Gourlay: We Are On Track

Chief executive Ron Gourlay gives a major interview to Chelsea TV this evening but ahead of that, he spoke to the Official Chelsea Website about a first season in his current role that has been marked by the team's championship success.

We have to start with last Sunday's match. It is hard to imagine how it could have gone any better.
It was fantastic. During the week it was quite a nervous period, not for Carlo, he seemed to be very, very calm but all through the week, if somebody had told me it was going to be 8-0 I maybe wouldn't have worried. The tactics were to get the early goal and once we went 2-0 up and Wigan lost a man, it was pretty much one-way traffic from then on.

How does being the champions impact on the club?
It is very important for our stature and how we are seen on a global basis. It is very important as we grow our non-football side of the business. It helps us generate the revenue to finance the business so it is very, very important. In certain parts of the world, the Asian-Pacific region for example, success is the key driver in popularity stakes.

When you were interviewed back in November, you said this club simply has to win trophies.
And we are delivering. We've proved that we are on the right track again. The FA Youth Cup win is fantastic also and the Premier League is the absolute icing on the cake. If we can do the business next weekend then it would be an unbelievably successful season, the most successful we have ever had.

Can you give an insight into what it is like working with Carlo Ancelotti?
He has a very open mind, he understands the commercial requirements of the business, the obligations the club has to sponsors, and he is unbelievably knowledgeable about the game. He has experience, he has been there and done it, so it is really great to be working with someone like Carlo.

Is he really as calm behind the scenes as he appears publicly?
Certainly when he is with me. My new strategy is I am not going to worry about anything anymore. I have decided when Carlo is worried, I'll worry!

Given his success in Italy, is there a danger his achievement in his first season in a new country is under-estimated?
My view is the Premier League is the most difficult league to win in the world. He has come in and he has won it in a competitive season and at the end of the season we shall all sit down, take a big breath and see just how far we have come in the last 12 months.

Everyone who saw the TV pictures of Sunday's game would have seen the owner reacting to the action the same way as many a fan in the Shed or Matthew Harding Ends.
Sometimes Roman's commitment has been strangely questioned by the media but he is extremely committed to the football club and he is very engaged with what we do at board level, and that is great.

One newspaper article last week was claiming that regardless of whether Chelsea won the league or not on Sunday, we face a greater need to regenerate the squad than Manchester United?
I can't talk for Manchester United, I don't know enough about what is going on inside their business but from our point of view, we will wait until the end of next weekend and then we will sit down and Carlo will analyse the situation.

Next season is the start of new Barclays Premier League requirement for eight 'homegrown' players in a named squad of 25. Have we reached the stage yet when we can fulfil this requirement using players from our Academy?
We can fulfil that requirement from our Academy but also from existing squad players who have already qualified. This is something we have been aware of and have been able to plan for and everybody else is in the same boat. It is not something we are overly concerned about and we will address it.

The Academy by its nature is a long-term project but is it on course to justify its investment?
We are very much on course and we started to see that two seasons ago when we got to the FA Youth Cup Final. Unfortunately we lost to Manchester City but this season we put it right and in that space of time we have really started to see our young guys break through but it is a big step for the lads. We are certainly going in the right direction and we will see where it takes us but at the same time, we have to win football games and we are expected at the end of every season to be challenging for the trophies. It is a question of getting the balance right.

Details of the new Uefa regulations on club finances are starting to appear in the media which is suggesting Chelsea have more to be concerned about than most.
It is all about self-sufficiency. It something Uefa will bring in, we are not sure of all the details at this present time but what it will do is bring forward plans we already have in place. Again it is something we have known we have to deal with.

Finally, what has been your on-pitch highlight of the season?
The highlight was Sunday. Starting to relax and enjoy the game once the third goal went in. It was very, very special. At one point the stands were shaking with the atmosphere and that was something I will always remember in my first year. We are now going to look forward to the FA Cup Final. It is important, we have a great opportunity of winning the Double so we should concentrate on that and then after that we can start to plan for 2010/11.

Chelsea & England Defender John Terry's Foot Injury Not As Bad As First Feared

Despite initial fears, England defender John Terry has not broken his metatarsal after a training ground accident with club side Chelsea on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old was sent to hospital after the incident at the club's Cobham training ground for a scan on his right foot, but initial results reveal he has not broken any bones. He will undergo further tests tomorrow to assess any possible ligament damage.

"John Terry has today taken a knock in training and has gone to hospital for a precautionary scan on his right foot," a statement on the club's official website read shortly after the incident.

"He left Cobham walking freely in a protective boot, and we await the results which are expected on Thursday."

There were fears the defender would be unavailable Saturday's FA Cup final with Portsmouth, let alone England's World Cup squad, but the defender reportedly told the Press Association he is hopeful he will play in the game at Wembley.

The usual recovery time for such injuries is between four and eight weeks, meaning if Terry had broken his metatarsal he would have been unlikely to be fully fit for the start of the summer tournament in South Africa on June 11.

But it seems Terry has avoided adding his name to what is becoming a traditional list of important England players falling foul of metatarsal injuries on the eve of a major tournament. David Beckham picked up the same injury in action for Manchester United ahead of the 2002 World Cup, while Wayne Rooney suffered a similar fate four years later.

Both players made the tournament finals with the Three Lions, but their performance was clearly hampered by the effects of the injury, as England were knocked out in the quarter-finals on both occasions.

Chelsea Plan Summer Sales To Make Space For New Talent

Chelsea are planning a summer clear-out to raise funds for new signings. Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Juliano Belletti and Paulo Ferreira will all be allowed to leave as the club seek to reduce their wage bill and create space in the squad for new players and emerging talent from the youth team.

Ron Gourlay, the chief executive, said yesterday that in an ideal world future signings would be funded by player sales, and although that seems a remote prospect, the decision to trim the squad is a sign that the club are at least making some efforts to operate as a self-sustaining business.

Of the quartet who have been told they can leave Carvalho is the only player with any significant resale value and attracted strong interest from Inter Milan last summer before opting to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea now accept that their determination to keep hold of Carvalho was mistaken, as his performances have dropped during a season ruined by injuries. Although there are no new offers José Mourinho may make another move for one of his trusted lieutenants, particularly if he leaves Inter to become the coach of Real Madrid, who have also bid for Carvalho in the past.

Chelsea value the defender at £10 million, but have little hope of gaining any fees for the other players they want to offload and will be happy simply to reduce their wage bill. Belletti is out of contract and can leave on a free transfer, and Deco has one year of his contract remaining, but will be allowed to leave for nothing if he wishes to return to Brazil. Ferreira has three years left on his contract, but with José Bosingwa and Branislav Ivanovic also at the club Chelsea will even consider paying him off to secure his departure.

Chelsea have also made it clear that Ashley Cole is not for sale after interest from Real. The England left back said yesterday that Chelsea’s Premier League title triumph had vindicated his decision to leave Arsenal four years ago, for which he was widely vilified.

“It has been a long time and this is my first title at Chelsea and now people will realise why I came here,” he said. “I came here to win the big ones, the Premier League or the Champions League. Hopefully we can get the Double and make history for this club. I am happy and hopefully there is more to come.”

Real Madrid Plan Chelsea Raid

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid have emerged as shock candidates for Chelsea FC midfielder Michael Ballack.

The German international has played a crucial role in Chelsea FC’s successful Premier League campaign, but is out of contract in June and is yet to agree terms with his employers.

The 33-year-old had been linked with a return to the Bundesliga, with Schalke 04 openly admitting their interest, however according to reports in Spain, the former Bayern Munich captain is attracting strong interest from Real Madrid.

Sport1 claim Real Madrid would jump at the chance to sign the Chelsea FC star on a bosman, and with the German international currently reluctant to sign a reduced terms deal at Stamford Bridge, Ballack could seek one final swansong on the continent before retiring.

The media speculation continues to suggest Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is Real Madrid’s top managerial target this summer, and Sport1 indicate Ballack and the former Chelsea FC manager would relish a reunion at the Bernabeu.

Chelsea And Manchester City Offered Unsettled Barcelona Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Barcelona have offered Chelsea and Manchester City the chance to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic for around £40 million, according to a report from the Daily Mail.

The Swedish international only arrived at the Nou Camp last summer, in a blockbuster £40m deal with Italian side Inter Milan that also saw Samuel Eto'o head in the opposite direction.

But the 28-year-old's form has been inconsistent this season, scoring a fairly disappointing 16 goals in all competition, and he was even withdrawn early by manager Pep Guardiola as the Catalan giants failed to defeat Inter in the Champions League semi-finals last month.

Consequently Barca president Joan Laporta has reportedly instructed 'super-agent' Pini Zahavi to gauge interest in the player from abroad, as the club try to recoup the money they spent on the skilful striker. Juventus have shown their interest in paying around £35m for their former star, but Laporta hopes either Chelsea or Manchester City will be more willing to meet their valuation.

Both Premier League clubs have been strongly linked with moves for strikers during the summer, with Liverpool's Fernando Torres, AC Milan's Alexandre Pato and Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero all reported targets. But either or both might be intrigued by the possibility of adding Ibrahimovic to their ranks.

Barcelona have been widely linked with an agreement to sign Valencia and Spain hotshot David Villa in the summer, a possible reason behind their sudden willingness to offload their big signing of the last summer transfer window.

Despite an underwhelming season Ibrahimovic is still ranked at an impressive No.9 in the Castrol Rankings, making him the third highest Barca player behind Gerard Pique (8) and Lionel Messi (1).

Chelsea Join Race To Sign Kaspar Schmeichel From Notts County

Chelsea are now in the hunt to snap up goalkeeper Kaspar Schmeichel from Notts County, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

Blues scouts were apparently watching the 23-year-old in action last week against Torquay United and view him as a potential understudy to Petr Cech.

Bayern Munich, West Bromwich Albion and Derby County are also believed to be tracking the young Dane.

Schmeichel is now a free agent after spending a season at Meadow Lane.

Manchester City And Chelsea Battle Over Mario Balotelli And Marek Hamsik

The two clubs predicted to be among the Premier League's biggest spenders - Chelsea and Manchester City - are ramping up the competition for the signings of Serie A starlet duo Mario Balotelli and Marek Hamsik.

Chelsea and City, who have Italian managers in Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Mancini, respectively, are tracking the young strikers as speculation in Italy suggests both will be allowed to move in the summer.

Balotelli, 19, has endured a difficult time at Inter Milan lately, having fallen out with manager Jose Mourinho and come under fire from the club's notoriously hard-to-please fans.

He gestured towards the stands after being jeered during their Champions League campaign, and stormed off without staying on the pitch to celebrate following their victory over Barcelona earlier this month.

Meanwhile Slovakian star Hamsik, 22, has impressed in a Napoli team pushing for a European place this season, scoring 12 goals.

But the club could opt to cash in on him if they receive a hefty pay-off from an English counterpart.

Mancini is a known admirer of Balotelli, having seen him first-hand and signed him from Lummezzane during his time at the San Siro.

And he is also well versed in Hamsik's ability through his ongoing connections in Italy.

Meanwhile Ancelotti is also aware of the talent of both strikers and is keen to bring them both in alongside Salomon Kalou as understudies to first-choice forward pairing Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Rising Stoch

Having won a championship medal of his own in Holland, Miroslav Stoch returned to Cobham this week to share his story.

The 20-year-old Slovakian had a season to remember with FC Twente, where he helped secure the club's first ever Eredivisie title with 10 goals from 32 appearances under the leadership of Steve McClaren, the former England manager.

'I think it was a great season, when I went there I didn't expect it could be like that, that we could be champions but from the first day it was getting better and better and we kept on winning,' Stoch explained. 'I was so surprised and now we are champions, it was so great!

'My form was good until the winter break, then I had a little problem with my groin and didn't play so good, but in the end I was better and my play improved enough to score in the last two games.'

The second of those was in the final day victory over NAC Breda which secured the championship for the Enschede side.

'To score was so nice, I felt so happy and of course to win was unbelievable. I think everyone is a legend there now, it is something special for the club, the first time they won the title and everyone there is buzzing,' smiled the diminutive winger.

McClaren yesterday left the club for Germany, and Wolfsburg who competed in this season's Champions League. Stoch hopes it brings the Englishman further success overseas.

'I heard the manager had gone to Wolfsburg, I knew a little earlier that maybe he would leave, but it is not surprising, he has done a great job and what else can he do with the team?' he reasoned. 'Now he can move on to a bigger team and hopefully learn more.'

'I don't know what will happen but we have to decide the best option for me, last year we decided really well when I went to Twente, and now I hope we will do the best again,' he explained. 'I want to play all the time like I did in Holland.'

Stoch was at Cobham for his end of season fitness testing, and was joined by fellow loanees Jack Cork, Michael Mancienne and Scott Sinclair.

Cork rounded his loan spell at Burnley on Sunday with a goal as the Clarets came back from two down to beat Tottenham 4-2.

The goal, a second-half header, pulled already relegatedBurnley level before they went on to win the game.

It was Cork's 11th appearance for the Turf Moor side since arriving there in early February, following a spell with Coventry City for the first half of the season.

Mancienne was not involved in Wolves' final game of the season on Sunday, so completed his stay at Molineux with 25 starts and eight sub appearances, helping them to achieve Premier League survival for the first time.

Sinclair was ineligible for Wigan's visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but was at the game to see his temporary side beaten 8-0 by the Blues.

During his time at the DW Stadium, Scott made five starts and 17 sub appearances, scoring twice.

Franco Di Santo has also completed his loan spell at Blackburn, where he made 16 starts and nine sub appearances, scoring a solitary goal against local rivals Burnley in October.

Michael Ballack Admits Time Is Running Out To Sign A New Deal At Chelsea

Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack has admitted that time could be running out for him to secure a new contract at Stamford Bridge ahead of the World Cup.

The German's current deal at the club runs out in the summer and, whilst he accepts the decision taken by owner Roman Abramovich to delay contract negotiations until after the weekend's FA Cup final, he does feel that something needs to happen quickly.

"Roman Abramovich will only hold contract discussions once the season is over," Ballack told reporters.

"I don't want to pass judgement on that and I have to accept it.

"But everything is becoming rather tight in terms of time."

Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04 have been linked with the 33-year-old in recent days.