Carlo Ancelotti Eyes 10-Year Stay At Chelsea

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti last night praised his side’s Double glory and told supporters he intends to stay for a decade.

The Italian boss spent eight years at AC Milan, and has now stated he plans to better that at Stamford Bridge. In his first season in England, he lifted the Premier League and FA Cup double for the first time in Chelsea's history.

Speaking to reporters, Ancelotti said: "I would be happy to sign a new contract here.

“After this first season if they asked me how long I want to stay here I would say maybe 10 years. That wouldn’t be bad, especially if every season is like this season.

“I think stability is important. If we can work together for a long time it’s better to have stability for the club.

“It’s also important for the manager, because it’s not easy if you’re changing club every year.”

During Roman Abramovich's time in charge at Chelsea, Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luis Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink have all bossed the club.

New chief executive Ron Gourlay has admitted the Blues want to see an end to the managerial revolving doors. There are currently no plans to offer Ancelotti a new contract just 12 months into his three-year deal, however.

John Terry Keen For Joe Cole To Stay At Stamford Bridge Next Season

Chelsea captain John Terry has urged the club to extend midfielder Joe Cole’s contract beyond the end of this season.

The 28-year-old is out of contract in the summer and looks set to leave the club on a free transfer, with Manchester United and Manchester City rumoured to be interested in the England international.

Cole refused to comment on his future after Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup final win over Portsmouth, but Terry insists everybody at Stamford Bridge wants him to stay.

"Nobody wants Joe Cole to leave, we all want him to stay and we're confident he will do," Terry told Sky Sports.

Chelsea’s FA Cup final win secured the club’s first ever double, having already won the Premier League, and Terry is delighted to have made history this season.

He added: "[The Champions League] is the one that's eluded us in the last few years so that's the big target.

"We know that Roman [Abramovich] wants that, we know the players want that. This is just a taste of that, if we won that it would put us right up there with the greats.

"But we said yesterday in the dressing room, we'll take the double over the Champions League all day long.

"It's never been done in the club's history and we're so proud that this group of players, for generations and generations, is never going to be forgotten."

Michael Ballack Waits On Chelsea Talks About New Contract

Michael Ballack has admitted no talks are planned with Chelsea to sign a new contract, although he believes Carlo Ancelotti wants to keep him at the club.

The German international's deal expires at the end of June and discussions over an extension had been delayed until the season was over. Bundesliga outfit Schalke 04 has been linked with a free transfer swoop for him.

Ballack joined from Bayern Munich in 2006 and lifted his first Premier League title this month. Speaking to reporters, the midfielder said he believed Ancelotti was keen to re-sign him but wasn't sure of the rest of the Blues hierarchy’s intentions.

"There are no plans for talks yet, but I want to play for as long as possible at the highest level," said Ballack.

"I feel fit and I have targets in my mind - maybe two years [more]. But we have to wait and see.

"Chelsea is one of my first options, of course. I know he (Ancelotti) wants to keep me.

"I have a great relationship with him and he is really confident in me and my ability.

"But sometimes the club and the coach can have different ideas, I don't know. But it's time to talk about [it]."

Malouda - Anelka Keen To Stay

Florent Malouda believes Nicolas Anelka would have no hesitation in signing a new contract at Chelsea.

The French forward is yet to pen an extension to his current terms, fuelling speculation that he could be on the move this summer.

The 31-year-old has spent the last two seasons at Stamford Bridge, helping the Blues to two FA Cup triumphs and a Premier League title.

Chelsea insist they are keen to keep Anelka on board and talks regarding a new contract remain ongoing.

Malouda feels it is only a matter of time before an agreement is reached, with the tricky winger of the opinion that his fellow countryman has no desire to move on.

"I know that he wishes to stay and extend his contract," said Malouda.

"Now it's just a straight discussion between him and the club but I know there have been discussions between them.

"Things are very good for him. During the transfer window there is always speculation but there is no doubt."

Malouda sees no reason why any player would want to leave Chelsea right now, with the Blues having wrapped up a domestic Double on Saturday when they edged out Portsmouth in the FA Cup final.

The aim now is to build on that success next season, with a first UEFA Champions League crown towards the top of their list of priorities.

"In a team like Chelsea you want to win everything," said Malouda.

"Our ambition has to grow and we have to be regularly on top of the league. If you stay too relaxed that's when you start to fall down.

"We will come back with more appetite and next year we should try to add something.

"We have the quality to do that, you just have to see the amount of goals we scored, but we may have to be more consistent. There were moments where we dropped points.

"I don't know how many changes are required, that's not my role. The manager has a lot of experience and knows what was missing from us this season and what will bring something more."

Real Madrid Warned Off Lampard

Real Madrid have been warned off trying to sign Frank Lampard by Carlo Ancelotti, according to reports in today's papers.

The Chelsea star is known to be a favourite of former Blues boss Jose Mourinho who is widely expected to take over as Real boss this summer.

Mourinho is rumoured to have told Real president Florentino Perez to bring Lampard to the Bernabeu ready for next season.

But Stamford Bridge boss Ancelotti has laughed off the rumours. He said: "Lampard to Real Madrid? This is a joke because Lampard will stay here.

"When I started last season there was a problem with John Terry and Manchester City.

"Every time I said 'no, John Terry will stay here because he is important'.

"I don't want to do the same with Frank Lampard. He will stay here.

"There is no danger of Frank going because I know how he feels about this club, with these players, how important he is for the supporters."

John Terry Targets The Treble Next Season

John Terry has set his sights on winning the treble next season - after taking a massive swipe at the Wembley pitch.

Terry says Chelsea will be determined to win the Champions League as well as repeating this season's Premier League and FA Cup Double next year.

But Terry slammed the Wembley pitch and says it must be improved as next year's Champions League final will be played there as he also urged the Football Association to stop holding concerts and start putting football first.

Chelsea captain Terry said: "The Champions League next year is here - that would be a great way to end the year. I only hope the pitch is all right - at least they have got enough time.

"It probably ruined the game as a spectacle. It is not the groundsman's fault - there are just too many events on the field of play. The FA need to say either this is England's football stadium or its an event stadium.

"Portsmouth and ourselves have worked so hard to get here and it was not good enough. There was no water on the surface, which both teams asked for, before the game. It was patchy. It was dry and it was probably too slow for the people watching.

"Now we come back here with England and we want home advantage to count. It needs to be addressed and I am sure it will be."

Mirror Sport revealed on Saturday both teams were unhappy at the state of the pitch after their training session at Wembley the day before.

But Chelsea overcame the problems with the pitch to win the FA Cup and repeat their first ever double - and Terry has immediately insisted that is the bare minimum they want to achieve next season.

Terry firmly believes Carlo Ancelotti can sweep the board next season and win the lot and also says their momentum can help England go into the World Cup full of confidence.

Terry added: "The Double really does put us up there as a football club. There is no doubt about it - everybody knows the importance of the Champions League.

"It is something we want. But if you had offered me the Double at the start of the season, I would have bitten your hand off.

"It is hard to set new targets - the minimum next year now is the Premier League and the FA Cup. If we can add the Champions League to that and the Carling Cup, it would be great.

"But the minimum is the Premier League and the FA Cup. Everyone is saying that, including the manager. These are our trophies and we want to keep them.

"We have had a taste of winning the FA Cup and the Premier League and not been able to retain it and get our hands back on it the following season. Now it would be a great way to end next year as well.

"It would great if we could carry this momentum into the England camp. We are on a high. We are buzzing. We are fit.

"We have got a couple of days off but we go there and look forward to training and getting back on the training field for the World Cup."

Chelsea Eye Ashley Cole Swap Deal For Kaka

Real Madrid may be tempted into loaning Kaka to Chelsea - only if Ashley Cole goes the other way.

According to ItalPress, the Spanish giants may be warming to the idea of off-loading their £56million star if they can secure a player in return, and with a left-back high on their radar, Cole would be the obvious make-weight in any deal.

The 29-year-old may also feel like it’s the right time to join the Galactico ranks, after personal problems and media scandal have dogged his last season with the Blues.

However, it's unlikely that Carlo Ancelotti will want to enter into any kind of deal involving his full-back, and will likely try a straight-cash swoop in a bid to lure the Brazilian international.

Chelsea Set To Make Record Bid For Torres

Fernando Torres will be the subject of a world record bid from Chelsea within days.

The total package of transfer fee and salary will make Torres a staggering £130 million investment. And Soccernet has been informed that owner Roman Abramovich is personally taking control of the project to bring the Liverpool striker to Chelsea.

Torres has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid for some time but the Blues will be first to make a concrete offer.

Abramovich is ready to release the cash following a Premier League and FA Cup double this season, but he is also acutely aware he could cut an alternative deal with Liverpool in need of new players.

Chelsea are willing to offer three players in part exchange, as an option to smooth through the Torres transfer.

Abramovich is also prepared to match City's expected offer to Torres of £200,000-a-week, which is being mooted via the middle men now authorized to try and clinch the deal.

An insider told Soccernet: "Torres is the best, and Roman wants the best. He has identified Torres as the player who can help him bring the Champions League to Stamford Bridge.

"Torres can go to City for just as much money perhaps even more, but it's clear that Chelsea offer far more in terms of a crack at the Champions League whereas City aren't even in it."

Chelsea are drawing up a list of players to offer to Liverpool in part exchange for Torres that could take the overall transfer value above the £80 million world record Real Madrid paid for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The deal could be structured like this; pick any three players from a specified list plus £40 million cash up front for Torres. That offer, according to Soccernet sources, will be made well ahead of the World Cup finals in South Africa, and most likely early next week.

With the three players averaging around £15 million each, the total valuation of the Torres offer would be in excess of the Ronaldo fee.

Abramovich is personally spearheading the quest to land Torres, and his manager Carlo Ancelotti will consider which players to use as bait to tempt Liverpool: Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira.

Anelka is the one player the Italian coach might be reluctant to offer up and, of course, the Frenchman might not wish to return to Anfield - although he has expressed regret at failing to win a permanent move to the club after spending a loan spell on Merseyside.

Manchester City are also in a position to offer Liverpool a shopping list of swap players, as well as a cash payment in excess of Chelsea's, but the prospect of joining the Double winners and a club intent on landing the Champions League would be far more appealing.

Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are battling with losses of £54.9 million, a net debt of £351 million, no Champions League football and with new chairman Martin Broughton an appointee of the club's bank RBS, a £40 million cash-plus-players bid for their star asset will clearly be accepted.

Ironically, Broughton is a Chelsea season ticket holder, and any decision to sell would inevitably make him unpopular at Anfield.

Such is the ground work being prepared at the Bridge for the Torres bid, that star striker Didier Drogba is already ready to welcome him to the club.

"Of course I would welcome Torres," Drogba said last week. "Every time a new player comes here, it makes the club bigger and gives us a lot of strength. If there is a chance for him to come here, he will be welcome, because any help is welcome.''

Former Chelsea Defender Graeme Le Saux Praises Double-winning Manager Carlo Ancelotti

Former Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux has hailed the management style of Carlo Ancelotti after leading the Blues to the double in his first season at the club.

Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup final win over Portsmouth on Saturday secured the Blues’ first league and cup double in their history, after they pipped Manchester United to the Premier League title for the first time in four years a week earlier.

After starting the season playing a diamond formation, Ancelotti reverted back to 4-3-3 midway through the campaign and Le Saux, who is now a club ambassador, believes the way the Italian allows his players to play with freedom is the key to his success.

"While money has a huge influence on who you can buy and what infrastructure you can put in, ultimately you still have to have the right leader, right attitude from the players and right values within the dressing room," Le Saux told the Press Association.

"There was a lot of uncertainty since Jose Mourinho left, and from that point of view, Ancelotti has come in and really got the spirit right.

"Dealing with all of those individual characters is hard; to get them all to play for the common good is a tough job.

"To do that in his first year and to win the first double in the club's history is a huge achievement.

"Having spent time around the players and the training ground, seeing how they are with him and his staff, there is a really relaxed, but focused attitude.

"There is calmness about him, he is very assured as a coach.

"The players feel like they have a freedom to express themselves and that is what players and the fans want."