Frank Lampard has urged Chelsea to continue to prove their critics wrong by qualifying for next term's Champions League before winning it.
Blues midfielder keen to keep momentum going
Frank Lampard has called on Chelsea to continue to prove their critics wrong by securing a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League before lifting the trophy in Munich.
The Blues' old guard confounded the naysayers again on Tuesday night when they produced one of the most staggering escape acts in European football history to beat Barcelona.
The 3-2 aggregate win left them just 90 minutes away from finally ending the club's long wait for Champions League glory as their astonishing revival under caretaker boss Roberto Di Matteo hit new heights.
Priority
The manager's top priority after taking charge was securing Champions League football next season but no one could have imagined Chelsea would be closer to doing so via the competition itself than by finishing in the Premier League top four.
But having slipped four points off the last qualification spot with four league games remaining, winning next month's final at Bayern Munich suddenly looks more achievable.
Lampard said: "By the time of the game, that'll be too late.
"So, if we don't win it and we're not fourth...
"We're on a decent run of performances for sure, but the last thing we want to do now is lower our standards in between. We need to keep this roll going."
Captain John Terry's sending off for inexplicably kneeing Barcelona man Alexis Sanchez from behind means he is ruled out of the final along with Ramires, Branislav Ivanovic and Raul Meireles, who were all booked.
"It's hard to console him," Lampard said of Terry, who will learn on May 31st precisely how many matches he will miss on top of the final.
"He'll be there with us and hopefully we can win it and do it as a group but it's obviously devastating for him."
Irrelevant
It means Lampard could lift the European Cup as captain but he said: "My ego doesn't need to lift it.
"I'd love to win it to be of the team that wins it.
"So, if we win it, anyone can lift it - that's irrelevant."
