We can Cech out with a trophy

PETR CECH insists Chelsea can salvage their season — by creating history as double European champions.

The Champions League holders go into the first leg of their Europa League semi-final with Basel on Thursday night knowing the much-maligned competition represents a last chance of silverware.

Having failed to progress from the group stage in defence of European football’s biggest prize, Rafa Benitez’s inconsistent side tumbled out of both the Capital One Cup and FA Cup after reaching the last four.

But Cech is confident the Londoners will not be singing the Blues come the end of what has proved to be a turbulent campaign.

The keeper said: “It’s a semi-final of the Europa League, we would like to win it.

“We could be the first team in history to have won the Champions League and the Europa League back-to-back, so that would be a great achievement.

“It would be another European trophy to put in the trophy room at Stamford Bridge and I think it would be something we would be proud of.

“It would make the season successful and would make the fans happy, so we treat it with respect.

“We’ve come far and we would like to go all the way.”

HAPPY MEMORIES ... Petr Cech lifts the Champions League trophy last May

Picture: RICHARD PELHAM

Cech, 30, has an added incentive for wanting to win the Europa League — the opportunity to put things right in the Super Cup.

The Blues went into this season’s prestigious clash with Atletico Madrid on the back of a perfect start to their Premier League campaign.

But successive victories over Wigan, Reading and Newcastle counted for nothing as Roberto Di Matteo’s men were torn apart by Radamel Falcao and Co during a 4-1 thumping.

For Di Matteo, it was a glimpse of the future and the Italian was promptly sacked with Chelsea’s season stalling both at home and in Europe.

And Cech is determined to erase the bitter memory of the defeat by lifting the cup next season.

He added: “This is another European cup and what we all realise is that if you win the Europa League you can play the Super Cup again.

“We got it terribly wrong in the Super Cup last year and we would have another chance to win it, so this is another aim.”