CHELSEA FC WINNING SECRETS FOUND IN THE BIBLE !

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EvangelistBee

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The seconds went into eternity. When Didier Drogba was about to take the fifth Chelsea Penalty kick in Munich, Germany on Saturday 19th May, 2012 to decided who the winner will be after 120 minutes stalemate, I could not bear to watch again. Finally he did what no one in Hollywood and Nollywood scriptwriters would have written. He scored and Chelsea FC had won the 2012 UEFA Champions League. This was what Chelsea had been looking for in years. This was the main cup they have never won. This victory was very inspirational for me. I was really inspired that I began to see similar events and parallels in the bible. I don’t know if owners and members of staffs of Chelsea are Christians but for those who care about the fact that physical things can be deciphered using spiritual principles I found some immediate scriptural analysis that some have found true or funny (depending on which side of the divide you are) when I posted some of them on my facebook page! Even If you are not a soccer enthusiast, be patient with me as I have something to say.

I am not a Classic Chelsea fan. I tell people I am a fan of positive soccer on a good day even though I find myself attracted to exceptional talents and uncommon display of courage. However, we have a “CEO” in our house, my son who is a Chelsea fan to the core! He is a Chelsea fanatic! We were in London sometimes last year in the 2010/2011 season and he had to drag me to watch a live match at Stamford Bridge. He had to go! He wanted to buy all their kits but we had to set a budget. Due to this factor, I have had to be a supporter by default particularly when it is very convenient. I placed a call to him after the match and I could barely hear him on the phone. He was screaming his head off. He just came back from the street celebrating. We live in a very quiet suburb that our American neighbors had to come out to inquire what was wrong. Even the hardest Chelsea fanatic knew they had no chance. Yes - not that they had little chance, they knew they had none. On the way to the final, in the semi final match against Barcelona, their former Coach, Mourinho too shared the same sentiments – no chance! To make matters worse, because of events in the semi finals they lost their Captain John Terry to a red card, Ramires, Ivanovic and Meireless to suspension not to play in the final due to two yellow cards. Everybody knew that Chelsea team effectively had a carcass left to prosecute the finals. The natural substitute defenders in David Luiz and Gary Cahill came to the final with half healed injury!

Didier Drogba

This is where the first word of inspiration came to bare. Using a quote from my brother in Law, Tunde – “No matter how much the odds are stacked against you, God can overturn logic and cause things  to work in your favor” This was the summary of Drogba’s interpretation after Bayern Munich scored with seven minutes left.  He said they had to have faith. Using his own words, he said,” it was [fate], I believe a lot in destiny. I pray a lot. It was written a long time ago. God is wonderful. This team is amazing. I'm very happy. Life is fantastic.” When a father brought his oppressed son for healing, Jesus said to him, Yes, everything is possible for the person who has faith (in God) Mark 9:23. This was the first inspiration I had after the match. We cannot afford to give up even though the odds are stacked against us. Strong faith and confidence in God usually goes a long way to decide the quantum of life’s positive force that comes to us when we have no chance. Jesus touched the eyes of the blind men, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. Mat 9:29. Like they do in Mcdonalds, I have had to “supersize” my faith since that night! I just have to believe, it’s the starting point! I just watched the interview of Ida Odinga, the wife of Raila Odinga, Kenya Prime Minister, on CNN about how she coped when her husband was detained for years in the nineties while she was also jobless after she was sacked due to the persecution. She said,” You need faith in God, a lot of faith”. She made my day! There is a place for faith – confidence in God.

Chelsea Coach, Roberto De Matteo, that led Chelsea to the Champions league worked in an acting capacity. He was employed as an Assistant. He was a deputy to Andre Villas-Boas (AVB) who was sacked few months back for non performance. The deputy’s mandate was to coast down till the end of the season as a caretaker coach. He had better ideas. He shifted gears and took responsibility. I believed that one of the major deficits being suffered in Africa is Leaders who are in permanent position but in reality spend all their years acting. They start planning to win next election when they have not even started the current mandate. We even have some in the mould of Robert Mugabe who wants to take a whole nation to their grave. I have been reading Power, Politics and Death by Olusegun Adeniyi, the former presidential spokesman to the late President Yaradua and discovered some fundamental deficit about Leadership in Africa. He said that towards the end of Yaradua’s life he would always want to attend any burial of any friend or political associate. They attended the burial of then Yobe State governor, Senator Mamman Alli who was less than two years into his first four year term and they were bombarded with billboards and posters already campaigning for his second term. I wrote on the margins of the books - Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom – Psalms 90:12.  May God not allow me or any of my family members to suffer from this evil African syndrome! Very Pathetic! No leader will achieve anything tangible if he remains in acting mode terminally! For as he thinks in his heart, so is he; Eat and drink, he says to you, but his heart is not with you-Pro 23:7.

Robbie, as his players call him took the bull by the horn and now he has won two cups – the FA Cup and the Champions league. This was not an accident. He did the right things when its matters. He got blessed – lucky! He did his homework well and it paid off. Give luck something to work on! See thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men - Pro 22:29. There is a parable where I come from that translates as follows,” If you send a  slave an errand, he has to be smart and deliver the message as a born child would do in order to get results” AVB, the sacked coach took the mandate  of change from  the owner too far. This was also what caused the downfall of former Nigerian soccer coach Samson Siasia. I still believe he was the best option long term but he mismanaged the change process. You need to apply wisdom to the mandate given in order to get result! AVB sidelined the power house masters of the club – Terry, Lampard, Ashley Cole and even Drogba. He did it obviously arrogantly. No one argues with results no matter how good your intent is. Robbie did the opposite. He united the squad so that they will not only play for themselves and the club but made them to play for him! Another parable says if you need to call a cow “Uncle” for him to leave the road for you to pass, just do it!  A leader will have his work easier if and when his followers work for him to succeed.  It was obvious they were not playing for AVB. Roberto De Matteo was rejected by West Brom Albion club earlier before he became an assistant in Chelsea. Rejections are stepping stones to greatness. If you watch his tactics when he was there, you will know that he has ideas. Peter Osaze Odemwingwe, the Nigeria striker used to praise him and played for him. He was rejected but he is an European champion now - the greatest rejection of the decade. That’s scriptural. The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner- Mark 12:10. I pray every rejection you face will be used by God to move you to your greatness! May God give you the strength to see the traces of light in the tunnel of your life. Don’t give up when you are rejected. As far as the fundamentals of your life are okay, you will have your day under the sun. No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again; but disaster destroys the wicked-Pro 24:16. You will rise again!

Focus matters. Focus works. We should learn not to be sentimental. One of the reasons Chelsea turned around their season is that the Coach took his time to split the team clearly into team A and B based on current tactical strength. This was not a time to get bugged with overall strategy – he kept it plain, simple and relevant. The way he managed change was important. He clearly let everyone including the owner of the club and fans know who was in his first team and the players had to deal with it whether you liked it or not. He raised some of the rejects like Mikel Obi and Solomon Kalou to his A-team and moved the likes of Romeu and Daniel Sturridge to  the lower pecking order. He clearly let Torres know that he is Number 2 without killing his remaining zeal and confidence. One of the main reasons why Carlos Ancelotti, the 2010/2011 Chelsea coach failed was that He was too busy trying to salvage the botched Torres purchase as at that time in order to impress the owner. In life, we have to learn to cut our losses and move on! You cannot weep on setbacks forever. Roberto focused on his best team tactically. This made his team to focus and start playing well. Torres started playing better when the focus was not on him! He found his voice though after the match asking for more playing time but not after taking swipes at personalities. My personal opinion about that is that he was plain delusional and ignoring facts.  He had more than enough chances to prove himself. It’s not about how good you were two years ago, it’s about what you offer now and a good leader must focus on how to prime his team for now and not based on past sentiments! Paul said “Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead”- Phillipians 3:19 GNB.

Life has ups and down. Stop complaining. Have hope that your God given talents will last and stand the test of time. If you were in Drogba or Kalou’s shoe when they were overlooked, you most likely will be complaining. The fact remains that God does not change his mind about whom he chooses and blesses- Romans 11:29 GNB. Lift your head high! Your gifts and talents are still there- some are not even discovered yet! Even when you are being overlooked now, don’t compromise, stay the course. For whoever is chosen, to all those living, there is hope; for a living dog is better than a dead lion - Ecc 9:4  

Abrahamovich - Chelsea Owner 

Finally for the owner and the team, their time has come to celebrate! May the laws of time and seasons favor us. You shall arise, and have mercy on Zion; for the time to pity her, yea, the set time, has come -Psa 102:13.  Despite all odds, the ultimate result came after nine years of investment. Indeed the Chelsea story has reminded me of one of my life’s long inspirational scripture and will like to depart with it – “So then it is not of the one willing, nor of the one running, but of God, the One showing mercy”- Romans 9:16. This week, this year and for the rest of our days, where our best efforts had failed to get results, may we find mercy and fulfil our purpose in Jesus Name. Amen.

EVANGELIST BEE.

www.evangelistbee.com

Banji Adesanmi writes a blog at www.evangelistbee.com as EVANGELIST BEE and can be reached at evangelistbee@gmail.com

No. 129– 28th May 2012

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