Reece James believes Chelsea have grown from both triumphs and setbacks as they prepare for another Champions League campaign.
The Blues arrive in Munich with momentum after lifting the UEFA Conference League in May and securing the FIFA Club World Cup by defeating Paris Saint-Germain. Those victories, James says, have sharpened the squad for the battles ahead.
But the captain insists the lessons from painful defeats are just as important as the taste of silverware.
“You learn more when you don’t come out on top,” James said in his pre-match press conference. “There was more to take from the campaigns where we got knocked out in the round of 16 or the quarter-finals. I played against Bayern in 2020, and they destroyed us, to be honest. Days like that and nights like that will help me going into tomorrow’s game.”
Chelsea’s skipper will lead his side out at the Allianz Arena, convinced the squad is stronger than in previous years.
“The club has had change [since winning the Champions League in 2021] but I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a bad thing as we qualified for this competition last season and went on to win two trophies (the Conference League and Club World Cup). With the changes, we started slowly but last season we came on leaps and bounds.”
James knows The Bavarians will provide a stern test, but he sees belief and resilience in this Chelsea team. With the captain setting the tone, the Blues are ready to chase European glory once more.
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