As with all areas of life, few things in football are constant. However, in an era of the game where we have become accustomed to players moving clubs at the drop of a dime, a figure which can embody true loyalty is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
There is no doubt that goalkeeper Petr Cech was one of these during his 11 year stay at Stamford Bridge.
The return of upstart Thibaut Courtois from a three-year loan at Atletico Madrid signalled that the Blues were on the verge of a ‘passing of the torch’-type season, with the unfaltering custodian pushed back onto the sidelines as Jose Mourinho’s new master plan played out.
After it had been speculated since the end of the 2014-15 campaign that Cech had played the last match of his over a decade-long career for Chelsea, it was not official until the news was confirmed that the iconic goalkeeper would be moving to cross-town rivals Arsenal.
The fact that Cech is joining one of their fiercest enemies shows the trust the club has to one of its long serving heroes, giving the freedom to ply his trade to whichever club will utilise him best. With the decision to move to the city’s North, he will join a list of names that includes the likes of William Gallas, Ashley Cole, Emmanuel Petit and Cesc Fabregas in having played for both sides of the rivalry.
Just shy of two-metres tall, with the ability to kick the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and a reach that seemingly spanned the goalposts, the Czech Republican would have been a haunting figure in the nightmares of many a Premier League striker over the past 10 years.
Arriving in West London from French club Stade Rennais in 2004 on a five-year contract worth £7 million, he is one of a select few Chelsea players that have been a part of every trophy win since the beginning of the Abramovich era. This list of achievements is simply astounding, but only speaks volumes to Cech’s quality.
The highlights include four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, a Europa League championship, and of course the biggest jewel in the crown – the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League trophy. Along with fellow departing veteran Didier Drogba, the goalkeeper became a London hero for the ages in the final against Bayern Munich, denying a second-half spot-kick from Arjen Robben and penalties from Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger during the shootout victory which made Blue history.
Over the 2013-14 Premier League season, his last as the first choice Chelsea goalkeeper, Cech was conceding only 0.71 goals a game and kept the opposition scoreless on nearly 50% of his appearances. In the 2004-2005 season he went over 1,000 minutes without letting a ball touch the back of the net and he is also holds the competition record for fewest games (180) played in order to reach 100 clean sheets.
Petr Cech is a fantastic signing for Arsenal – and could be worth at least 10 more points – yet I am surprised Mourinho has not blocked it
— Charlie Wyett (@CharlieWyett) June 22, 2015
https://twitter.com/AmiraulMeireles/status/613012733609402368/photo/1
The admiration that has been showered upon Cech since his departure became official is echoed by Chelsea captain John Terry, who made no underestimations when asked about what his decade-long teammate would bring to the Gunners.
“He will save them 12 or 15 points a season. Petr was an unbelievable professional last year. When you get left out of the team it can be hard to accept but when he came in he was exceptional,” said Terry.
“He deserves a lot of credit for that. We understand he wants to play first-team football but nobody wants to see him leave the club. He’s going to be sorely missed and will improve any side he goes to.”
[interaction id=”55937ea48ea2c61b0449d762″]
Undeniably ranking among the elite goalkeepers of the world, rather than accept an easy payday under Mourinho, Cech has decided to seek new challenges as he nears the end of his playing days. One can only respect a move like this, and even for Blues fans it is probably unfair to expect such a talent to spend the final good years of his career waiting for the odd occasion when Courtois is unavailable.
In the same vein that saw Frank Lampard depart to Manchester City last season, Cech’s departure is another step in the evolution of Mourinho’s team. He may well perhaps be remembered as the greatest goalkeeper to ever call Stamford Bridge home, but the iconic helmet will now be standing in the way of Chelsea and repeated Premier League glory.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
