Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has said that the club will be still aiming for top four finish, despite the fact that they have reached the Champions League final this season. Many have been suggesting that Chelsea will now be looking forward to protecting their players ahead of the biggest game of the European calendar. Chelsea will be taking on Bayern Munich in the final on May 19. A number of players including captain John Terry will be missing the match. Hence, there has been a suggestion that Chelsea will be not performing 100% in their remaining Premier league matches knowing that finishing in the top four demands dropped points from other clubs like Tottenham and Newcastle.
Yet, Torres has confirmed that Chelsea are still looking to finish in the top four and this will be their priority till the end of the season. Finishing in the top four will mean that Chelsea will get guaranteed place in the Champions League next season. Playing in the group stages of the Champions League will ensure £ 20 million to a club. Missing out on this revenue will prove to be extremely difficult for a club like Chelsea in their efforts to comply to the financial fair play regulations.
“It’s an important result and we keep on getting points and I am very happy with all three [goals], hopefully they’re the first of many. The more important thing for me is that the team is in the best form of the season when all the important games are coming. It was difficult in the beginning and not getting the results, changing the manager during the middle of the season, so no-one was betting for us,” said Torres after the 6-1 drubbing of London rivals QPR. Torres scored his first Chelsea hat-trick in the match.