N’Golo Kante predicted Chelsea would win the Champions League last season before he had even kicked a ball.
Kante told some of his Chelsea teammates that they would win last year’s Champions League before they had even played a minute in the competition, according to Edouard Mendy
Chelsea went unbeaten throughout the group stages of the tournament, after gaining 14 points from home and away matches against Sevilla, Krasnodar and Rennes.
The Blues then triumphed in two-legged knockout games against Atletico Madrid, Porto and Real Madrid to reach the final, where they played Manchester City.
A first half goal from Germany international Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win against their Premier League rivals and in turn gave the Blues their first Champions League title since 2012.
Edouard Mendy has now revealed that Kante, who was named the man of the match in both legs of the semi-final against Real Madrid and again the final against City, had predicted the Blues to win the tournament before their opening group stage clash with Sevilla.
"I have the best anecdote of the season. We were travelling with N’Golo, Kurt [Zouma] and Olivier [Giroud]," Mendy told beIN Sports France. "N’Golo confidently said: ‘Guys I think this year we will win the Champions League. Yes, I don’t know, I have a feeling.
"The first day. I told him to wait and see how the game [vs Sevilla] went tonight. That night we played Sevilla and honestly, it was the most difficult game we had in the group stage.
"They came to our pitch and they pushed us like crazy, they had the ball 70 percent of the time. ’N’Golo, I think he ran 13km.
Despite the tepid result, Kante stuck by his prediction as Mendy approached him after the full-time whistle.
"At the end of the game, I asked him again and he said: ‘I think we’ll wait a little bit before we say that'."
Kante has struggled with injuries this season and he has only made six starts in 14 Premier League games. Mendy, meanwhile, has been ever-present between the posts and has started all but one of Chelsea’s top-flight and Champions League fixtures.
The Blues have already secured progression to the last 16 ahead of their trip to Zenit St Petersburg next Wednesday.
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