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| Veteran midfielder Frank Lampard remains adamant that last season's Champions League campaign saved many players from being shown the exit door at Stamford Bridge.
The club had been in disarray earlier in the season as Andre Villas-Boas made way for Roberto Di Matteo amid rumours of dressing room unrest.
But the Blues recovered to stage a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes to reach their second European Cup final after an unlikely success over reigning champions Barcelona in the semi-finals.
And the England international believes victory against German giants Bayern Munich in May's final at the Allianz Arena helped save the club from a summer of sweeping changes.
"If we had gone out of the Champions League, God knows what would have happened. Looking back, there probably would have been wholesale changes," he told The Times.
"That's the beauty of winning the Champions League. We remain in the Champions League and can look at spicing things up with new players.
"I didn't really think at the time that that was the end, but looking back, it probably would have been the break-up of that team."
Rift
Lampard also insists he has put behind him his rift with Villas-Boas, who is now in charge at Tottenham.
"Looking back, we were slightly different personalities," he said.
"What I found hard to handle was not so much the not-playing side, it was the communication - or the not talking about it.
"There are no hard feelings, certainly not from me. We sent messages after he left. I wish him all the best."
Sky Sports |
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