Marc Cucurella urges Chelsea to prove big club status by winning Conference League | OneFootball

Blues meet Copenhagen as knockout rounds begin

Cucurella is determined to help Chelsea win a first trophy under their owners

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The Blues resume their European campaign in Denmark on Thursday, when they face Copenhagen in the first-leg of their last-16 tie.

Enzo Maresca’s side cruised through the league phase, winning all six of their matches, but their form in domestic competition has dropped off badly since and the Conference League now represents their only chance of silverware prior to the summer’s inaugural Club World Cup.

Chelsea have looked a clear cut above their rivals in the tournament so far and remain odds-on favourites to become the second English winners in three seasons, with Cucurella admitting it would be a “disappointment” were they not to claim the trophy at the end of May.

“For sure, 100 per cent,” he said. “We are a top club. Chelsea is a top club. We have a lot of players with a lot of of skills and abilities and I think we need to feel that we can win the competition.

“We need to believe that we are ready. We can do it and I think, for us, it is an important tournament and we go with all of that.”

Chelsea lifted the Champions League only four years ago and many have questioned the significance that winning UEFA’s third-tier competition would have, given their obvious advantages in terms of resource.

However, Cucurella believes winning silverware for the first time under Maresca would be a major milestone for a young squad that is packed with potential but short on trophy-winning experience.

“We have the opportunity to bring one trophy at home,” he said. “I think it’s the first time that Chelsea can have this trophy, so it’s another opportunity to have something special.

Chelsea have not won a trophy since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover in the summer of 2022.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, they went close last season, but were beaten by Liverpool in the final of the Carabao Cup, before also reaching Wembley in the FA Cup, where they were knocked out by Manchester City at the semi-final stage.

“I think the first one is very important,” Cucurella added. “To win a trophy shows that we are doing things well.

“Last season we had two opportunities and we failed but this season we have another opportunity. We are ready, we are hungry to do it.

“We can show that the project and the ideas that the manager brings [are working] and the ambitions of the players are there, that we want to succeed in this club.”