Zecira Musovic exclusive: Chelsea star on her UWCL dream, world-class Lauren James and 'trying something new' after Emma Hayes exit

Since arriving in the capital back in 2021, Musovic has helped herself to every major honour available to her apart from the Champions League. And she confirmed that there was a feeling within the squad that that needs to change this season.

“That’s something we all want to tick off. We haven’t won the Champions League with Chelsea, so that’s something we really want to do. That’s a massive medal we want to have,” Musovic said, speaking to support UEFA’s Rivalhood content series, part of the Queens of Football campaign for the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

“Individually, that’s one of my biggest goals, to win the Champions League. I really think we have the potential in the group. We’ve been building something really exciting for a few years now. Both the starting XI and the ones who are not starting the game are such talented players. I think we have all the right in the world to go for first place.”

Chelsea have come close before, of course, reaching the final in 2021. But the last hurdle proved insurmountable, with Lluis Cortes’ all-conquering Barcelona side romping to a 4-0 victory.

Musovic was on the bench that day and the fact the final was played in her native Sweden - albeit without fans presents in Gothenburg - was scant consolation for her disappointment.

The 27-year-old has made plenty of better memories in the competition over the years, though. She looks back particularly fondly on her time as a youngster with Rosengard, playing alongside legendary figures Marta, Anita Asante and Ali Riley.

“One standout game for me was when Rosengard played Wolfsburg [in 2015],” she recalls. “It was one of my first games in the Champions League. That was a big one. I got to show that I was a young, talented goalkeeper who wanted to be the best. But I’ve played quite a few games in the Champions League with Rosengard and Chelsea now. Some really good memories. It’s a tournament I always look forward to.”

The unique atmosphere of European fixtures is also something Musovic appreciates. Attendances are skyrocketing across the continent, with the 11,000 Chelsea attracted at Stamford Bridge against Madrid representing their highest attendance for a Champions League group game by some margin.

Last season, just shy of 30,000 rocked up for a semi-final meeting with Barcelona, while even more watched Arsenal take on Wolfsburg in the other last-four tie at the Emirates. However, although most of the chatter around atmosphere focuses on attendances, Musovic knows that is not the only thing that makes Champions League nights memorable.

In last season’s group stages, a few hundred Vllaznia supporters packed in behind her goal at Kingsmeadow, lighting up the southwest London sky with flares and smoke bombs. At one point, pyrotechnics were even thrown on the pitch, just metres away from her.

“I could definitely feel the heat from the flares! I was standing on that side of the pitch as well! I just heard and saw the things coming flying in. That was one of the first times I actually felt like: ‘okay, this is definitely something more than just fans screaming’. Maybe that’s not allowed. But I think the atmosphere being created by different cultures and different fans is so cool," she beamed.

"The more we play around Europe, the more of the cultural differences we can see. That’s the cool part of football: you play against lots of different teams, different players, different fans. I think I have a picture of all those things, the smoke, different colours! It’s actually a cool picture.”

Chelsea won that game 8-0, with Sam Kerr netting four times and celebrating with her trademark backflip. It’s a beautiful sight watching the Australian in full flow, but depressingly it’s one that we will be deprived of for sometime. The legendary striker ruptured her ACL on a warm-weather training camp earlier this month - a blow that Musovic admits has rocked the Chelsea squad to its core.

“It was just so tough. I was the one standing closest to her. Straight away I knew it wasn’t good. I got so emotional. It’s always so tough when it happens to any player, but especially when it happens to someone in your team, and especially someone like Sam Kerr who we value so highly. Not only as a footballer, but she’s also a top, top person," she said.

"Adding to that, a world-class player who has a massive impact on us as a team. So losing her this season has sucked really. It came as a shock and it’s something that’s made us so sad. But we’re with her all of the way. We’ll be supporting her as a person and a player, and I’m sure she’ll come out of this stronger, even if it hurts at the moment.”

With Kerr out of action, and her de-facto replacement Mayra Ramirez only arriving last week, Chelsea have needed players to step up. Lauren James has been doing exactly that. The England star has scored five times in the four games since the Australian’s untimely injury, putting her on a career-best seasonal goal tally of 12.

Her influence extends far beyond putting the ball in the net, too. Impossible to dispossess at times and blessed with an almost mystic ability to spot her team-mates' runs, Musovic has not been at all surprised to see her take her game to the next level this season.

"Her highest level is the highest in the world," she insisted. "The talent she has at such a young age is extremely good. The way she moves with the ball… when she’s performing at her highest, no one can come near her for sure.

"I think she will keep adding things to that puzzle that you need to be the best in the long term. She’s still young, still has pieces to add, like all of us. But she’s unbelievable, already one of the best for sure. Just different. You don’t see many like her. I played with Ramona Bachmann at Rosengard and they’re similar. Just floating with the ball and no one can catch them. Those types of players, you can’t see too much of them."

Chelsea’s ability to keep calm and carry on in spite of the loss of Kerr, as well as the continued absence of captain Millie Bright, is testament to the winning machine that Emma Hayes has created and ruthlessly maintained since taking over at the club back in 2012.

But, with Hayes agreeing to take over the United States women's national team at the end of the season, we could be entering the final chapter of Chelsea’s domestic dominance. The boss’ departure also means that there is more focus than ever on the Blues adding that elusive Champions League winners’ medal to their overflowing trophy cabinet. Like the rest of the Chelsea squad, Musovic was informed of Hayes’ intention to leave immediately after the team’s emphatic 6-0 victory over Aston Villa.

After processing the initial "shock", Musovic has begun to see the exit in as positive a light as possible. “It’s a loss for the club, but at the same time, that’s what the reality is. You can’t get comfortable with someone and used to someone, because maybe the next day they are out,” she explains.

“That counts for staff members, but also players around you. I don’t know how many close friends I’ve made in football and then the next month they’re not there. Yes, it’s a loss. She’s been in the club a long time, she’s built something really, really cool, and that’s something we can keep building on.

"But at the same time, it's an opportunity to build something even bigger and try something new. You have to see it with positive eyes. I am that kind of person. I always look at those things from a positive perspective: how we can learn, how we can grow. And I think that’s another one of them."

As Chelsea enter a brave new era, this is a healthy mindset to adopt. But before that, Musovic and her team-mates will be hoping to see Hayes off with a bang by securing that much longed for final piece of the puzzle: a Champions League trophy.

Watch Episode Two of Rivalhood featuring Chelsea’s Zećira Mušović and Bayern Munich’s Magdalena Eriksson here.