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According to his PR firm, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, hero of the penalty shootout that won the club their first ever European Cup, has been rewarded for a fine finish to the season with a new contract set to run through the 2015/16 season:
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has signed a new four-year contract which will see him at the club until 2016.
— Sports PR Company (@SportsPRCompany) May 28, 2012
This is great news, and it's amazing to consider just how far we've come since March, when it was rumoured that Cech would be part of a summer exodus from Chelsea as part of a complete makeover of the squad. I'm very glad that Cech's staying - he certainly deserves it after when he did to help us win both the FA Cup and Champions League this season.
The big question, of course, is what this means for Thibaut Courtois. Long story short, not a whole lot. Courtois will remain on loan and if he turns into one of the best in the business he'll be able to push Cech out, contract or no. This has some implications for financial fair play as well, because Cech's previous deal was signed before the 2010 deadline and therefore didn't count, but it's not a huge concern as long as his wages haven't risen to the totally crazy level.
Yay Petr!