The Worst Players in Chelsea’s History

When it comes to sports, it’s the legends, the clutch moments, the last-minute scores, and those hall-of-fame moments that are etched into our minds. After all, on the other end of the spectrum are those less-than-favourable moments and players that we’d rather not remember. Maybe it was a disastrous day in team history or a player that developed a terrible reputation, one that was so bad you wanted to ban them from the league or sport entirely.

Chelsea is one of the highest-earning football clubs in the entire world, with accolades and awards that stand out among the others. Ever since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, the club has stood at the top of the pyramid along with other teams like Liverpool. Chelsea is also known for having an impressive roster of footballers, including legend Frank Lampard, striker Didier Drogba, and goalkeeper Petr Ĉech. Yet, inevitably, there have also been players counted among the club’s worst (not often because of skill), making a name for themselves in ways they certainly didn’t want.

Adrian Mutu

Mutu was by no means a terrible player if we’re talking skill. The Romanian forward began his playing career much like any other, playing for Romanian clubs before signing with the big leagues. He joined Inter Milan and then played for Hellás Verona and then Parma, where he scored 39 goals in three years. Thanks to his performance, he was nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 2003 and even landed a €22.5 million transfer to Chelsea. Not unlike wagering on casinos.com, Mutu seemed like a good bet.

His debut proved his worth, scoring the winning goal in a home victory and a total of four goals in three games. However, this promise was cut short, as his turbulent relationship with manager José Mourinho, positive test for cocaine use, and issues with contract breaches landed him in serious hot water. While we can’t exactly say he’s the ‘worst player’ in Chelsea’s history, the decision to sign him was a dud.

Andriy Shevchenko

If you thought bringing Mutu to Stamford Bridge for €22.5 million was crazy, what about Andriy Shevchenko’s £30 million transfer from AC Milan to Chelsea? Without consent from Mourinho either, and Shevchenko being a 30-year-old striker, his signing was controversial, to say the least. In two years at the club, he managed just nine goals in 48 appearances, which was surprising given his track record.

Despite his poor stint at Chelsea, Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest strikers ever to play and Ukraine’s greatest. With 48 goals for the Ukraine national team, he’s also their all-time top scorer. Although he boasted such a glowing reputation, he wasn’t often found in the starting line-up with the Blues.

Fernando Torres

There was plenty of talk and controversy surrounding Fernando Torres’ time at Chelsea, considering his record Premier League transfer fee of £50 million. Again, it wasn’t that Torres had poor footballing skills in the slightest—it was that he was badly managed and did not fit Chelsea’s system.

Many deemed him as the scapegoat for the club at the time, where Torres was simply signed to become that hopeful quick fix for the team, only to spend most of his time on the bench. His move to Chelsea just wasn’t the right one, and he should’ve stayed with Liverpool and continued his status as a global superstar there.

Khalid Boularouz

If we had to describe Boularouz’s career, it would be ‘all over the place’. With a career spanning 14 years and 235 appearances between eight teams, he wasn’t exactly the kind of player who had a legacy at any single club. While he was known for playing top-flight football all over Europe, he wasn’t known for his consistency, which ultimately failed him during his time with Chelsea.

Although he had a promising start, just like Mutu, it all went downhill from there after a knee injury, then a shoulder injury, and finally a loan to Sevilla that was the nail in the coffin. Boularouz did return to Chelsea after a year on loan, but he made no appearances on the pitch.

Slobodan Rajkovic

Rajkovic’s footballing career has been chaotic since his reputation with his first-ever team, OFK Beograd, grew. In fact, he was seen as such a contender that Chelsea paid €2 million for him at just 16 years old. However, due to the conditions of the deal, he played a few loan spells at other clubs.

From there on out, not only did Slobodan spit at a referee at the 2008 Summer Olympics and get himself banned by FIFA for a year, but his career wasn’t taking off at all, even after being reinstated. Even four years after signing for Chelsea, he was ineligible for an EU passport or work permit, which hindered him from playing for matches open for public viewing. In the end, signing Rajkovic was a bad move and a waste of time, effort, and money.

Juan Sebastián Verón

Occasionally, clubs take a chance on players they believe have what it takes to perform on the pitch—only for them to flop. This was the case with Juan Sebastián Verón, who had already failed to contribute to Manchester United after a £28 million transfer.

For half that amount (£14 million), Chelsea decided to give him the opportunity to redeem himself or see if the club was a better fit, but he struggled just the same. It was clear that the Argentinian couldn’t handle the pressures of the Premier League, struggling with not just his confidence but a string of injuries too.