Who would you include on your list of most influential players in the Chelsea dressing room?
Reece James is bound to get a lot of votes as captain of the club, as will Cole Palmer because of his extraordinary abilities on the ball. Then there is the growing vocal presence of Levi Colwill. But third-choice goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli, surely not?
Bettinelli has made just one appearance for Chelsea since joining as a free agent after his contract ran out at Fulham in 2021. His only competitive action came in the 5-1 FA Cup third-round win against Chesterfield in January 2022 and there seems little prospect of game time soon. Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen are both ahead of him in the pecking order.
This is hardly the criteria most would associate with an important figurehead. When the club agreed to extend his contract until 2026 last year, the news was greeted with surprise more than anything due to his lack of minutes, but Bettinelli’s contribution to the cause is far greater than anyone realises because a lot of his best work goes on behind the scenes, away from the gaze of a TV camera.
Bettinelli has become the link between the dressing room and senior staff, the man each side can go to communicate with about any issues and to pass messages on. It may sound rather straightforward, but having someone everyone trusts is vital for dynamics and maintaining morale. When former head coach Mauricio Pochettino took to the field to acknowledge his players after the final game of last season against Bournemouth, one of the warmest and longest exchanges was with Bettinelli.
“I am just a part of the puzzle,” Bettinelli tells The Athletic with more than a hint of modesty. “As I do not play as much, it is a lot easier for me to maybe have conversations and talk on behalf of people. It is important to have that trusting relationship with the players and the staff, whoever that may be. If I can make one of the lads’ lives easier by helping, then that is what I am here for. Everyone has their own relationships, but I am there to help in any capacity I can. If that means having conversations with people that the lads don’t want to have, it is not a problem. It is definitely easier for me to have those kind of talks.
“When I joined the club as third choice ’keeper behind Kepa and Edouard Mendy at that time, I sort of knew my role and my responsibilities. I probably learnt a lot in that first year of doing it. The club has been through a change and I have been a part of it. I am thankful that I am still here and I am really enjoying my new role. It is something I am getting better at and it’s nice that people recognise it.
“I had a fantastic relationship with Mauricio, the same with Graham (Potter) and Thomas (Tuchel), who brought me in. I have known Enzo Maresca for only a short time, but I really enjoy working with him. Hopefully, I can also build on that because I am looking to be that bridge. As much as I enjoy what I contribute off the field, I am still training really hard as a goalkeeper, I want to improve and develop. You can learn so much from everyone. We have a great goalkeeping corps and coaches, too. It is finding the right balance of doing both.”
Every club has a bit of an unsung hero in their midst. What makes Bettinelli’s presence so crucial is that at 32, he is one of the oldest players in the first team building. According to TransferMarkt, Chelsea’s transfer strategy under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake consortium means the club have fielded the youngest starting XI in all four Premier League games this season.
Having an older voice around is very much required and appreciated. “It is all about Chelsea winning games and if I can help in any capacity, by taking the weight off peoples’ shoulders, I am more than happy to do that,” he explains. “For example, it will be like making sure players are on time. The manager is also huge on respect, respecting each other and the members of staff. We have a great bunch of lads, they are still young and learning. If the staff want to introduce a certain way of doing things, it is maybe a case of me telling the lads, ‘This is how we are going to do stuff from now on, this is what the staff want’. I have no say in what goes on, but I can definitely be the comfort blanket for the lads to have a moan about things, too.”
Perhaps the best way to look at Bettinelli’s responsibilities is that he has filled the void left by former captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s departure to Atletico Madrid in 2023. The veteran defender acted in the same way Bettinelli is now. He was also chosen to be Chelsea’s representative with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) — the trade union for all current and former footballers — a role that Bettinelli was then asked to inherit.
Duties for a PFA rep can vary from the serious to the fairly mundane. For example, Bettinelli will be the point of contact to get team-mates to back various PFA charity initiatives and fill in forms with their vote for PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Team of the Year.
“When Azpi left, there was a discussion in the changing room over who would take it over and I was happy to do it,” Bettinelli adds. “If I can take the weight off, say someone like the captain, Reece, who was thinking of stepping in, then that is fine by me.”
Bettinelli, who was omitted from Chelsea’s squad for the group phase of the Conference League, is keeping himself sharp in case Maresca has to call upon him. Thoughts of retirement are still some years away, but taking on a leadership position has got him thinking about what he wants to do next.
He said: “I definitely don’t want to go into management, I have seen how hard it is! Over the past year I did my UEFA B coaching badges with Thiago Silva and Marc Cucurella, which I really enjoyed. I will definitely do my UEFA A goalkeeping badges soon. It is probably where I am heading towards. I really enjoy helping young goalkeepers. That, for me, is the best.
“I helped people like Eddie Beach (20 years old, now on loan at Crawley Town) and Ted Curd (18 years old, now on loan at Hampton and Richmond Borough) last season. That is what I love doing, seeing young lads improve. I can give them tips and share the experiences of what I have done.”
(Top photo: Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
