Jesper Gronkjaer admits his 'billion-pound goal' may have transformed Chelsea into what they are now.
Danish winger could have played big role in Chelsea history
Jesper Gronkjaer admits his 'billion-pound goal' may have transformed Chelsea into the club they are now.
The FC Copenhagen winger is preparing to face his former club in the last 16 of the Champions League, a competition he helped them reach in the 2002/03 season.
On the final day of the season, then chief executive, Trevor Birch, addressed the Chelsea team in the dressing room before kick-off, confirming the club was on the brink of financial ruin and that defeat by Liverpool would result in huge cutbacks and player sales.
A draw would have been enough for Chelsea but Gronkjaer's winner ensured the Blues qualified instead of Liverpool.
Rumour had it that Roman Abramovich was weighing up whether to buy Chelsea or Tottenham, who finished in mid-table, and within six weeks of that Liverpool victory the Russian billionaire had completed his takeover at Stamford Bridge.
"We all knew what we'd been playing for that afternoon," Gronkjaer said. "I don't know whether Abramovich would have bought Chelsea without my goal but the Champions League certainly made the club far more attractive. That is sure.
"Even so, no-one would have believed he would come along with the amount of money he did, though."
Spending spree
That summer Abramovich bankrolled a spending spree of £113million on 10 players, and having opted to stay at Stamford Bridge for another year, Gronkjaer witnessed the start of the Abramovich era first hand.
Chelsea were dumped out of the 2003/04 semi-finals by Monaco, leading to the departure of manager Claudio Ranieri, and despite reaching the 2007/08 final, the Blues are still searching for their first Champions League triumph.
Gronkjaer, 33, had joined from Ajax in 2000 and after leaving in 2004 had brief spells with Birmingham, Atletico Madrid and Stuttgart before returning home with Copenhagen in 2006.
"We'd all thought it was just a normal takeover and didn't imagine he would have so much money and that everything would change," he said.
"We'd see Abramovich occasionally over the course of that year. He'd come into the dressing room, not saying anything - I don't know if he could speak English, or even understand it - but sitting there like one of the boys. But that was a difficult season, particularly for the manager, who was under pressure straight away.
Rumours
"There were constant rumours about him leaving and he did very well keeping the pressure off the players. For Chelsea to finish second in the league and reach the semi-finals of the Champions League should have been a fantastic achievement but we didn't win anything.
"He (Ranieri) had been up against it the whole season," Gronkjaer added. "I'd love to have won things there, too, but I'd decided to leave, back in the spring."
Gronkjaer hopes Chelsea eventually win that elusive Champions League crown - just not this season.
His former club are expected to progress as the Danes have already surpassed expectations by reaching the knock-out stage, so Gronkjaer reckons a positive outcome in the home leg on Tuesday is vital to Copenhagen's chances of an upset.
"We know we're never going to be favourites but, if we can secure a good result in Copenhagen, we can give ourselves a chance," he said.
"They (Chelsea) will win the Champions League one day but to do that you obviously need a good team but also some luck.
"At the moment, Barcelona are probably a level above everyone else, so it's hard, but the signing of Torres shows Abramovich still has ambition and power. It said something. What has he spent there now? Only he can say whether it's been worth it."
