Nicolas Jackson is eager to reconnect with his former Chelsea teammates as Bayern Munich prepares to host the Blues next Wednesday for their inaugural UEFA Champions League match.
Jackson left Stamford Bridge on a season-long loan during the summer transfer period and has reached out to his old teammates in advance of the Bayern clash.
Following the news of Liam Delap’s injury, the Senegal international made the move to Bayern Munich after Chelsea acquired both Joao Pedro and Delap.
This season, Jackson will be part of the Bundesliga side, and Bayern will be required to finalize the deal if Jackson starts in 40 matches this term.
However, there is no need for the Senegalese forward to wait until next summer to see his former teammates; Chelsea faces Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the Champions League opener.
The Blues attempted to halt Jackson’s transfer to Bayern following Delap’s hamstring injury sustained against Fulham, yet he ultimately completed a loan move to the Bundesliga club with a future obligation to buy for £70 million.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano via his X account, Jackson shared his anticipation for facing his old team in the Champions League, expressing his desire for the Bundesliga side to emerge victorious. The post states:
Nico Jackson on facing Chelsea
next week: I’m very happy to see my friends and teammates from Chelsea. Hopefully, we have a good game and we win.
Vincent Kompany’s squad will face the Blues in their first Champions League game since returning to the competition, a tournament that Jackson contributed to last season. However, there are concerns regarding his eligibility to play against his parent club.
Nonetheless, Jackson is permitted to participate against Chelsea for Bayern, as outlined by UEFA’s regulations on competition integrity, which prohibit clubs from including clauses that bar players from competing against them in European matches.
The regulations clearly state that no club can engage in the management, administration, or sporting functions of any other club involved in a UEFA competition, nor have any influence over another club’s activities in such tournaments.
Thus, Nicolas Jackson could potentially join the ranks of players who have scored against their parent clubs in past Champions League tournaments. Notable instances include Philippe Coutinho, who scored against Barcelona while playing for Bayern in 2020, and Kingsley Coman’s goal against Juventus in 2016 for the German side.
