Could Cudicini's tenure at Chelsea be coming to an end?
When Carlo Cudicini takes his regular place on the substitutes' bench at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow when Chelsea take on Manchester United in the Champions League final in three weeks, it could very well be the last time that he does so in the Chelsea blue, as he could be one of the players that leaves Stamford Bridge in the summer.
Cudicini has been at Chelsea since 1999, since he arrived from Italian lower-league side Castel di Sangro, and had a great run as one of Chelsea's key players and one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League.
However, Petr Cech's arrival in 2004 saw the Italian pushed out of his starting place, and for the last few seasons, he's seen the action mostly from the bench, in which time Chelsea has captured two league titles (and could pip United to the post for a third in four seasons), and established themselves as one of the elite sides in Europe.
But, despite having lost his place as the #1, Cudicini is still one of the most important members of the squad, especially because of Petr Cech's recent injury problems.
And if you think time on the bench has made him rusty, it certainly hasn't.
This season, Cudicini has started 18 times, and has ten clean sheets in those appearances, and in his starts, Chelsea has a record of 14 wins, two draws, and two defeats.
There've been a few days he'd like to have back, like the 4-4 draw at Tottenham, where he saw three go past him in the final half hour to erase 3-1 and 4-3 leads for Chelsea, and the 1-0 FA Cup shocker against Barnsley. However, for the most part, Chelsea haven't skipped much of a beat with him in the lineup.
That's one reason why it'd be of great value if Chelsea held on to him, considering that Cech's fitness status is anything but a sure thing these days. At 34, he's still got plenty to offer to his current team or a new team if he makes a move in the summer, and could definitely assume a regular starting position again.
Could Cudicini potentially be a target for AC Milan, where he started his career, and where his father Fabio starred in the late 60s and early 70s? The Rossoneri could be in the market for a goalkeeper in the summer, and a chance to finish his career where he started it could be tempting.
But, at this point, if he does make a move back to Italy, his destination could be to Milan's Serie A rivals Juventus, who were in London last week to discuss a potential move back to Turin, where he would provide an experienced backup to Gianluigi Buffon.
The big question is this: Will he leave Chelsea? He hasn't yet, and as mentioned above, he's still of great value to the Blues.
But, his contract runs out next year, and Chelsea may prefer to get something for him, rather than to lose him for nothing in 2009. Not that they really need the extra money that they'd get for him, but it may well be their line of thinking. Or they could be willing to reward their loyal soldier for his service by letting him pursue a starting place elsewhere or a return to his home country rather than keeping him there to play second fiddle to Cech.
Then again, it wouldn't be a surprise for him to extend his contract and see his career out at Chelsea, where he may be most content, and not just due to the salary that he still brings in. And that, in this day and age, is something to be admired, even if it does cost him a regular starting place, and that long-elusive cap for Italy.
Eddie Griffin is a passionate soccer fan, freelance writer and regularly contributes at Soccerlens.com.
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Eddie Griffin
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