Former Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair believes Benoît Badiashile’s resurgence is a positive challenge for fellow centre-back Levi Colwill as the Blues prepare for the new season.
Badiashile, who is of Congolese descent, delivered a strong performance in Chelsea’s Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, stepping into the side in place of Colwill.
The 24-year-old has endured an inconsistent spell since arriving from AS Monaco in 2023, struggling with form and fitness, but was praised for his composure and passing range on a high-stakes night in Athens.
Sinclair, reflecting on the final in an interview with Tribalfootball.com, acknowledged Badiashile’s impact: “I did fear for, I think it was (Benoît) Badiashile who took his place in the team, who has not had a lot of football recently and has been known to have the odd mistakes in his game.
“In such a big game, I did fear, but I thought he was fantastic on the day, especially with his distribution, the balls that he was punching into midfield areas for players to receive, I thought was excellent.”
Sinclair added that Badiashile’s natural left-footedness offered Chelsea balance in defence, a trait usually provided by Colwill.
“And he obviously gave that natural left-sided balance that Colwill normally gives anyway. So it was a brilliant bit of selection by the Chelsea head coach (Enzo Maresca).”
Colwill, a product of Chelsea’s Cobham academy, has had a breakthrough year, establishing himself at senior level and earning England recognition.
But with Badiashile now staking a renewed claim, competition at left centre-back is expected to intensify under Maresca’s new regime.
Sinclair sees that rivalry as a healthy dynamic for the club, one that can push both players to elevate their games.
