The mysterious name behind Chelsea's revival

While fans only mentioned coach Maresca, or stars Palmer and Pedro, the British media discovered a special name behind Chelsea's strong rise: Willie Isa.

Willie Isa (left) was once a rugby star - Photo: REUTERS

Who is Isa?

Willie Isa is not a former footballer. And he had never been on the coaching staff of any Premier League club before joining Chelsea.

But in England, Isa is still a well-known name, with a rather illustrious career in rugby. After 17 years of fighting and more than 300 professional matches, Isa announced his retirement in January 2025 while playing for Wigan Warriors, at the age of 36.

Just a month later, he suddenly appeared at Chelsea's Cobham training center, taking on the role of "Player Support and Development Officer".

In another way, the British media described Isa's job as "mentality training" for Chelsea players.

According to The Athletic, the decision to appoint Isa was made by sporting director Laurence Stewart.

The aim of this decision is to strengthen the spiritual foundation and personal development environment for players, especially the young generation.

In the context of Chelsea possessing a talented squad but lacking psychological stability, the leadership identified the mental factor as the "bottleneck" that prevented the team from breaking through as expected.

Isa's job is not in tactical training sessions, nor does he intervene in medical or injury recovery.

Instead, he spends time observing player behavior, having one-on-one conversations, setting up internal discussion groups and holding bonding sessions.

The media described him as a “cultural architect”. His former coach at Wigan (rugby club), Matt Peet, once said: “Willie was not a loud voice. But he made everyone else better – both in attitude and spirit. He built the team with his presence and personality.”

It is this unique role that has led many to ask: why did Chelsea choose a former rugby player and not a professional sports psychologist?

The answer lies in the clear distinction between psychotherapy and willpower training.

Why choose rugby player?

A psychologist often intervenes when a player suffers from mental disorders such as anxiety or depression, using clinical treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or diagnosing mental illness.

Meanwhile, someone like Isa plays a more hands-on role: inspiring, building positive thinking habits, teaching how to overcome failure, and nurturing a healthy competitive spirit. All of this doesn’t require a medical degree, but rather real-world experience and the ability to connect with players.

Especially with rugby, this is a sport that values strength, fighting spirit, and is somewhat similar to football in terms of team structure. This is not a trend unique to Chelsea. Around the world , many clubs have applied a similar model.

Bodø/Glimt - the small Norwegian club that shocked the world by reaching the Europa League semi-finals - hired a former air force pilot to lead the team mentally, helping them create a cohesive collective identity and extraordinary resistance to pressure.

Man United under Ralf Rangnick also invited Sascha Lense, a former athlete who studied sports psychology, to work directly with the first team.

Professor Geir Jordet, a world-famous penalty psychology expert, said: “When a team fails not because of technical factors, the problem is most likely psychological and organizational factors.

Isa has the familiar muscular build of a rugby player - Photo: REUTERS

People like Isa can have a profound impact on how a team deals with defeat, maintains focus and boosts morale."

In an analysis published in the journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise , a team from the University of Copenhagen demonstrated that non-medical interventions such as mental training can improve performance by 15-20%, especially in young players.

Another meta-analysis of 30 studies in PLOS One found that techniques such as imagery, quiet eye, and mindfulness all had moderate to high effects on performance.

Isa's role at Chelsea remains unclear, with barely any pictures of him at Stamford Bridge or the Cobham training ground.

But the truth is that Chelsea have been on the rise since Isa arrived. Last season, the London team fell into a serious crisis from December to February. And since Isa arrived, Chelsea players have gradually shown a completely different side.

HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cai-ten-bi-an-dang-sau-su-hoi-sinh-cua-chelsea-20250715204312683.htm