Chelsea caretaker Lampard: We must only look forward to Real Madrid

Chelsea caretaker boss Frank Lampard has all his focus on the task at hand against Real Madrid in midweek.

The Blues, who are in the bottom half of the Premier League, take on the reigning European champions in the quarter finals of the Champions League.

Lampard, who replaced Graham Potter recently, has the unenviable task of trying to keep the club’s season alive.

“Probably on the outside, in a romantic sort of way, I can see why people would make the comparison,” said Lampard to reporters of how he won the Champions League as a player against all the odds.

“But I think in football terms, because our games will be against Real Madrid and, if we can progress, Bayern Munich or Man City, there are practical things that are really tough. So I certainly don’t want to be getting one step further ahead of ourselves than I should.

“We only can focus now on the game on Wednesday and the challenge there. I don’t think the history has a big effect on it but I understand the romantic idea. Wouldn’t we all love to see it again? But we have to work towards that. I think it is hard to compare with previous years gone by.”

He then added: “There was 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 in the game. There were so many bits of fate and different moments but we did have a huge desire and a big character and a level of talent in a group that had been striving for years to win the Champions League.

“That year’s the one people remember, but the one they don’t remember is getting knocked out by Inter Milan at Stamford Bridge, and other times like that. A team and a group will always go through tough moments to get to the great ones and now, with the team we’re putting together, everyone understands we’re not in that sort of position now.

“We’re not in that position, but we have an opportunity against a fantastic team and we just have to attempt to make the most of the opportunity – go there with confidence and go there with a belief, because otherwise you don’t turn up.”