Photo: Dicklyon / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Chelsea began their pre-season tour of Australia on Sunday, training at Allianz Stadium in Sydney in front of more than 4,500 supporters. The session was the first opportunity for manager Xabi Alonso to work with his squad on grass during the trip.
The players arrived in Sydney on Saturday evening and spent Sunday morning recovering from the long-haul flight from London. Goalkeepers Robert Sanchez, Teddy Sharman-Lowe and Ted Curd used the North Sydney Olympic Pool — due to officially reopen next month after more than five years — for a recovery session following a gym workout.
Alonso met Les Kiss, head coach of Australia's rugby union side, before training got underway at Allianz Stadium, the home of A-League club Sydney FC. Kiss, who described himself as a long-time Chelsea supporter, traced his allegiance to the club back to the late 1990s.
"I was coaching at London Broncos, a rugby league club, and the two closest football clubs to me at that time were Chelsea and Wimbledon," Kiss said. "Every time I watched a Chelsea game, Gianfranco Zola stood out. His expression and creativity with the ball, and the fact he played with a smile on his face, meant that Chelsea was my team."
Kiss added a pointed message ahead of Chelsea's tour fixture against Tottenham on Saturday: "You'll get great support for both games I'm sure, and especially on Saturday night. So please win!"
Midfielder Romeo Lavia spoke to reporters as the session concluded, reflecting on the reception the squad had received since landing in Australia.
"The fans have been amazing since we landed," Lavia said. "We all know how important representing this badge is, but when you have something like this and you see what the club means to people around the world, it makes it feel even more important. We've got two weeks ahead of us and we want to take it all in with the fans and enjoy the moment together."
Elsewhere in the city, former Chelsea captain Gary Cahill attended a youth tournament at the ACU Strathfield Campus, where 48 local teams were competing. Chelsea's first tour match is against Western Sydney Wanderers on Tuesday.