‘The police weren’t happy with me when I decided to confront protesting Chelsea fans on the night the proposed European Super League fell apart’: Petr Cech opens up on intervening at Stamford Bridge in 2021
Petr Cech stepped in to talk fans as they protested the European Super League in 2021 - but against the wishes of the police at Stamford Bridge
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Chelsea legend Petr Cech reveals that the police weren't happy when he confronted fans in April 2021 in an attempt to stop the European Super League protests.
After a four-year spell playing for Arsenal, Cech returned to Chelsea in June 2019 to become the club's technical and performance advisor. Two years later, in April 2021, he was called into action in a slightly different way than what he was used to during his playing career.
With plans for the European Super League involving Chelsea, thousands of Blues supporters protested the club's decision to join the elitist venture. Fans blocked the Chelsea team bus from getting into Stamford Bridge ahead of their game against Brighton, leading to Cech having to intervene and plead with protestors by saying "give us time".
VIDEO: Why Newcastle United Want Marc Guehi SO Badly
Cech acted against the wishes of the police force positioned at Stamford Bridge, though the Chelsea legend believes he had to address the grievances fans had.
"I think I disappointed the policemen who were stood outside the stadium by going to speak to the fans," Cech exclusively tells FourFourTwo. "It was kind of a spontaneous decision when I was passing by.
"I had three of them telling me, 'You can’t go over there!' I said to them, 'Look, you’re with me, so worst case, you can pull me out.' They weren’t happy. But I think it was important. There were big questions, it all happened so quickly, and a lot of people didn’t know what to think about it.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
Cech speaking to fans (Image credit: Getty Images)
"When it came to that point with the fans, I just wanted them to understand that the club would need some time. Everything was happening fast. The club had made a decision and I simply wanted people to let the club work with it; not to affect the team in the wrong way."
Later that day, Chelsea withdrew from the European Super League, being among the first teams to do so. The game, meanwhile, ended in a 0-0 draw, played out in front of an empty Stamford Bridge as fans still weren't allowed inside stadiums due to the Covid pandemic.
Ryan is a staff writer for FourFourTwo, joining the team full-time in October 2022. He first joined Future in December 2020, working across FourFourTwo, Golf Monthly, Rugby World and Advnture's websites, before eventually earning himself a position with FourFourTwo permanently. After graduating from Cardiff University with a degree in Journalism and Communications, Ryan earned a NCTJ qualification to further develop as a writer while a Trainee News Writer at Future.
