Former Chelsea stars Frank Leboeuf and Mario Melchiot have expressed concern for the future of Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. The Spanish stopper made a dig at Frank Lampard last year when discussing the former Chelsea manager’s first spell in charge. Lampard was sacked in 2021 but has now returned as caretaker boss until the end of the season. Melchiot, 46, has claimed that it will be “hard” for Kepa to be in the same dressing room as Chelsea legend Lampard again. Leboeuf, 55, has said that Kepa’s “resentful” comments could come back to haunt him, especially if Lampard ends up getting the job permanently.
Kepa played in Lampard’s first game back as boss – a 1-0 defeat away at Wolves. However, former centre-back Leboeuf has told ESPN FC that “Kepa was very resentful towards Lampard when Lampard left and had some bad words, so if they achieve something with Lampard, you don’t know what’s going to happen to Kepa.” Meanwhile, ex-defender Melchiot has said: “Do you know how hard it will be for Kepa to be in the dressing room? You had a go at your coach and that coach comes back and now you have to sit with him. Oh my God… I don’t know what Kepa is going to do. I want to give advice to any footballer: never talk about your coach in public, always do it directly. You might meet him again.”
Kepa made 33 Premier League appearances in Lampard’s first season as boss. However, the arrival of Edouard Mendy in September 2020 saw Kepa fall below the Senegalese stopper in the pecking order. Last year, Kepa told Marca: “We came from a not so elaborate game [with Lampard], we didn’t have to take the ball from behind, a less planned game, more to the free expression of the player, back and forth and less control. With Tuchel we have returned to control. It is true that in the Premier League we were not close to the top two, but in the other tournaments we have been very competitive.”
The future of Kepa at Chelsea is uncertain, with many fans and pundits calling for him to be sold. However, he has shown glimpses of his potential in recent games and could still have a future at the club. Lampard’s return as caretaker boss has brought renewed hope to Chelsea fans, who are hoping for a change in fortunes after a disappointing start to the season. Whether Kepa can put his past comments behind him and work with Lampard again remains to be seen, but it will be an interesting situation to watch unfold.