I'm above Sir Alex Ferguson's mind games says Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti

Source: By John Cross 25/07/2009 (Mirror.Co.Uk)



Carlo Ancelotti last night warned Sir Alex Ferguson he will not get caught up in his mind games.

And Chelsea boss Ancelotti told his Manchester United rival: "Little things worry little minds."

United boss Ferguson has used mind games to great effect to wind up Rafa Benitez, Arsene Wenger and Kevin Keegan in the past.

But Ancelotti says he has already made friends with Ferguson and will be able to handle himself - setting his sights on winning the Premier League and Champions League Double in his first season.

Former AC Milan boss Ancelotti said: "Little things worry little minds. I don't care about that.

"It's not something that bothers me. What I worry about is getting the team ready, preparing the team to beat my opponents, to win against Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal.

"That is my objective. In the Champions League semi-final (Milan won in 2007), I got on well with Alex Ferguson.

"We drank some very nice red wine together after the match, it was a surprise for me because usually in Italy the coach of my opponents is usually angry if they've lost.

"But with Alex, it was a good moment and he happily drank some wine with me after the game."

Ancelotti believes he can lead Chelsea to glory in his first season in charge and added: "I want to win the Premier League or the Champions League - or maybe even both. It won't be easy but we will try to do it."

Away from the pitch Ancelotti is every inch the proud Italian, but admitted he is already learning to love English cooking, like fried breakfasts.

He said: "I like the cinema. My favourite films are the Godfather series, one, two and three but I like the first film the best.

"I also like Once Upon A Time In America. I haven't seen the Sopranos. I like The Deer Hunter. My favourite actor is Robert De Niro. I haven't met him - but maybe he will come to Chelsea one day!

"I like England. I have no problem with English food. English food is roast beef and you have very, very, very good breakfasts.

"In Italy it is only coffee and brioche. I even had Yorkshire pudding the other day and I thought it was really good. I can eat it but the players can't! Their diet is more controlled than mine."

Ancelotti took David Beckham out for dinner to his favourite restaurant in Parma by way of a thank you after the England captain spent the end of last season on loan at AC Milan. Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole et al can all expect a dinner invitation, too, as Ancelotti made it clear that he wants to be close and on first-name terms with his players.

It is impossible to imagine Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson allowing their players to call them by their first name.

But it will be a different, more relaxed attitude at Chelsea.

Ancelotti said: "Usually I like to be called boss but some players like to call me Carlo. In Italy, they usually called me Mister. It's not a problem.

"But discipline is another thing. I have my rules and I will enforce them. But I want to respect the players and I want to earn respect from them. So if they want to call me Carlo, that's no problem."

Ancelotti studied English for six months - he claims just to learn another language - before taking over at Chelsea and, when he struggles, his assistant Bruno de Michelis prompts him in perfect English.

Former Italy international Ancelotti, 50, won the European Cup twice as player and coach with AC Milan where he worked for eight years under Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Ancelotti smiles when asked about the comparisons between Berlusconi and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, as both men like a hands-on approach.

Berlusconi famously wrote an open letter to Ancelotti in Italian newspaper La Gazetta Dello Sport urging him to be more attacking and told him to play with two strikers.

Ancelotti added: "For the coach, the most important thing is to have the support of the owner. Nothing else matters. Berlusconi supported me for eight years and now Roman is supporting me as I do my work.

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"Berlusconi never said to me to pick one player or another. There's different ways of interpreting that letter because he saw Kaka as an offensive midfielder and I saw him as a striker.

"Roman is looking for a much clearer personality for the club, something he can point to and say: 'this is our identity.' This is what I was told should be my goal, to find a clear identity for the team.

"In this team, there are top players. I like their quality, I like their mental attitude. Above all, I like the English players. Terry, Lampard, Ashley Cole (left). I also like Didier, Petr, they all have a very good mentality.

"If you have these English players, it's much easier to build an identity for the club because of their fantastic mental attitude.

"I want to do my work with all my strength and this is my objective. I also want to build up the club over a long time because the club has very solid foundations.

"They have very good players, very good facilities and the staff are all very professional. There's the possibility to build and to stay here for many years.

"Milan has a history and a big tradition. Chelsea is a new club. I would like to create a new history and tradition for the club.''

Kerber and Black are on holiday

THE MANAGERS THAT FERGIE'S GOT TO ..

ARSENE WENGER

The Arsenal boss has kissed and made up with Fergie, but the pair have often clashed in the past.

Things turned sour during Pizzagate, when the United boss was hit by food thrown by an Arsenal player. The incident followed United's 2-0 victory and the Gunners boss said: "I will never answer any questions any more about this man."

RAFA BENITEZ

After a spell in his sick bed last season, Benitez clearly had enough of listening to Fergie's complaints about the fixture list.

And in his now infamous rant Rafa said: "One solution is Mr Ferguson organises the fixtures in his office and sends it to us and everyone will know and cannot complain. That is simple."

KEVIN KEEGAN

The then-Newcastle boss clearly lost the plot in a classic post-match rant as the Magpies title hopes slowly slipped away.

As Fergie's United overcame Newcastle's 10point lead at the top to close in on the Premier League title, the pressure finally told on Keegan and he unloaded his legendary "I'd love it, just love it if we beat them" outburst.

My heart's telling me JT will stay

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes John Terry will pledge his future to the club within the next 48 hours.

The Italian is convinced skipper Terry will snub Manchester City's £240,000- a-week offer and sign a new deal at Stamford Bridge.

Ancelotti said: "Terry is a symbol for what he does on the pitch and what he does when we're all together. He is a leader, he leads by example.

"It's better to not only have one leader but others who have the same objectives and professionalism. But it's great to have such a captain as Terry. I feel it in my heart that he is staying."

Chelsea tops AC Milan, 2-1

Source: Kevin Van Valkenburg (THEBALTIMORESUN.COM)

It's probably accurate to say that the final score of Friday's World Football Challenge match between Chelsea Football Club and AC Milan at M&T Bank Stadium wasn't particularly important. At least not nearly as important as the selling of "the beautiful game" to American fans, both those in attendance and those watching on television.

Officially, Chelsea walked away a 2-1 winner in the exhibition, primarily thanks to a well-struck blast by striker newcomer Yuri Zhirkov in the 69th minute. Zhirkov, the Player of the Year in Russia's Premier League in 2008, was making his debut for the club after signing a three year, $29 million contract this month.

But the sellout crowd of 71,203 just as likely walked away dazzled by a number of balletic plays by Milan striker Ronaldinho or the acrobatic play in the net by Chelsea goalie Petr Cech. On a night when organizers fretted about the weather, the traffic and the prospect of a scoreless tie, Chelsea and Milan delivered a spirited and at times intense contest that featured several flashes of the kind of play-making that has made soccer the most popular sport in the world.

It was not perfect. Not by any means. But if watching Ronaldinho execute a bicycle kick that just misses or seeing him bend a free kick that deflects off the crossbar doesn't get you hooked on soccer, probably nothing will. So in that sense, the event was a success.

"We have many thanks for all the fans in the USA because the atmosphere was beautiful," Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti said. "Both teams played well, and it was a good match."

Said Milan coach Leonardo: "I think it was very exciting for the future of America and for soccer. It was very good for us to be here, and I think football here is very, very important. People play soccer and want to know about soccer here in America. To see them follow us is very good."

Fans didn't have to wait long to see why the teams are regarded as two of the best in the world.

In the seventh minute, Chelsea forward Didier Drogba gathered a pass from captain John Terry, and with a motion a fluid as a hammer striking a nail, he drilled a shot in the far corner of the goal -- the upper 90 -- past the outstretched arms of Milan keeper Zeljko Kalac for a 1-0 lead.

Drogba, who was nearly 35 yards from the net when he launched his right-footed blast, ran to midfield and was engulfed by his teammates as the crowd roared in appreciation.

Moments later, it was Ronaldinho's turn to dazzle the spectators. Although once regarded as perhaps the world's best player, famous for his golden shoes, pony tail and entertaining Nike television commercials, Ronaldinho, 29, suffered through something of a disappointing season last year with Milan. That led to questions about the Brazilian superstar's age and his commitment to the game.

But against Chelsea, he looked like the player of old. Although Ronaldinho didn't find the net during the match, he delivered flair and excitement nearly ever time he touched the ball, including the most exciting near-miss of the game. Cech had just stopped a hard shot from Milan forward Andrea Pirlo when Ronaldinho hammered a bicycle kick back at him. The ball struck the back of teammate Marco Boriello's left shoulder, though, and Chelsea was able to clear.

In the 38th minute, Ronaldinho did help get his team on the board, leaving a beautiful touch pass for his teammate Clarence Seedorf in front of the box, and Seedorf ripped a shot that sneaked just under the crossbar to tie the score at 1.

It was an beautiful example of Ronaldinho's soft touch in traffic. He left Seedorf with just enough space to gather himself and boot the ball without breaking stride. Ronaldinho didn't stop to speak with reporters after the game, but it was clear he was pleased with his play. Fans of both Milan and Chelsea rose to their feet to offer appreciation when he was removed from the game in the 79th minute.

"I'm really happy for our performance because we stayed in the match for 90 minutes," Leonardo said. "We created a lot of situations, a lot of chances on goal. I'm real happy, not with the score, because we lost, but with our performance."

Chelsea's attack, however, was a bit too much for Milan in the end. Zhirkov's goal came on a deflected shot after Chelsea forward Andriy Shevchenko made a nice spin move to get open on the right side of Milan's defense, forcing Kalac to make a dramatic save. The ball ping-ponged around in front of the net until Zhirkov one-timed a low line drive that Kalac couldn't reach.

"He is a very good player," Ancelotti said. "It was not surprising [to see him score so quickly]."

Shevchenko's handful of nice plays were a bit of a surprise considering he didn't start, didn't enter the game until the 64th minute and is rumored to be on his way out of West London. The Ukrainian was once regarded as one of the world's best strikers, and he is still the fourth-highest scorer in the history of European club soccer. When he played for Milan from 1999 to 2006, he was highly coveted by Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire who bought Chelsea FC in 2003 and vowed to spare no expense to make it the best club in the world.

But Shevchenko's time with Chelsea has been a massive disappointment, to the point where the club lent him to Milan for most of last season. Zhirkov was signed in part to replace the firepower Shevchenko failed to provide.

Milan defender Oguchi Onyewu, who grew up in Silver Spring and attended Sherwood High in Olney, didn't start in front of his family and friends. But he did enter the match in the 67th minute and nearly tied it during injury time with a header on a corner kick. His attempt sailed just wide of the goal, but it earned him a noticeable roar from the crowd and some post-match kudos from his coach. He's a sign that American soccer is gaining credibility with the rest of the world.

"I think that football is more and more international," Leonardo said when asked about Onyewu. "If he's a good player, like 'Gooch' showed today, with a good style, it would be very good to have him. [Onyewu] is a very nice guy, a smart guy. If we find a guy like him, we try to sign him."

Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti plans to bring John Obi Mikel out of shadows and into the limelight

Source: By Sportsmail Reporter
Last updated at 12:27 PM on 24th July 2009 (DailyMail.Co.UK)

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has been singing the praises of Blues midfielder John Obi Mikel as he attempts to transform the youngster from a promising prospect into the finished article.
The Nigerian international joined the club three years ago for £16m from Lyn Oslo but at times has shown only glimpses of his true potential.
But his new Italian manager clearly feels Mikel could have a huge say in whether or not his reign at Stamford Bridge is a success or a flop.


He says Mikel has great technical and creative ability, and is capable of becoming the playmaker of the team. In fact, upon closer inspection, many comparisons can be made between the two stars.

The Italian knows what it’s like to be overshadowed in a team full of high-profile players. As a combative midfielder, he was often overlooked when it came to handing out the plaudits during his playing career at AC Milan, where he won two European Cups.
While Ancelotti had Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten hogging the headlines, for Mikel it is Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.

The 49-year-old clearly sees something of himself in Mikel, but more significantly for Chelsea, he also sees an unappreciated talent who could lead the club to glory.
The Italian said: 'I have a lot of trust in Mikel, I think he can be the playmaker of this team. He is a young player, but has great quality, both technical and tactical.
'For the present and for the future he is a very important player for us. We are very happy he has signed a new contract and I hope that he stays at Chelsea for a lot of years.

'I would like that he puts in his great quality for the team.'

Such praise can only be good for a player’s confidence and for Mikel, it has made him aspire to become more of a dominant force in the Premier League and in Europe.

And as far as he is concerned, he couldn’t wish for a better coach to help him achieve his goals.
Mikel said: 'He was a great player himself and it is a great honour that he sees something in me.
'He says I am a player with great qualities, but thinks I can be even better. It is going to take a bit of time, but I am going to work very close with him to make it happen.
'He likes the fact I am strong and can play with the ball, but says that I still need to add more things to my game — if I do that then he thinks I’m going to be fantastic.

'Hopefully things are going to go well and he will bring out the best in me.

'I have worked with him for two weeks and we are trying to get to know the formation he wants to play.
'Before the season starts we are all going to be mentally focused and we’re going to get the system right. The team wants to win titles and this is why he is here.'
For Mikel, there could be no better role model and he is already full of respect, as well as some envy, for his new boss.
So far he has picked up two FA Cup winners’ medals and one in the League Cup for all his efforts, but it is the kind of success Ancelotti has tasted in the Champions league which he craves.
He said: 'The manager has won it twice as a player and as a manager and I really envy him for that.

'We have come close so many times and I think that is why the club have brought him here, to take us to that final step.
'I haven’t talked to him yet about what it’s like to win the Champions League, but I hope he will have a big impact on my career.
'The way he has come in and the ideas he has as to how to set the team up, I think we can win everything.'
Ancelotti’s first task though is to continue Chelsea’s winning momentum on their preseason tour and tonight they face his former club AC Milan in Baltimore where new million signing Yuri Zhirkov could make his Chelsea debut.

Chelsea's Deco looks for new lease of life under Carlo Ancelotti

By Jason Burt in Baltimore (Telegraph.Co.Uk)

On Chelsea’s pre-season tour last summer – as they travelled around Asia – it appeared that Deco was to be the man to provide the art that the team lacked. He was to be their pass master. Adding the missing brushstrokes; that extra colour.

Deco seemed rejuvenated, after being left jaded and disillusioned as he was pushed out by Barcelona, and also relieved to be managed by Luiz Felipe Scolari, the coach who had promoted him into the Portuguese national team. At £8 million it was hoped that Chelsea had gained a creative bargain to add an extra dimension.

It didn’t work. The early season promise faded, badly, while injuries also took their toll. Deco was marginalised and wanted out of the club when the campaign ended. It appeared that another of his former managers, Jose Mourinho, who had helped Deco make his name at Porto, where the pair had won the European Cup, would offer him an escape route. But a deal for him, and fellow Portuguese international Ricardo Carvalho, has stalled. The latter has been told he has to now stay at Chelsea and the former says, however reluctantly, he wants to do so also.

I’ll be here. I have a contract,” Deco said on what he hoped would happen before the season starts. “I talked with the manager [Carlo Ancelotti] of course when he arrived. We talked a lot about things, about the game, about what he was thinking about the team, the tactics. Like I said, I will be here and I will do my best.

“The important thing is for me to start well and keep at the same level and play well all season, not just at the beginning like last season. And don’t have the injuries. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Last season – he declares it the worse of his career – was, indeed, marred by injury for the midfielder, who is 32 next month, and who has had a history of problems in recent campaigns.

“The last season was difficult for me. I had many injuries. I played a few games. I didn’t like last season. I hope this season will be different. I’m happy to play. Every player needs to play and wants to play. I hope this season I don’t have the injuries and can play the way I know.

“It wasn’t just the injuries but when you have four injuries in the same year it is difficult. You recover and get fit again and, straight after, another injury. It’s so difficult. I don’t like to make excuses but I hope to work hard and start this season playing well. I hope I can show fans what I can do. I’m happy to be here. The club is good, the atmosphere around it is good. I like being here. I just need to play and be fit. To play and do my best for Chelsea.”

So far on this pre-season tour to the United States, Deco has started both games – playing in two different, specific positions which are crucial to the way that Ancelotti wants to set out his team. The Italian is hoping to use a diamond formation in midfield and against Seattle Sounders last Saturday, Deco played at its base as the holding midfielder. Against Inter in Pasadena on Tuesday, he was at its tip as the link to the two strikers.

Too much may be read into his presence in the team. It’s still possible that Deco may depart this summer, despite his publically stated intention to stay and, privately, it’s understood he’s extremely upset by the collapse of the move to Inter. The slower tempo of the Italian game would suit his style while the lifestyle in England has not been to his liking. Other clubs have also made inquiries and, if Ancelotti signs the creative player he desires, it could be that Deco, at the very least, goes out on loan.

However Deco maintains it was “the right decision” to join Chelsea and also shrugs off the disappointment that Scolari, his mentor and father figure, was sacked last February. He had a good relationship with Guus Hiddink also, he said, who had wanted him to play, but injuries held him back.

Meanwhile Didier Drogba, who is set to sign a three-year contract at Chelsea at the end of this tour, said he would “love” to now end his career at the club.

“I told you before, a year ago now, that I was going to stay and nothing has changed,” the 31-year-old striker said. “If there was speculation about me leaving it was not from me. I am happy at Chelsea so I am enjoying the games.”

However Drogba was unhappy under Scolari, when he was left out of the team. “It is football and managers have to take decisions and it doesn’t always suit everyone but I waited for my chance to be back on the team and I knew I would get a chance and I am delighted to be here,” he said.

Chelsea face Ancelotti’s former club, AC Milan, in Baltimore on Friday.

Ancelotti Instrumental In Securing John Terry's Chelsea Future - Report

Source: Arjun Miglani, Goal.com

A source close to Chelsea has revealed that Carlo Ancelotti played a major role in securing John Terry's stay at the club.

Although no official announcement has been made yet, Terry is expected to commit his future to the Blues in the near future.

According to The Sun, it was Ancelotti who was determined to keep Terry at the club. They quote a 'source close to Ancelotti' as saying, "No one asked Carlo to get involved in the Terry situation but he wanted to find out what was in the player's heart."

He then revealed that Terry had had a meeting with Ancelotti during their first training session, continuing, "That meeting was very important as it made Carlo go back to the directors and ask what the solutions were.

"At that point, though, the club did not seem willing to make the first move so Carlo decided to get more information before going any further."

According to the source, Ancelotti then asked the squad what the impact of Terry leaving would be, and having learned of the huge damage to morale it would cause, he instructed the board to make sure their captain stayed at the club

John Terry is expected to announce he will be staying at Chelsea

Source: Dominic Fifield in Pasadena guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 22 July 2009 23.00 BST

John Terry has reached an agreement in principle to remain at Chelsea despite persistent interest from Manchester City, with the England captain expected to reaffirm his commitment to the club publicly before the weekend.

Terry maintained his silence on City's interest in the wake of today's comfortable 2–0 victory over Jose Mourinho's Internazionale at the Rose Bowl, in which he was one of two players to feature for the full 90 minutes. But he departed the stadium saying he would speak "very soon" on the matter. Both Peter Kenyon, Chelsea's chief executive, and Roman Abramovich, the club's owner, are in the United States as the club's four-match tour progresses, with Terry having spoken to both over the last few days.

Chelsea have indicated a willingness to renegotiate the player's contract, aware that City – whose £30m bid was rejected out of hand this month – were prepared virtually to double his £135,000-a-week salary over a five-year deal if he swapped Stamford Bridge for Eastlands.

However, Chelsea will wait until Terry has delivered his public statement of commitment before moving to secure the defender on improved terms. His representative is not due to travel to the US, suggesting nothing will be signed before the team return after Sunday's game against Club America in Arlington, Texas.

The club's hierarchy have consistently remained confident and "relaxed" on the issue over the last few weeks, despite City's conviction that the England captain could still be prised away to join the swathe of players recruited by Mark Hughes this summer. Carlo Ancelotti insisted in the build-up to the game against Inter that he expected his captain's future to be resolved within "one week", while Terry's team-mates are confident he will stay. "He's our captain and we need him," said Didier Drogba. "We know he's going to stay with us and win more trophies."


While Chelsea are unlikely to report money-flushed City for any illegal approach for Terry, the Manchester club's interest – and the fact that the defender was clearly tempted on some level to consider a move there – should make next season's confrontations between the sides intriguing. Not that all in Chelsea's ranks are hoping they labour next term.

Ashley Cole expressed admiration for Manchester City's ambitious moves in the transfer market this summer and even joked that he hoped they ousted his former club, Arsenal, from the Champions League places.

"This year might be tough for them but, next year, you never know given the guys they are buying," said the England full-back. "The players they are bringing in are good quality. You never know – they may just gel, click, straight away and it's magic. But you won't really know until you see them play. I hope they do. I have friends there and I hope they do really well – and they finish above Arsenal."

That was delivered with tongue firmly in cheek, though Chelsea's own sights are set higher than merely a place in the top four. "Some players here might want to win the Champions League but, for me, winning the Premier League again is my main aim for the season," added Cole. "That's the best trophy to have. It's the best league to play in and that feeling you have when you win it makes you realise it's a great achievement for any club.

"It makes the players proud. It's a tough old season in the Premier League and it's only getting harder so, if you win the title, you are true champions. Sometimes, the best team doesn't always win the Champions League. It depends more on how you play on a certain day. In the league you have to play consistently well."

That remains the challenge for Ancelotti, who saw Drogba and Frank Lampard, from the penalty spot, dismiss Mourinho's Inter in Chelsea's opening game in the World Cup Challenge in front of 81,224 supporters at the Rose Bowl. The Italian is set upon giving his team the identity Abramovich thought they lacked at times last season but, despite winning Serie A only once in his eight-year reign at Milan, believes he can secure domestic silverware en route.

"I think I can win the Premier League for Chelsea," said the Chelsea manager. "I am here for this [reason]. I am here to win and to play well. But it's not only the victory that is important. I want to put entertainment into the team. Our style of play is very important. It's too early to put my stamp on this team, but I have time to do this and I think it's possible."

Chelsea and Manchester City to prise Liverpool's Xabi Alonso from Real Madrid

By Telegraph staff
Published: 10:31AM BST 22 Jul 2009


Alonso joined up with the Liverpool squad this week for their Far East tour with his future at the club still uncertain and the two Premier League clubs are set to end weeks of speculation by making an offer for the £35 million-rated midfielder, according to the Express .

Alonso met manager Rafael Benitez and the Anfield squad in Vienna after flying from Spain - where he got married last weekend - following weeks of speculation that he was about to join Real Madrid
Alonso is flattered by the interest shown by Real Madrid, even if he has little say in where he ends up playing next season.

"The fact that Real wants you is always nice, above all, taking into account where I am in my career. But I've already said, at this point, what could happen is not my decision," Alonso said. "We will have to see what happens."

Alonso, however, said he was open to playing for the Spanish club, which has already spent more than £180 million on Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema.

Roma, meanwhile, say that Liverpool are on the move for midfielder Alberto Aquilani as a replacement for Alonso.

Benitez refused to take questions on the future of Spanish midfielder Alonso this week. Alonso arrived with the squad for an exhibition match against Thailand taking later today, and Liverpool's local supporters have left him in no doubt that they want him to remain at Anfield.

During a promotional event Tuesday at a Bangkok shopping mall, more than 250 fans chanted his name and waved banners reading "Alonso Please Stay". He acknowledged the fans but made no comment about the transfer talk.

Chelsea beats Inter Milan, 2-0, at Rose Bowl

Source: By Grahame L. Jones, On Soccer
July 22, 2009

Didier Drogba as goal scorer? Sure. Happens all the time.

Drogba as peacemaker? Not so common, but it happened at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday night.

Drogba as fantasist, inventor of surprising passes and superlative moves? Sure. Apparently there isn't much the Ivory Coast international is not capable of doing on a soccer field.

Tormentor of referees? User of sometimes shocking language? Yes, also true, but there are few who would claim Chelsea's 31-year-old striker is not worth the price of admission.

On Tuesday, 81,224 showed up in Pasadena's Arroyo Seco to watch Drogba and the rest of the Blues defeat Italian champion Inter Milan, 2-0, in a first-rate international friendly.


Drogba scored the first goal, combining vision with touch to steer the ball just inside the right post from 30 or more yards a mere 10:22 into the match.

Frank Lampard grabbed the second goal, confidently stroking a penalty kick past Vid Belec, Inter's 19-year-old Slovenian goalkeeper, in the 50th minute after Inter's Ivan Cordoba had been called for handling the ball.

It seemed a harsh call by referee Ricardo Salazar because Cordoba had turned his back on the play when the ball struck him. He did not appear to intentionally handle the ball.

But back to Drogba.

There isn't a soccer fan who will not remember him from May's run-in with Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after Chelsea had been knocked out in the semifinals of the European Champions League by eventual champion Barcelona.

Scenes of Drogba's wild-eyed tirade against the referee were beamed around the world. Viewers in Britain were also treated, much to their surprise, to the colorful language he used.

Drogba was given a suspension for that meltdown and will miss some of Chelsea's early Champions League matches in the upcoming season that begins next month.

On Tuesday, however, he was keeping the peace.

About 20 minutes into the game, as both were chasing the ball, Lampard sent Inter Milan defender Nicholas Burdisso crashing head-first into the advertising boards to the right of the goal.

Burdisso was ready to take Lampard on right there and then, but Drogba intervened and the incident was over.

Quicker to the ball, smoother in its passing and closer to its Aug. 15 English Premier League season opener than Inter Milan is to its own Serie A opener a week later, Chelsea carried the game to the Italian champions.

Not surprisingly, Drogba was involved in most of the first-half highlight moments.

He looked to be in mid-season form, and perhaps he is because reports Tuesday suggested that, rather than being traded away as was rumored earlier this year, the veteran forward is about to sign a contract extension with Chelsea.

New Coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has moved over to Chelsea from AC Milan, must like what he sees in Drogba.

Inter Milan Coach Jose Mourinho, who coached Chelsea to two Premier League titles before being released in 2007, could have told Ancelotti of Drogba's quality.

"It's easy for a coach to work with a player that has this type of character," Mourinho said this year, "because he is someone born to work, to win, to be loyal, a friend, a team player."

Drogba played only the first half Tuesday, but that was enough for the largest crowd to see a soccer game in Southern California since the U.S. defeated China in the 1999 Women's World Cup final, also at the Rose Bowl, and the biggest for men's soccer since the 1984 Olympics.

Roll on, the new European season.

Didier Drogba to sign new deal as Andriy Shevchenko nears Chelsea exit

Source: Dominic Fifield guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 21 July 2009 23.00 BST

Carlo Ancelotti anticipates Andriy Shevchenko leaving Chelsea before the end of the transfer window, though Didier Drogba has informed the manager that he will sign a new three-year contract on his return from the team's pre-season tour of the United States.

Chelsea travelled to the US with seven recognised strikers in their 26-man party, including Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro who spent last season on loan at Milan and Werder Bremen respectively. Ancelotti indicated after the 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders that he hopes to field two forwards in games in the season. With the young signing Daniel Sturridge having already impressed in training and on debut against the MLS side on Saturday, Ancelotti feels he boasts the firepower to unsettle opponents next term.

Given the options the manager already boasts, Shevchenko is expected to move on ahead of the new campaign. Dynamo Kiev and Fenerbahce have expressed interest in securing the Ukrainian, who has a year to run on his £130,000-a-week contract, with the club to hold talks with the forward on the team's return to London.

"For now, Shevchenko works with the team and plays with the team," said Ancelotti. "He's a [Chelsea] player now until 31 August and then, together, we will make a decision. I speak to Shevchenko every day and the situation is this: he's with us until 31 August and then we take a decision together. But I don't know what will happen as the club has not received any offers."

Ancelotti intends to trim his squad ahead of the new season from the 27 who have featured in the US – Michael Ballack has returned home with a toe injury, while Yuri Zhirkov has linked up with the party – to a more manageable number, although those cuts will not include the winger Florent Malouda who has signed a new three-year contract.

"It would be better to have 23 players, but now I want to see them, people I don't know very well," he said. "There will be less players [at the start of the season], but 24 or 25 is not a problem."

Confirmation that Drogba, a player revitalised by Guus Hiddink's brief tenure last season, intends to remain at Stamford Bridge was anticipated, but will be welcomed by the management team nevertheless. The Ivorian was admired by Ancelotti while he was at Milan and, when fit and focused, remains a potent weapon.

"Drogba is a very important player for us and we want him to play for Chelsea," said Ancelotti. "I think he's irreplaceable as no other striker in the world can do the same job. I've spoken with Drogba and know very well what he wants. I believe in Drogba and told him this. He told me he's happy to stay."

There is an assumption that Drogba and Nicolas Anelka will be the first-choice forwards under the Italian, though Sturridge has already shown flashes to justify Chelsea's efforts in prising him away from Manchester City, much to Mark Hughes' frustration. The fee for the striker has still to be decided by a transfer tribunal – City are seeking up to £10m for a player they nurtured in their youth academy – but Ancelotti already considers him in his senior-team plans for the season ahead.

"He's a young player and has good quality and we expect him to have a very good season," added Ancelotti, who will also see Mikel John Obi, Ashley Cole and Joe Cole sign new contracts before the start of the season. "He's [Sturridge] started very well. To score a goal in the first game [against the Sounders] and that's good for us and good for him. He will improve and has to improve. He has a lot of quality as a striker who is quick and intelligent with his movement for others – I like that. It's important that he improves, but he's a good striker for Chelsea and will be in the first-team [squad] this season.

"He's not a star. He's a young player, a very good player. But it's a good sign that he wants to improve. We have a lot of strikers at this club, but he is young and we believe in young players at this club."

Meanwhile, Malouda revealed that, despite signing a new contract, he will have to adapt to a new system with Ancelotti preferring a diamond formation up front. "This year he wants to try the new system with a diamond so I have to adapt myself and that is why we are training really hard to do what the manager wants," Malouda said.

Malouda signs three-year deal to stay at Chelsea

Source: The Canadian Press

LONDON — Florent Malouda has signed a new deal to stay with Chelsea for three more seasons.

The French winger, who had a year left on his existing contract, has agreed to stay at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2012 and said Tuesday he was looking forward to playing under new manager Carlo Ancelotti.

"I was really happy when I heard it was Carlo Ancelotti because I have a lot of respect for him," Malouda said about the former AC Milan coach. "At my former club Lyon I played many times against Milan. For me it is a really good choice and I believe in him."

Manchester City doggedly pursuing Chelsea's John Terry

Source: GRAHAME L. JONES / ON SOCCER (Los Angeles Times)

Manchester has offered England's top defender $330,000 a week, but Terry has not stated a decision. Chelsea has rebuffed offers.

Tampering apparently is perfectly acceptable in England.

Either that or the English have decidedly different rules about how and when soccer players under contract to one team can be approached by another team and asked to jump ship.

John Terry is a good case in point.

The captain of England's national side and of Chelsea in the English Premier League will be playing for the Blues against Inter Milan in a friendly international at 8 tonight at the Rose Bowl.

It is not too much of a stretch to say it might be one of his last games for Chelsea. Whether it will be, depends on who you believe.


Manchester City, flaunting the seemingly unlimited wealth of its oil-rich Middle Eastern owner, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, has spent weeks trying to lure Terry out of London and north to the scenic wonders of Manchester.

It offered Chelsea $50 million for Terry, only to be rebuffed, and now is reported to be preparing a $66-millon bid.

It has offered Terry himself a staggering salary of $330,000 a week.

It has said he could pretty much write his own ticket.

It has suggested that after 14 years at Chelsea, Terry, who joined the Stamford Bridge club as a 14-year-old, might like to sample something different.

And all along Terry has said little to nothing. Even now, less than a month before the Premier League's 2009-10 season begins, England's top defender has not stated unequivocally which shade of blue he will be wearing in the upcoming season.

Other people, of course, have said much.

"I don't know what he will do," Chelsea and England teammate Frank Lampard told reporters after Chelsea had beaten Major League Soccer's Sounders, 2-0, in front of 65,289 in Seattle on Saturday night.

"This is not just about the money, and people shouldn't try to make it that black and white."

Mark Hughes, the former Manchester United and Wales player who is Manchester City's manager, has been relentless in his pursuit of Terry, but he has had to choose his words carefully.

"He's obviously the type and caliber of player we need if we are going to progress and compete at the top level," Hughes told the BBC on Sunday.

Manchester City has already landed four prizes this off-season in forwards Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tevez and Roque Santa Cruz and midfielder Gareth Barry. But Terry would be the big prize.

As a result, Manchester City players have been enlisted in the cause.

"You can have the best attacking players in the world, but unless the defense compliments it, then you will not win anything," Brazilian forward Robinho told the Sunday Mirror. "I don't know anything about the John Terry deal apart from what I have read, but he is the sort of world-class player we need at the back."

Goalkeeper Shay Given echoed the thought.

"He is 'Mr. Chelsea,' so it would be amazing if we got him, and I hope that we do," Given said. "Sometimes a change is good for a player."

For its part, Chelsea has steadfastly said that Terry, 28, is not for sale. The defender still has three years left on his contract, which pays him $223,000 a week.

"I am sure he will remain at Chelsea," Chelsea's new manager, former AC Milan mentor Carlo Ancelotti, said Saturday. "I am sure 100%."

Peter Kenyon, Chelsea's chief executive, has dismissed Manchester City's approaches.

"John is a talisman," he told Britain's Sky Sports News last week. "He is the heart of Chelsea. . . . We are not going to sell John, so it is irrelevant what another club will offer. We are very confident he will be leading us in the years to come."

All the same, Chelsea has not filed a complaint with the Premier League about the way Manchester City has been nibbling around the edges. Under league rules, clubs are not allowed to express interest in a player under contract to another club without obtaining prior written permission from that club.

So the Terry saga goes on while the man himself remains silent.

Chelsea's owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, flies in to join the team Tuesday.

Stay tuned. As Chelsea and Germany national team midfielder Michael Ballack told Sky Sports News: "It's football, anything can happen."

Lampard uncertain over Terry's Chelsea future

Source: AFP

LONDON — Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard admits there is no guarantee John Terry will snub Manchester City's big-money bid to lure him away from Stamford Bridge.

City have already had two offers rejected for England captain Terry, but boss Mark Hughes is planning a new 35 million pounds bid for the defender this week.

Although Terry has spent his whole career at Chelsea and remains the club's most talismanic figure, it is believed City's offer to raise his wages to 200,000 pounds a week has forced the Blues skipper to consider his future.

A host of Chelsea players have made it clear they want Terry to stay but Lampard, who was close to agreeing to a reunion with former manager Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan last season and is one of Terry's closest friends, is more concerned.

"I don't know what he will do," Lampard said in The Times on Monday.

"I've been in John's position, but everyone at the club wants him to stay.

"I had an option to leave last year, to go with a manager who I love, but it came at a time in my life that, maybe, just wasn't right.

"But the situation made me think an awful lot. It wasn't an easy decision, either, and I don't think people should criticise John.

"The fact is you can never take away what he's done for Chelsea. He'll always be a legend. I hope and I'm confident that, whatever happens, he will continue to be considered a legend here."

Lampard insists that Terry shouldn't be condemned as a mercenary if he does accept City's massive offer.

"People should respect his right to choose," Lampard said. "When you're a successful player this kind of thing is going to happen and then you have to make a decision. John's a very honourable man and it doesn't come down to money and things like that.

"I know John. I know he'll be thinking about what's the right thing to do as a player and, in the longer term, for his career.

"No one should doubt that John Terry wants to be successful. No one should doubt that John Terry is a winner. This is not just about the money and people shouldn't try to make it that black and white.

"It's understandable because it's Manchester City who have come in, but it's up to John what happens. All I can say is that I'm very proud each time I play with him and, as a club, you want to keep players like John Terry. It's as simple as that."

Chelsea's Ricardo Carvalho accepts he will not reunite with Mourinho at Inter

Source: Guardian.Co.Uk (Dominic Fifield in Los Angeles)


Ricardo Carvalho has conceded that his immediate future remains with Chelsea despite Jose Mourinho's protracted attempts to be reunited with his compatriot at Internazionale this summer. The defender said he is committed to re-establishing himself in the first-team at Stamford Bridge after last season's frustrations.

Inter had been in discussions with Chelsea over a potential move for both Carvalho and his Portugal international team-mate Deco, though no formal cash offer was ever made. The Premier League club eventually tired of Inter's procrastination, and suggestions that they might secure both players for nominal fees or in a swap deal. While Deco could yet move on before the new campaign, Chelsea have since informed Carvalho that he is not available for transfer and must honour the three years on his contract.

"The stories about me going [to Internazionale] started last season," said the centre-half. "There was a chance but, after that, it finished. It didn't happen. It came to nothing and I have got a contract here, so I will carry on and do my best for Chelsea. Of course, you never know what may happen in the future – we will see – but I think I will be staying here. Last year was disappointing – I didn't play and was injured for quite a long time. I was not happy, and maybe the club wasn't happy with me, but now I have to get myself fit and ready to play."

Carvalho had voiced frustration at the way Chelsea had treated his hamstring and ankle injuries, suggesting he had not benefited from adequate support during his lengthy spells on the sidelines – claims that rather baffled the club's hierarchy. He featured only four times under Guus Hiddink, and not at all after mid April, following the Dutchman's appointment on a temporary basis to follow Luiz Felipe Scolari's brief tenure.

Yet, while admiration for Mourinho remains, the Portuguese defender is now keen to prove to Carlo Ancelotti that he merits a starting place alongside John Terry at the heart of Chelsea's defence. "The new manager has been good so far," added Carvalho. "I will have to work with him and I want to get a chance with him. I haven't spoken to him much one on one – we have spoken more as a team – but I think he likes to be fair to everyone. For now, it is about going step by step, working hard and gaining more confidence to make sure we start the Premier League well and try to regain the title."

Manchester City Ready To Bid £40million For Chelsea's John Terry

Sources: Arjun Miglani, Goal.com



The Citizens are not scared of Chelsea's legal threats, and are set to increase their bid...
Manchester City are set to continue raising their bid to land John Terry.

Chelsea are threatening to report City to the Premier League over their incessant pursuit of Terry, but this does not appear to be deterring the Citizens.

According to The Daily Mail, Mark Hughes is ready to table a mammoth £40million bid, having seen his earlier offer of £32million rejected. Terry is yet to publicly commit to Chelsea, and City are determined to keep bidding until he does.

City are also reportedly in the hunt for Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure, as they seek to re-enforce their back line.