Chelsea Defender Ashley Cole Becomes The Most Decorated Player In FA Cup History After Winning Tournament For A Record Sixth Time

Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole ended a tumultuous season by becoming the most victorious player in the history of the FA Cup after the Blues defeated Portsmouth in the final on Saturday.

Less than a week after clinching the Premier League title, Chelsea completed the Double after a 1-0 win over Pompey at Wembley.

Cole became the first player in the 120 years in which the FA Cup has been played to lift the trophy six times.

The England international has had a tough time on and off the pitch this season, splitting with wife Cheryl Cole and missing some time with a broken ankle.

Fellow defender John Terry hailed Cole’s contribution this season and believes that the left-back is a crucial player for both Chelsea and England.

“His record in the Cup is incredible and he has been unbelievable this year,” Terry told the Daily Mail.

“Ashley was unfortunate with his injury and was probably our best player before that. He has come back as fit as ever and raring to go, which is a massive boost for us and England.”

Cole has played in seven Cup finals with the Blues and Arsenal and his sixth FA Cup win helped him move ahead of Charles Wollaston, Arthur Kinnaird and James Forrest as the most successful player in the history of the tournament.

Didier Drogba Hails Best Chelsea Season After Clinching FA Cup

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has declared this season to be his best at the club after his side lifted the FA Cup, defeating Portsmouth 1-0 at Wembley Stadium.

The Golden Boot winner expressed his desire to continue winning silverware with Chelsea in the future and believes this season was the best of his career.

"Yeah this is the best one because we achieved so many things together as a team and after that trophies came, but really it is because as a team we were so good, I had a chance to be Golden Boot, to play well like I am," Drogba told Sky Sports News.

"It's something very important for the team and me as well, today I have the chance again to score in that stadium again and I'm really happy because we won the double and this is something big in England and I'm happy to be a part of it.

"To be the first team to have done that for Chelsea is unbelievable.

"We knew it was going to be hard, we don't really think all the chances we created would hit the post or the crossbar but that's part of the game - we knew it was going to be hard."

Drogba also joined the queue of managers and players who voiced their dissatisfaction with the Wembley pitch.

He added: "Without water on the pitch I think it was difficult. The pitch was dry and to be honest I think it was better against Aston Villa."

The Ivory Coast international echoed the sentiments of his Chelsea team-mates John Terry and Frank Lampard in suggesting domestic success is the perfect preparation for the World Cup.

He continued: "It's the best way to go to the World Cup and be confident and work hard - you know it's better to work with a big smile on the face than to be down, and I'm happy to go there."

Buck: Abramovich Going Nowhere

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck today insisted that Roman Abramovich will remain at Chelsea "indefinitely".

The London club completed a league and cup double on Saturday thanks to Didier Drogba's goal in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth at Wembley.

Buck told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek program that the Chelsea owner was committed to the club.

"He was a very happy man on Saturday night," he said. "I see him here indefinitely. He has never, ever given us any indication that he is anything other than a long term Chelsea fan."

According to Buck, any suggestions that Abramovich would sell Chelsea are "totally inaccurate" and "not something that goes through his head".

Buck also revealed that three or four players would be leaving the club in the summer, with three or four new signings to replace them.

He would not be drawn on specific players who could leave the club, such as Joe Cole. But he said the goals and targets were to "keep winning trophies in an efficient business-like manner".

Chelsea Midfielder Ballack Limps Out Of Final A Month Before World Cup

Chelsea’s Michael Ballack limped out of Saturday’s FA Cup final against Portsmouth at Wembley, less than a month before the World Cup.

The 33-year-old was upended by a late tackle from Portsmouth’s Kevin-Prince Boateng, who was booked on 35 minutes.

Germany captain Ballack managed to play on for a few minutes after receiving treatment but was then replaced by Juliano Belletti. Chelsea went on to win the game 1-0 through Didier Drogba’s free-kick.

Germany open their World Cup campaign against Australia on 13 June.

Ballack, who has won 98 international caps, was named in Germany's preliminary squad on 7 May.

He is out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the season and could perhaps have played his last game for the club. German club Schalke have already stated their interest in signing Ballack.

Roman Rewards Ancelotti With Funds For Kaka

Roman Abramovich will reward Double-winning boss Carlo Ancelotti by backing a sensational move for Kaka.

Ancelotti is a huge admirer of the Brazilian, who last year turned down a move to Manchester City.

Instead, Kaka headed to Real Madrid in a £56million switch from AC Milan but his first season in La Liga has been a troubled one.

He has been dogged by injury and has had to angrily deny rumours that he was more concerned about being fit for the World Cup than for Real Madrid's domestic campaign.

Should Real not leapfrog above Barcelona in the last round of fixtures today - and that looks hugely unlikely - they will end the season trophyless.

And that will lead to yet more major upheaval at the Bernabeu with Jose Mourinho almost certain to replace Manuel Pellegrini and bring with him a long list of transfer targets.

That air of uncertainty is a factor that will give Ancelotti encouragement in a pursuit of Kaka.

The pair had a very successful, six-year relationship and won the Champions League together in 2007.

And as he feels the heat in the pressure-cooker atmosphere that surrounds everything at Real, Kaka could be tempted to work with Ancelotti again in the relatively tranquil surroundings at Stamford Bridge.

While Cristiano Ronaldo has been a success, Kaka has only appeared sporadically - mainly due to a troublesome thigh injury.

There is a growing suspicion there might not be room for both galacticos in Madrid.

Kaka is only one season into a six-year deal that is worth around £170,000 to the former World Player of the Year.

The wage issue would not be a problem for Abramovich and Chelsea but they might baulk at giving Real anywhere near the £56million the Spanish club handed over to Milan.

In two or three years' time, Kaka's sell-on value will be greatly reduced and Chelsea would probably be willing to go up only to around the £40million mark.

Cheekily, they might even propose some type of loan deal, where they pay Real rent for the player and his extravagant wages.

Abramovich has sanctioned a belt-tightening exercise at the Bridge and that might be reflected in upcoming contract negotiations with the likes of Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka.

And the Russian owner is hopeful that talent from the academy will push through in the next couple of seasons.

But after the outstanding domestic season, he still wants Chelsea to crack the Champions League and knows he needs to back Ancelotti and give him the financial tools to compete with the superpowers in the transfer market.

Chelsea Braced For Ashley Cole Bids

Chelsea are bracing themselves for massive bids from Barcelona and Real Madrid for Ashley Cole.

Both of the Spanish giants are in the market for a top left-back and Cole is rated among the best in the world.

Feelers have already been put out over Cole’s availability.

So far Chelsea are resisting but Real Madrid are expected to test the Stamford Bridge resolve with a £20million offer for the 29-year-old, who has been plagued by injury and off-the-field problems.

Real Madrid have also been eyeing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra only to be told the French international is not for sale.

Blues Offer New Deal To Bruma

Jeffrey Bruma has been offered a new five-year contract at Chelsea worth £8,000 a week.

The Dutch Under-21 defender is the cream of Chelsea's expensive academy project and has already been told he will be in the first team squad next season.

Bruma, 18, is part of Chelsea's FA Youth Cup-winning side and has been earmarked for a long career at Stamford Bridge.

He signed a professional contract at the club when he moved from Dutch side Feyenoord, but Chelsea want to tie him to a long-term deal.

Although £8,000 a week is low for a first-team squad player, Chelsea are prepared to sit down each summer to discuss a revised deal if continues to make progress.

With Ricardo Carvalho expected to leave Chelsea in the summer, Bruma will move up the pecking order.

Although John Terry and Alex will take some shifting from the centre of Chelsea's defence, Bruma has been tipped to be one of their successors in years to come.

Bruma currently earns just £2,000 a week, but his improved deal is a reflection of the progress he has made this season.

His contract will also be heavily incentivised with bonuses for first team appearances.

Bruma will also pick up prize money for Premier League wins and goal bonuses as part of his package.

The central defender's rise to the first team has been carefully managed by Chelsea's director of football Frank Arnesen.

Chelsea skipper Terry was the last player to successfully come through the youth ranks and make the transition to the first team.

That was 10 years ago and Arnesen, who took up his post in 2005, has overseen a youth project that has cost the club more than £50m.

Blues Face Battle For Aguero

Chelsea face a tough battle with former manager Jose Mourinho to sign long-term target Sergio Aguero.

Juventus and Mourinho's Inter Milan are Chelsea's two main rivals for Aguero, who is likely to have made his last appearance for Atletico Madrid in Wednesday's Europa League Final win over Fulham.

Mourinho has been tracking Argentina striker Aguero for some time and, if he leaves the San Siro to become the new boss at Real Madrid, may even try to persuade the player to make the controversial switch across the Spanish capital's great divide.

Aguero himself would prefer to move to the Premier League, but only if the deal is right.

In previous negotiations with Chelsea, the player's representatives indicated he would be prepared to take a pay cut of about £1million net a year in order to fulfil his ambition of coming to England.

But Aguero's package at Atletico is so lucrative that Chelsea would still have to put him up with top earner and John Terry, whose deal is worth about £160,000 per week.

Aguero's buy-out clause is a whopping £51.5m, even allowing for the weakening of the Euro, although it is believed Atletico might accept significantly less.

Chelsea's only serious potential rivals in England for Aguero's signature are the two Manchester clubs. But United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is said to be wary of signing Argentine players after problems with Juan Sebastian Veron, Gabriel Heinze and, most recently, Carlos Tevez, and City are yet to show firm interest in the player.

Meanwhile the hopes of Chelsea and a host of other top clubs of signing two of Europe's hottest young talents may also be dashed - at least for this year.

Chelsea have once more stepped up their interest in Lille sensation Eden Hazard, who is on the wanted list of every European giant. But the word from France is that Lille are determined to hang on to the 19-year-old Belgium international - who has been compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - for at least one more year.

And Belgian side Anderlecht have indicated that they intend to resist bids this year for 17-year-old Romelu Lukaku, who has been dubbed "the new Didier Drogba".

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay confirmed last week that manager Carlo Ancelotti would be given money to strengthen his ageing squad and, if the right marquee player became available, to sign star names.

But he also stressed the club's long-term desire to become self-sufficient and to bring through players from the Academy, whose youth team won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 49 years earlier this month.

Cech: I Love This Cup

It's not often in this free-scoring end to the season that the Chelsea goalkeeper has been in the spotlight but no-one can deny that Petr Cech was one of heroes of the Double-clinching FA Cup win.

The Blues number one told the Official Chelsea Website on Saturday morning how much he enjoyed this competition and nothing that happened in the afternoon changed his mind.

Despite what all neutrals will surely say was a one-sided match, it took a remarkable reaction save from Cech to send the teams in level in at half-time, and that was before he kept out Kevin-Prince Boateng's penalty just minutes before Didier Drogba's winner.

'I was really confident that I was going to save the penalty and I think that was the key,' said Cech after the game as he was asked about what may have been a game-changing save.

'The mentality was strong and I was ready to face the penalty and I made a god choice.'

Cech dived to his right, the penalty was hit more-or-less centrally and he saved with his legs.

'From the body language when he ran towards it I chose the side.

'It looked like the kind of game when you keep missing and then you get punished in the end,'Cech reflected as he thought about five attempts against the woodwork prior to the penalty. What also deserves celebrating is his reflex save from Frederic Piquionne in the first half.

'I am delighted of course because we won the game we wanted to win to go into the history books, we are the first ever Chelsea team to win the Double and we are rare as a team that defended the FA Cup.

'It was my third FA Cup win and I love playing the FA Cup, I have never lost a single game in the FA Cup and it is brilliant and I really love playing in it.'