Since the Premier League introduced squad numbers in 1993, 16 different players have donned the No.9 shirt for Chelsea – and remarkably few have been successful.
The shirt has become somewhat ‘cursed’, with players tending to struggle at the club while wearing it. No player has so far opted to take the No.9 shirt for Chelsea in the 2022-23 season and Thomas Tuchel was asked why.
“It’s cursed, it’s cursed, people tell me it’s cursed,” the German coach said. “It’s not the case that we leave it open for tactical reasons, for some players in the pipeline that come in and naturally take it.
“There was not a big demand for No.9. Players sometimes want to change numbers but, surprisingly, nobody wants to touch it.
“Everybody who is longer than me in the club tells me: ‘Ah, you know, like he had the 9 and he did not score and he had the 9 and did also not score.’ So we now we have a moment where nobody wants to touch the No.9.”
We’ve taken a look at every player that has donned the No.9 at Chelsea and ranked them for their contributions to the Blues.
16. Radamel Falcao
After an unsuccessful season on loan at Manchester United, Falcao was given another chance to prove himself to the English audience with Chelsea in 2015-16.
However, his loan was incredibly unsuccessful, and the Blues unsurprisingly turned down the chance to sign him for £38million at the end of the season.
With a wage of £140,000 per week, Falcao cost Roman Abramovich £800,000 per shot and £57,000 per touch of the ball, scoring just once in 12 appearances.
15. Franco Di Santo
Aged just 18, Di Santo made a £3.4million move from Chilean club Audax Italiano in January 2008, but he failed to score in 16 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea.
He joined Blackburn on loan for the 2009-10 campaign and was then sold to Wigan before going on to appear for Werder Bremen and Schalke in the Bundesliga.
14. Khalid Boulahrouz
The most despicable of the lot is Boulahrouz, and his ranking is 98% based on the fact that we can’t bear to see a defender wearing the No.9 shirt.
He was also extremely forgettable at Stamford Bridge, making 20 appearances in a solitary season.
READ: 13 of the worst squad numbers in history: Gallas, Davids, Gyan & more
13. Chris Sutton
Four years after winning the league title, Blackburn were relegated and Sutton saw himself moved on to Chelsea for a £10million fee.
The striker’s time at Stamford Bridge was a dismal one, lasting just…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…