We can’t Cech out - Petr: It is vital Chelsea make top four

EYES ON THE PRIZE ... Petr Cech wants top-four finish

PETR CECH says Chelsea will have 'lost a year' if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League.

The Blues have two chances of making it — either by finishing in the top four of the Premier League or by winning Europe's biggest prize this season.

After Saturday's goalless draw at home to Spurs, they remain five points behind the North Londoners in the race for fourth place with only eight games left.

Newcastle also drew level with the Blues after their win at West Brom yesterday.

Chelsea are confident of getting through their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica — with the first leg in Lisbon tomorrow night.

But they are then likely to face holders — and hot favourites — Barcelona in the last four.

And asked what missing out on competing in the Champions League would mean to Chelsea, Cech replied: "It is a year lost in the progression of the club.

"You always have years when you go through transition and the team needs to be rebuilt.

"Or you have changes in terms of managers and players.

"For a big club, you can accept that the team does not win the league because it is in transition.

"But you can't afford to slip out of the Champions League because that is what the big teams are about.

"The importance of it is clear, it is much better than the Europa League.

"We want to make sure that we will be there next season, somehow.

"But we have put ourselves in a position in the Premier League where it is not in our hands."

Liverpool proved how difficult it is to win a seat back at Europe's top table once you slip out of the reckoning. Cech, 29, said: "Liverpool had so many problems within the club, not really on the pitch, so that is why they lost some time. But this club has the structure.

"I do believe that one season will make a difference, because it will slow down all the process of being a Champions League club and hunting for trophies.

"But it will not be the end of Chelsea because I believe that we will come back."

Roberto Di Matteo's side have the heaviest fixture list of any English team with their European matches and an FA Cup semi-final coming on top of the Premier League games.

Cech added: "If we manage to get through to the semi-final of the Champions League, we will have a crazy calendar with a lot of games.

"With the FA Cup as well, it's good in a way because it means that you are in the hunt for trophies.

"But in terms of the Premier League, we have put ourselves in a difficult position.

"But there are 24 points still left and that is a lot of points to play for. In that period you could overcome a five-point deficit.

"You need to make sure that you win all your games or the majority of them and the other teams slip up.

"Spurs was an opportunity missed for us. It was a head-to-head game and a chance to close the gap and we didn't do that."

Striker Didier Drogba feels Chelsea have only themselves to blame for their predicament in the Premier League.

He said: "If Spurs and Arsenal are above us, in these positions, it's because they deserve it.

"We haven't done anything to be above them, let's be honest. But there are still enough games to change this."

Right now, Drogba has his sights firmly fixed on Benfica.

And he still feels inspired by the way the Blues overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit to beat Napoli with that stirring second-leg performance.

The 4-1 win, after extra-time, means Blues fans can dream of another stunning semi-final clash with Barcelona.

Drogba said: "Football! Football and Chelsea — that's what it was.

"There are teams who you know can do it, whatever the challenge — even if they lost by five or six away.

"There are a few teams that you know can do it in those situations and Chelsea is one of them.

"With the players we have and the mentality we have here to fight — and fight until the last minute — we can do anything.

"I believe that's why we've had these moments in so many seasons, because we all believe we can do it and when we do something, we do it as a team, as a group.

"We have started to believe a bit more in ourselves and there is a little bit more confidence now.

"The only thing that can change a dressing room is winning games and going on a good run of results.

"Even if you have the best atmosphere in the dressing room to begin with, when you lose games everyone will be down. That's just human.

"However, when you win games, everything is better.

"Now we want to win again and give ourselves confidence for the coming weeks."

Centre-back Gary Cahill joined in January for £7million from Bolton.

And having tasted the Champions League for the first time, he is desperate to qualify again next term.

Cahill said: "Obviously, we've got to win the majority of the games we've got left and we've got some tough games coming up. But that's our target."