Chelsea FC announced the departures of long-serving attacking duo Pedro and Willian through posts on the club’s official social media profiles. The pair had been largely tipped to exit the Blues following the end of the 2019-20 season for Frank Lampard’s side that concluded with a 4-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Last-16 of the Champions League.
Thanks for everything, @_Pedro17_! 💙
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 10, 2020
Thank you and best wishes for the future, @willianborges88! 💙
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 10, 2020
Pedro’s last outing as a Chelsea FC player came in the Blues’ FA Cup final loss to Arsenal nearly a fortnight ago. The veteran Spanish international had come off the bench replacing the injured Chrisitan Pulisic in the second half of the game. However, the 33-year old himself had sustained a severe injury blow in the dying moments of the game and had to be stretchered off the pitch.
Meanwhile, the 31-year old Willian’s final appearance for Chelsea FC turned out to the West London outfit’s penultimate game of their 2019-20 league campaign, a visit to Anfield. The Brazilian had since then been on the recovery table nursing an ankle injury. Failure to agree upon new contract terms with the Blues meant a looming exit for the winger this summer.
With the attacking doublet leaving Stamford Bridge ahead of next season, it would mark an end of an era at Chelsea FC. While Willian had been tied to the Blues since 2013 following his arrival from Anzhi Makhachkala, former FC Barcelona man Pedro had signed for the club only two years after.
The pair exit Chelsea FC having won a number of laurels between themselves, including a Premier League title and the Europa League trophy. Both players have certainly been excellent servants to the Blues over the course of their stay in London and will be missed by the club’s ardent supporters come next season.
