I would like to wish new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri well as he embarks upon his career in England.
His teams play excellent football as we saw last season when we faced Napoli in the Champions League. I think there are similarities between how he and I see the game, common ideas in our style of play.
Hopefully we can expect an entertaining game of football at Wembley – a place that holds many happy memories for me.
Our squad is coming back together slowly, although our preparations have of course been affected by the World Cup and how many of our team we had over in Russia.
We were proud to have 16 players at the tournament and delighted with their level – and now of course we have a World Cup winner at the club in Benjamin Mendy!
I have lived this situation before at Barcelona and Bayern, with members of the squad only having a short time to prepare after their break. I’m always speaking with the players, there is no stress, and the best approach is just to adapt as required.
This Community Shield match is the perfect platform for us to continue our progress from last year and the tour.
Last season was amazing – there were so many highlights. Of course, our job is to win, and the Premier League title is so special for us. But of course, playing like we did last season sets the bar higher for everyone this time around.
Everyone will be desperate to take the crown and we must maintain maximum focus to ensure more success. Retaining trophies is so complicated, but I have complete confidence in my squad.
Now it’s time to go back to basics. We must play with humility, belief and courage, then the quality will come.
Club ambassadors Tore André Flo of Chelsea and Mike Summerbee of Manchester City will join FA Chairman Greg Clarke and McDonald’s chief executive officer Paul Pomroy in the official presentation party, carrying the Emirates FA Cup and Premier League trophy onto the pitch before greeting both teams ahead of kick-off. McDonald’s Young Volunteer of the Year Nahimul Islam will carry the FA Community Shield.
At full time, personnel from the British Armed Forces will carry the FA Community Shield and medals to the Royal Box before they are presented to the teams and match officials. The Shield will be handed to the captain by the winning club’s ambassador.