Chelsea legend Terry supports Liverpool's championship and pays tribute to the late striker Jota.
Chelsea hero Terry expressed his support for Liverpool's Premier League championship this season, and specifically mentioned Diogo Jota as the main reason. Terry is one of the most legendary figures in Chelsea’s history, playing for the club, scoring 67 goals, winning five Premier League titles and one Champions League title, among many other honors.
After retiring and serving as an assistant coach, Terry, 44, returned to Cobham Training Base in July 2023 to serve as a youth training instructor and club ambassador, maintaining close contact with first-team players and staff. Therefore, in a talkSPORT interview, the former England international did not support Chelsea's championship led by Maresca, but supported defending champion Liverpool, which was somewhat unexpected. Part of the reasoning is a realistic assessment of Chelsea’s current strength and a reluctance to put pressure on young and inexperienced teams. In addition, he also revealed a touching idea, expressing his hope that the Reds will win the trophy at the end of the season to commemorate former Liverpool striker Jota, who unfortunately died in a car accident in July.
Speaking of Liverpool's chances to defend their title, Terry said: "I think they have a great chance, to be honest. They have a great motivation, that is, they miss the late Jota. With that alone, I really hope that Liverpool can win the championship. I think they are the strongest team at the moment. Manchester City once again showed a vulnerability this season. I'm not sure if Chelsea has enough experience to challenge them, and at the same time they don't want to put pressure on them. So I think Liverpool is the most likely to win the championship, and I wish them good luck."
Liverpool is still the only Premier League team to maintain a full-win record this season. Although they are not as solid as last season's defense, the Reds still hold this record with their final goal against Bournemouth, Newcastle and championship rival Arsenal. After Arsenal and Tottenham won on Saturday, Slott's side had a chance to return to the top of the standings in Sunday afternoon against Burnley.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are currently ranked fifth, with their performance after two wins, one loss and a 2-2 draw at Brentford on Saturday.
When asked about Maresca's team's recent Club World Cup title, Terry half-jokingly said: "We're officially the best team in the world, so we're happy with that! But we're a young team and I think this year we have a chance to get to the top by competing with the strong teams."
"We should do that because I'm a part of Chelsea. I don't think any top team or player should play in the top league if he thought at the start of the season, he thought 'we can't win the championship'. Every Chelsea player should believe he can win the championship. But do I really think we can do it? Honestly, I don't think so."