Carlo Ancelotti Eyes Long Chelsea Stay & More Trophies

Boss Carlo Ancelotti plans to establish Chelsea as the leading force in English football after winning the Premier League in his first season at the club.

The Blues last lifted the title in 2006 but thrashed Wigan 8-0 on Sunday to wrest it away from Manchester United.

"I hope to stay here a long time and win a lot of titles," said 50-year-old Ancelotti, who joined Chelsea from AC Milan on a three-year deal last summer.

"We have a very good squad, for next year and the years after."

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay backed up Ancelotti's assessment of his squad and insisted that a move for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres had not been discussed by the club's board.

"We have 28 players in the squad and the average age is 27 - that's not too old," Gourlay told BBC Sports News correspondent Dan Roan.

"The squad has lots of experience and we have lots of individuals and characters. There is not going to be too many changes for next year.

"We have not discussed anything at board level," added Gourlay, referring to speculation linking Chelsea with Torres. "We will see through the FA Cup final and analyse where we are. If the right player is available we will take that into consideration."

Ancelotti succeeded Guus Hiddink as the Blues boss on 1 July 2009 after eight years at the San Siro, where he won one Serie A and two Champions League trophies.

On being appointed, the Italian spoke of his desire to guide Chelsea to a maiden Champions League crown in his debut season.

Their bid was ended by Inter Milan in the first knockout round but they bounced back to win the Premier League and deny United an unprecedented fourth successive title.

Ancelotti now hopes to match Jose Mourinho's achievement in 2005 and 2006 of leading the west London side to back-to-back league titles.

But before then he could do something either Mourinho or any other previous Chelsea boss managed by winning a league and FA Cup Double.

"Mourinho did some fantastic work and won two titles consecutively," said Ancelotti, whose side faces Portsmouth at Wembley on Saturday. "This is my first and I hope to do the same as Mourinho.

"Now we have the opportunity to win the Double and I hope that my players can, after these celebrations."

Chelsea's triumph arrived despite six defeats and five draws over the course of a unpredictable season in the top tier.

The west London club eventually pipped United by a point and Ancelotti felt it was their league double over Sir Alex Ferguson's men - November's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge and a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford in April - that made the difference.

"The key point, I think, was our victory at home and also, above all, in Manchester," he said. "They were the key for this title because that improved our confidence and sent United a little bit down."

Chelsea went into the final day knowing anything other than a victory would probably see United - who beat Stoke 4-0 - snatch the title.

But Didier Drogba's hat-trick, a Nicolas Anelka double and strikes from Salomon Kalou, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole saw them demolish Wigan and score seven or more goals for the fourth time this term.

"We had a fantastic season, not only by winning the Premier League but because we showed a good style on the pitch," said Ancelotti. "But we played much better in the second half. We played a good match and won, and that was our aim.

"To win this game and close this title. We are very happy and I want to say a lot of thanks: to my owner, Roman Abramovich; to my club and everyone who worked with me in this season, supporting me every day; and above all my players.

"I found a fantastic team here who worked very well every day, maintaining a good atmosphere as a team. We won this title because we played as a team and worked as a team, everyone.

"I remember every victory because every one stays in your mind. I'm happy to have done this in my first season. I had a lot of help because I found a team and a club with fantastic organisation. So it was easy for me to do my best.

"Manchester United stayed with us right to the end. I said it would go to the last game, so we have to be proud and happy that we won against such a fantastic team like United. They were a very good opponent."

If Ancelotti does want to strengthen his squad this summer, Chelsea chief executive Gourlay insisted funds would be made available to the Italian.

"We have a mature side but also a very experienced side and if the correct player of the quality that Chelsea requires is available in the summer then the funds are there for us to take that opportunity," Gourlay told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Carlo will identify any players required for the club and we'll take it from there.

"It was very important for Chelsea to wrestle the title back from Manchester United. Three years without the Premier League for a club of our status is not the perfect world.

"It's very difficult to win the league but if you look at the last six years we have three each with Manchester United so we'll certainly be trying to push forward from here for next season.

"We have played football the way the owner wants it to be played and I really believe we can take it too the next level over the next few season."

Cole: I Came To Win The Big Ones

If Ashley Cole still needed to prove to anyone that he is fully fit again following injury, he couldn't have done it any better than racing into the Wigan penalty area to crack in a volley just before the final whistle.

The scorer of Chelsea's eighth and final goal in the title-winning rout was understandably in jubilant mood after ending a six-year personal wait for another championship-winners' medal.

'It has been a long time and this is my first title at Chelsea and now people will realise why I came here,' said the left-back who was twice a league champion at Arsenal.

'I came here to win the big ones, the Premier League or the Champions League, and hopefully this can be a big year, we can get the Double and make history for this club.

'It was always going to be tense going into the game, knowing we had to win and we knew Man United were going to get a result,' he added.

'Before they got a man sent off they played well, passed the ball and made it hard for us and we probably didn't play as well as we could have in the first half, but in the end we deserved it.'

Cole's goal gave him four for the season, the best total of his career and included among them was the recently-announced Chelsea Goal of the Season.

'I said before the start of the season that I was going to get five. I am happy with the way I played this season, happy with the goals I contributed to the team but I am a little bit disappointed I didn't get more to be honest, but I missed two months of the season.

'At the time of the injury I was playing well and it hurt me that I had to miss two months because I had a lot to give to the team. But I worked hard to get back and this is the reward I got for it.

'I am happy and hopefully there is more to come from this club.'

Chelsea Will Have To Pay £15m To Land Javi Martinez From Athletic Bilbao

Chelsea are in the hunt for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez but the Basque club will not alllow the player to leave for less than £15 million, according to a report from The Daily Mirror.

Real Madrid are also apparently in the hunt for the 21-year-old, who signed for Bilbao in summer 2006 from Osasuna.

Martinez has also been linked with a move to Liverpool during the course of the last year or so, though nothing concrete has materialised.

The Blues are also apparently interested in Valenica winger Pablo, according to the report.

Blues Want Carlo For Long Term

Chelsea are hoping manager Carlo Ancelotti is happy to stay at the club in the long term after clinching the Premier League title.

Ancelotti took charge at Stamford Bridge last summer after ending his lengthy association with AC Milan and he could mark his first season in England with the League and FA Cup double.

He was appointed by Chelsea to replace interim boss Guus Hiddink following a turbulent time on the managerial front since the September 2007 departure of Jose Mourinho.

With Ancelotti bringing the title back to West London, Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay is hoping the Italian may be prepared to spend a decade at the helm.

"It is a pleasure working with the guy," said Gourlay. "The plan is to work with Carlo for five to 10 years. I think stability would be good for the club going forward and when we start to bring the young players forward.

"Carlo is definitely here for the long term. He is not a coach who moves around, even in his playing days. I am sure he will be around for many years to come.

"We have won the Premier League and hopefully we can win the double. But then we have to look at next season because it is important that we continue on."

Gourlay also confirmed that the likes of Michael Ballack and Joe Cole have yet to be offered new contracts as the club attempt to reduce their wage bill.

He added: "We decided a couple of months ago not to talk about any new contracts or any comings and goings at the football club until the last game of the season.

"The plan is to keep that the same. Our approach has been spot on and hopefully we will be able to add the FA Cup next week. But we are respectful of Portsmouth and it will be tough game.

"We have given the players no indication about contracts at all. We made it very clear that the time for talking about these things is at the end of the season.

"That is the way forward for future seasons and that is the way it should be. As a contract nears its end there is a time to open up the conversation, but it should never get in the way of football.

"The bottom line here is that Carlo will recommend any players that he wants in the squad next year. We will sit down at the appropriate time at the end of the season and evaluate that."

Cech Puts Celebrations On Ice

Petr Cech has told his Chelsea team-mates to focus on winning the FA Cup before truly celebrating their achievements this season.

Jubilant scenes greeted the final whistle at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Chelsea clinched their first Premier League title since 2006 with an 8-0 thumping of Wigan.

Cech, who revealed his post-match celebrations consisted of a glass of champagne and a pint of Guinness, says he is more concerned with landing an historical domestic double than enjoying the Blues' title success.

"To win the Premier League is wonderful but the upcoming FA Cup final against Portsmouth is more important than a party," the 27-year-old goalkeeper told sport.cz.

."The ultimate target for all of us is to claim the double."

Cech, who collected his third winners' medal for the Blues, claimed this one meant the most.

"This one is the most valuable one because the league has been extremely even," added the Blues shot-stopper.

"It has shown that all big clubs invested big money into new signings ahead of the season.

"To win the third title has been the most difficult because in the two previous cases we had won it before the final round, this time we had to fight until the very end.

"We have won all matches against the clubs from the 'Big Four' and that made the difference in the end."

Chelsea Rule Out Bidding Wars

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay insists the club will not enter bidding wars with rival teams to purchase players in the close season.

Carlo Ancelotti's side wrapped up the Premier League title on Sunday following their 8-0 thrashing of Wigan and the Blues can claim an historic double should they beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Saturday.

But the Chelsea squad has faced questions over their age throughout the campaign, with concerns raised by some over the team's ability to combat tiredness and offer alternative dimensions to their play.

It has led to suggestions the Stamford Bridge outfit will enter the transfer market in the summer to brighten up their playing ranks and add younger talent to the side.

Gourlay dismissed such talk, but admitted his team would not pay over the odds in chasing new targets.

He told Sky Sports News: "No - we wouldn't get involved a bidding war. If there's any player that has become available and we feel they can strengthen our team then it will be on the terms of Chelsea Football Club.

"We've got to be respectful to the rest of the players in the pool and as we mentioned we have some great players coming through from the academy, so the future is bright."

He went on: "But I keep hearing about our ageing squad - we have 28 players in our first team squad and our age average is 27 - so I hope people are not telling us we're too old at 27. I think we're in a good position."

Despite his warning, Gourlay insisted resources would be available to Ancelotti should he chose to bring in new faces.

But after enjoying years of lavish spending under former boss Jose Mourinho, the 46-year-old said the club must operate in a "self-sufficient" manner in its transfer dealings.

That means it will be hard for Ancelotti to source big-money signatures, with Gourlay explaining some of the existing team may have to make way for new purchases.

He added: "If the right player is available that Carlo wants to bring into his squad and if it fits with everything else then we'll bring him in.

"The money will be there but we'll stick to our goal of being self-sufficient and that's very, very important.

"From a business point of view it would be nice to finance any new signings coming in from players that may be going out or selling players.

"But at the end of the day we've got to keep our goal of being self-sufficient but if we have to go into the market place then if it's the right player to strengthen the team, then the answer to your question is 'yes'."

Terry Calls For Reinforcements

Chelsea captain John Terry wants the club to splash the cash in the summer to strengthen their first-team squad after the Blues landed their first title for four years on Sunday.

Chelsea were crowned champions for the first time since 2006 after demolishing Wigan 8-0 to give them the title by a single point over Manchester United.

Terry is desperate to ensure their success is not a one-off and chief executive Ron Gourlay is adamant they will make a move into the transfer market if the price is right for the Blues.

"We definitely want to do it again but all the big four - ourselves, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal - need to strengthen because everyone has become closer to us," Terry said.

"No doubt it will be a busy summer for the big clubs. Now I hope to lift the FA Cup to do the double - going down in history as the club captain to do it means the world to me."

The England defender also believes Chelsea must make sure that Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka remain at Stamford Bridge.

Both players have yet to sign new deals with Chelsea after the club put a hold on any new talks until after the FA Cup final with Portsmouth this Saturday.

"We have a great squad here, anyway," added Terry. "Hopefully we can keep hold of Joe Cole because he has been key for us with his goal away to Manchester United. Nicolas Anelka will hopefully sign a new deal and we can keep everyone here.

"Last year I spoke to the club about the importance of keeping Didier Drogba when I was negotiating my contract.

"It was key for me and he has been brilliant. I wanted these kind of people to stay. They've been brilliant this year - Frank Lampard, Didier, people like this are important to the club."

The club's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is ready to fund any rebuilding and chief-executive Ron Gourlay admitted the Russian would be interested in which players were brought in.

"We have a mature side but we also have a very experienced side," said Gourlay. "If the correct player of the quality that Chelsea requires is available in the summer, then the funds are there for us to take that opportunity.

"What happens is that manager Carlo Ancelotti will identify any player that is required for the club going forward, then we'll take it from there.

"Roman is always interested. He's very engaged with the football club, he likes to understand the decisions that we come up with and our thought process.

"Which I think is quite normal for an owner. He may not veto but he will certainly make sure that he has every right to question and ask our thought process."

Chelsea's hat-trick hero in their 8-0 hammering of Wigan, Ivorian striker Drogba, hailed the title success as the best moment of his career and claimed it finally eradicated the ghost of the Jose Mourinho era.

Drogba won the Premier League's 'Golden Boot' with 29 goals - three more than Manchester United's Wayne Rooney.

"This is the best moment I have had since I became a professional footballer," said Drogba.

"It's been a fantastic season, we scored a lot of goals, 103, and we have played some good football and that's what is important for the team.

"The team have worked hard for this all season and they helped me win the Golden Boot, which will always mean a lot. It is amazing and special and I owe it to the whole team.

"We kept our identity throughout the season which is good and this is a message for people about Chelsea's strength. We had a great season and we deserve to be champions.

"This is what we wanted to achieve at the start of the season and for four years we have been fighting for this, so it is great.

"Since Jose Mourinho left we have wanted to win the league and now it is done. It's not a new era it's just the continuity of what we have been doing for years and there's more to come.

"Now we could win the double. It's going to be hard but we will try."

Chelsea’s Search For Asian Star Given Bollywood Backing

One of Bollywood’s leading actors is backing Chelsea’s ‘Search for an Asian Star’ campaign, urging budding young Asian footballers to sign up to the project.

Abhishek Bachchan, a Bollywood actor and television presenter, emphasized the importance of such campaigns in promoting football in Asian countries.

“I know how important it is for young Asian kids to get involved with sport, not just to reach the top but to enjoy themselves, meet new people and be part of a team,” said the 34-year-old.

The star was quick to praise the London club for taking steps to promote the sport in Asia. “As a Chelsea fan I’m delighted my club is taking a lead on providing these amazing opportunities for Asian players and would urge everyone with a love for the game to sign up and take part.”

The competition began last year with over 350 players participating for a series of trial matches at the club’s training facilities in Cobham.

The search, which is aimed at youngsters aged between 8 and 13, involves specifically designed training exercises used by staff at Chelsea’s academy to analyse the ability, skill and speed of the competitors.

And managers, coaches and scouts from other clubs from various levels in the English game are afforded the chance to visit the academy in the search of potential talent.

The benefits of the initiative are evident after two of last year’s winners were later signed by Leyton Orient and Southend. The promise of a potential contract with the newly-crowned Premier League champions offers the ultimate motivation for any young Asian starlets.

Despite India’s vast population of over one billion it has failed to make any impact within world football. The country is ranked a lowly 132nd in FIFA’s rankings, a stark contrast to the success of the Indian cricket and hockey teams and golfer Jeev Milkha Singh who recently broke into the PGA’s top 50.