Frank Lampard has urged Chelsea to ignore the turmoil engulfing his struggling side, recalling the Blues’ incredible run to Champions League glory in 2012.
Lampard is back in charge of Chelsea until the end of the season, having replaced the sacked Graham Potter last week.
After leading Chelsea to a 1-0 defeat at Wolves in his first game in charge on Saturday, Lampard takes them to Real Madrid for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.
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Chelsea are currently 11th in the Premier League after a disappointing season that saw Thomas Tuchel sacked in September and Potter fired after only seven months.
Despite their poor domestic form, the west Londoners have made it to the last eight of the European Cup.
Defeating holders Real Madrid would be a major upset, but Lampard is no stranger to defying the odds in the Champions League.
Lampard led Chelsea to an unexpected Champions League victory 11 years ago.
The Blues finished sixth in a disappointing top-fight season, with Roberto Di Matteo taking over for the fired Andre Villas-Boas in March.
However, in the Champions League, they overcame a 3-1 first-leg deficit to defeat Napoli in the last 16, then came back from a 2-1 deficit on aggregate in the semi-final second leg to defeat Lionel Messi’s Barcelona despite a red card for John Terry on a memorable night at the Camp Nou.
They needed a last-gasp equalizer from Didier Drogba in the final against Bayern Munich to set up a penalty shoot-out victory over the Germans in their own Allianz Arena stadium.
As Chelsea board their flight to Madrid, it appears that repeating that fairytale success is out of reach, but Lampard insists that anything is possible if his players show enough desire.
“There’s a lot to it. Part of that was we parked the bus at the Nou Camp and managed to hang on for our dear lives! There are so many things, fate in different moments,” he said.
“But we did have a huge desire and a big character and a level of talent in the group that have been striving for years to win a Champions League, so that one you remember.
“A team and a group will always go through tough moments to get to great ones.”
Chelsea are winless in their last four games and once again lacked a cutting edge in their loss to Wolves.
If Lampard’s men beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, the Blues manager could use a rare influential performance from Raheem Sterling.
The England forward has struggled since leaving Manchester City last year.
Sterling was recalled by Lampard to face Wolves, but he showed little of the pace and trickery that made him such a force during his time at City.
Sterling, who has only scored seven goals this season, did score a crucial goal in Chelsea’s Champions League last 16 second leg win over Borussia Dortmund, and Lampard believes he can still help the Blues.
“Raheem has been there and done it and there’s history of producing,” Lampard said.
“He’s been one of the best wingers in the world for a long time, at times, maybe in some people’s opinion, the best.
“He’s risen to games like that before in the past so that’s something we’ll obviously rely on in terms of this because some elements of the squad are maybe a bit younger.
“This game won’t faze him. I can’t remember how many times I’ve told young wingers; ‘watch Raheem Sterling and see why he scores 20 goals a season’.
“I just think he’s a top player.”