Chelsea legend Petr Cech has backed under-fire goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, insisting the Spaniard possesses “huge, huge potential” despite the club’s ongoing turmoil.
Petr Cech: Robert Sanchez has ‘huge, huge potential’ but Chelsea’s problems are holding him back
The Blues find themselves in disarray after a disastrous campaign.
Enzo Maresca guided Chelsea to Champions League qualification and a Conference League title last season, but he lost his job in January following a difficult run and pointed comments towards the board.
Liam Rosenior replaced him, yet the former Strasbourg manager lasted just 106 days before being moved on.
Chelsea lost their final five Premier League games under Rosenior without scoring a single goal, slipping to ninth in the table.
Interim boss Calum McFarlane now takes charge, starting with Monday’s visit of Nottingham Forest.
Cech believes the chaotic environment at Stamford Bridge directly harms Sanchez and his fellow goalkeepers.
“The goalkeepers are not being helped by the overall situation,” the former Chelsea shot-stopper told The Athletic.
“As a goalkeeper, if your team is struggling, then you have a bit of a problem yourself because you’re exposed and there is a lot of pressure on you.”
Chelsea paid £25m to sign Sanchez from Brighton in the summer of 2023.
The 27-year-old has since made over 100 appearances for the club, most recently helping Chelsea beat Leeds United in the FA Cup semi-finals.
“Rob, you can see, he’s got huge, huge potential,” Cech added.
“There are games where you see his shot-stopping ability and the saves he can produce.
But he needs to work on his consistency. He has games where he makes wrong decisions, and as a goalkeeper those decisions are really visible.”
Cech also mentioned Filip Jorgensen, saying injuries have disrupted the Dane’s chances.
“Based on their abilities, I’m not surprised Chelsea brought them in, but I don’t think the team has managed to get the most out of them.”
