Chelsea can afford to lose one game! Bristol Rovers owner and Blues fan hoping for an upset in EFL Cup tie

Big day out: Rovers owner Al Qadi hopes his side can pull off an upset against Chelsea
Harry Trump/Getty Images
James Benge23 August 2016

He may be a boyhood Chelsea fan but for one night only Wael Al Qadi hopes that his team will be on the end of a shock defeat.

The Jordanian billionaire will find himself in Stamford Bridge’s away end as he cheers on Bristol Rovers, the League One club his family bought in February who now face Chelsea in the EFL Cup.

Antonio Conte’s side have emerged victorious from their first two league games and, without European football to distract his side, the Italian is expected to name a strong lineup for the second round tie.

However Al Qadi hopes that he and 4,000 travelling fans will be able to witness a major upset for the five time League Cup winners.

“I’ve been asked who I’ll support: all I can say is that Chelsea can afford to lose one game this season,” he said.

“Hoping that Chelsea loses a game is a strange feeling for me having supported them for so many years.

“I've supported them since I was a little boy growing up at school in London. My parents had a flat in London in the 1970s and Chelsea were the closest club.”

Summer signing Michy Batshuayi could make his first start in a Chelsea shirt after his goalscoring cameo off the bench away to Watford on Saturday whilst star names including Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Willian may also feature at the Bridge.

Watford vs Chelsea: In pictures

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But Al Qadi is confident in his side’s ability to cause an upset and in the skills of his own bright young managerial prospect. Darrell Clarke may not be as garlanded as Conte but, having guided Rovers to back-to-back promotions since taking over at the Memorial Stadium in 2014, his boss believes he could give the Italian a tactical test.

“I think they’re serious about their football, they’ll have a very strong team. It will be fantastic to have Conte up against Darrell. It’s going to be a tactician’s battle I guess.

“Two young, fantastic managers. It’ll be something to look at.”

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