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Chelsea’s Mendy headlines Champions League Squad of the Season
The Senegal international tops a selection dominated by Thomas Tuchel’s Blues after a superb outing in the just-concluded tournament
Edouard Mendy is among the players named in the 2020-21 Champions League Squad of the Season, with Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez excluded from the 23-man team.
Seven of Chelsea’s players made the cut following a campaign that saw the Londoners win the tournament for the second time in their history.
Mendy is joined by Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois and the Citizens’ Ederson in the goalkeeping department.
He was signed from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes in a £22m ($31m) deal as the six-time English top-flight kings sought to find greater stability between the sticks as costly errors had crept into Kepa Arrizabalaga’s game.
His contribution to the Blues’ Champions League success cannot be underplayed as he featured in 12 games that he featured in; not conceding a goal on nine occasions – a feat that saw him equal the tournament’s clean sheet record.
Only Santiago Canizares (Valencia in 2000-01) and Keylor Navas (Real Madrid in 2015-16) have ever reached that number in a single campaign, meaning the African star joins an extremely exclusive club.
Veteran African tactician Henry Abiodun had stated that the Senegalese is capable of reaching the very highest level of the game in the coming years.
“He has been one of the major differences. Even before Frank Lampard was shown the way out. He has been able to make an impressive impact since he came in,” he told Goal.
“As a Nigerian, I am very happy for him – that an African player is mounting the goal for such a top team like Chelsea and also doing very well.
“Now that he has a very solid back three, he’s going to continue doing better. With the defensive formation right now, he [Mendy] cannot do much wrong. So far so good, I am impressed with his performance and I think, he will continue to build his confidence.
“He is on his way to writing his name in gold in world football and also becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
“I don’t think in recent times we have seen any African player mounting the goal at that level and he is doing very well.
“So, Mendy is a pride to Africa as a continent. I think what the future holds for him is great and hopefully, he doesn’t suffer any injury.”
