trip to Legoland in Windsor will follow. 'I love it,' says the 22-year-old centre back. 'I've built so many. Sadly they all broke when I moved back from here to Southampton. It's a bit of a heartbreaking subject. 'It just takes your mind away from everything. Last season when I was struggling a little, I started doing it. I built the Home Alone one with the movie on in the background. It was around Christmas time so I got myself in the spirit. It took me weeks. The detail they go into is crazy. 'I saw a girl on TikTok building Lego so I wanted to get into it. I'm a big kid. It just takes you back to when you were a kid, in terms of there are no worries, no problems.' Colwill's barriers were up before the conversation turned to Lego. His arms were folded, there was no getting through. Our questions on Chelsea's owners potentially clinching their first trophy, and him imitating John Terry as one of Cobham's own in the defence, prompted answers from the PR playbook. Then the L-word arrived and with it, a sense of ease. 'You feel relaxed and in your comfort zone,' he adds on his hobby which has led to some mickey-taking from his team-mates. 'You're not thinking about much more than that. When you put your mind to something, you blank out everything else around you. That's why I enjoy it.' As vices go, Lego is innocent enough, even if the sets he gets gifted by his mum, Debra, for Christmas do cost circa £200 a pop. Tomorrow, however, all focus will be on building Chelsea into a club that can say they are still winners after going too long without any silverware. They have won everything else as a club. The Champions League, the Europa League, every competition they have entered. They want their supporters to feel free to continue singing how they have 'won it all' by securing the Conference League, with Real Betis, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, who was previously assisted by Enzo Maresca at West Ham, standing in their way in Wroclaw, Poland. 'If we win this competition, it will make us the most complete club and that's huge,' Colwill continues. 'That's bragging rights for the fans. We definitely have to win it for them. 'That's what we've been saying all season. No matter what competition it is, if we're in it, we want to win it. And we believe we can. For many players, it will be the first trophy we've won and for Chelsea. It can be huge for all of us, to hopefully win, get it under our belt, and then go on to win big competitions in the future.' When Chelsea won the Carabao Cup under Jose Mourinho in 2005, it acted as a springboard for success. 'If we win, it will give us the confidence and belief to hopefully win more trophies,' Colwill adds. 'Similarly to John Terry, I've been Chelsea through and through. It's what I dreamed of as a kid, and what many kids in the academy now will be doing. 'I can stand here and say all the reasons why I could be a good captain but that could just be me talking a whole lot of rubbish. As an academy boy, to play for Chelsea first and foremost is a dream, and then to captain them is a whole different level. We obviously have Reece (James) as our captain right now and I'm learning from him. 'I'm really harsh on myself because I know how good I could be and I believe in myself. In football, you get a lot of people who will say you weren't that bad. But you judge yourself on how you play. I know when I've been rubbish, I know when I've been good.' He was certainly good on Sunday, putting in a titanic performance in the defence to stop Forest from scoring while also popping up with the winner at the other end. That made sure Chelsea finished fourth in the Premier League to return to the European competition in which they believe they belong. Maresca likes to tell us in press conferences how Colwill has grown into a leader as the campaign has progressed, and you get the sense from speaking with him that he is not bricking it for tomorrow's final. He does enough of that in his downtime.
