Chelsea, which won the Premier League title in May, will open its preseason on Wednesday night with a friendly against the Red Bulls in Harrison, N.J. Blues defender Gary Cahill, who joined Chelsea in 2012 and won the Champions League in his first season, answered questions last week about European soccer’s ever-shrinking summer break, his former teammates Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, and the pressure (and pleasure) of playing for Manager Jose Mourinho. This interview has been edited and condensed.
Q. It’s only been a matter of weeks since Chelsea’s final game of last season.