- Title: Chelsea make preparations for FA Cup final in bid for domestic double
- Date: 24th May 2017
- Summary: STOKE D'ABERNON, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (MAY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) CHELSEA PLAYERS LED BY DIEGO COSTA ARRIVING AT TRAINING PITCH COSTA WALKING TOWARDS TEAMMATES AND LIFTING ARMS PLAYERS LISTENING TO INSTRUCTIONS PLAYERS LEAVING CIRCLE TO BEGIN TRAINING EDEN HAZARD IN TRAINING / JOHN TERRY WARMING UP (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA DEFENDER JOHN TERRY, SAYING: "With the league sealed and done, the lads are fully focused. You know, small celebrations after the game and rightly so, 'cause you've worked all season long to be where you want to be and lifting that trophy. Back on it yesterday and again today and the lads are working really well. Fully focused as I said, I've been on the receiving end of losing cup finals on the very last day of the season, it's not a nice feeling. So with all the hard work we've put in so far, it's important we finish well." CHELSEA PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA DEFENDER JOHN TERRY, ASKED ON CONTROVERSIAL EARLY SUBSTITUTION IN FINAL LEAGUE MATCH TO HONOUR HIS TIME AT CLUB, SAYING: "Not at all, I don't really care what other people think. It's a celebration between me and the Chelsea fans, 22 years I've been at the football club and honestly I couldn't care less what other people say, it's a special relationship between me and the Chelsea fans. They know what it means to me and they've given me an unbelievable send off and one I'll never forget. Thank you for them because it was incredible and I'll never forget it." (Reporter: "and you'll be up there lifting the cup hopefully again at the weekend?") "Listen, the boys have been great so if I can be part of that whether that's on the bench, in the squad, the manager will make his decision. I'm sure he'll bring his strongest side, it's a team game, everyone's been involved and I'll be professional whatever role I play." CHELSEA MANAGER ANTONIO CONTE (WEARING CAP) WATCHING PLAYERS TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHELSEA DEFENDER GARY CAHILL, ASKED IF HE WANTS TO BE PART OF TEAM THAT WINS CUP HAVING MISSED 2012 FINAL DUE TO INJURY, SAYING: "I've been fortunate enough to win some trophies while I've been at Chelsea and that's one that stands out that I was desperate to try and do again as obviously I missed the final last time. I had a hamstring injury and the bigger picture was obviously the Champions League, so it's something that deep down for myself I've wanted to try and reproduce again and I hope I'll have the opportunity to play and win again, so we have that opportunity at the weekend, whether I play or not we'll see but we had the opportunity and no injuries and very much looking forward to it." MORE OF HAZARD TRAINING / COSTA IN TRAINING DEFENDER DAVID LUIZ TRAINING ALONGSIDE OTHER PLAYERS
- Embargoed: 7th June 2017 16:00
- Keywords: Gary Cahill John Terry Conte Arsenal Chelsea FA Cup
- Location: STOKE D'ABERNON, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: STOKE D'ABERNON, NEAR LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0016I757I7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Chelsea have already surpassed expectations in Antonio Conte's first year as manager and a victory in Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal would complete arguably the greatest season in the club's history.
A second Double, following the one completed by Conte's fellow Italian Carlo Ancelotti in 2010, was not even on the radar last August when all the talk was of an expected battle for supremacy between Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and Jose Mourinho's Manchester United.
Yet Conte's side rewrote the script and swept to the Premier League title by seven points from Tottenham Hotspur and are the favourites to round off a remarkable campaign by beating the Gunners at Wembley.
Conte's side, largely unchanged from the one that finished in a woeful 10th place in the Premier League last season, beat Manchester United in the quarter-finals and title-rivals Tottenham in the semis, and now face the competition's most successful club in the showpiece final.
Chelsea skipper John Terry, who will leave the club at the end of the season after 22 years, said he hoped to have the perfect end to a long career at the club.
The five-times Cup winner also defended the decision to substitute him in the 26th minute of the final league game of the season at home to Sunderland (26 being the number of his jersey) to honour his career at the club.
While Chelsea finished 18 points ahead of Arsenal in the table despite suffering a 3-0 defeat at the Emirates in the early weeks of Conte's tenure, a one-off final on the wide expanses of Wembley's lush turf looks hard to call. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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