Blues 'Happy' With Draw

Chelsea club secretary David Barnard admits the club has to be 'happy' with their UEFA Champions League draw.

The Carlo Ancelotti's Blues were treated relatively kindly in Thursday's group stage draw, as they were able to avoid Europe's big guns.

They will face reigning French champions Marseille in Group F, who they last met back in 1999/00, but will fancy their chances against a side managed by former Stamford Bridge star Didier Deschamps.

Chelsea also face a couple of lengthy trips to Eastern Europe, to face Russian outfit Spartak Moscow and Slovakian minnows MSK Zilina, but overall they have no complaints with their passage to the last 16.

Barnard told Sky Sports News: "We've got to be fairly happy with that."

He also hopes that having the final on English soil will act as an added incentive for Chelsea to do well in the competition.

Wembley is set to play host to the biggest game in European club football on 28th May, and the Blues have every intention of being there.

"Since Wembley opened we've been there eight times now," said Barnard.

"You like to play a final on foreign soil, obviously for our supporters and the occasion, but you never know, Wembley is a lucky omen for us and may well be this year."

Chelsea, who reached the final in 2008 before losing to Manchester United on penalties, are looking to land the Champions League crown for the first time in their history.

Malouda - We Want CL Glory

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has spoken of the club's burning desire to win the UEFA Champions League this season.

The West London club has been in stunning form so far this season, scoring 12 goals in two games, with Malouda netting three, to demonstrate their destructive ability.

In what has been an immensely successful period for the Blues since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003, Europe's premier competition has been the only prize to have eluded them.

They have a relatively easy challenge to get through the group stage after being drawn in Group F, but the Premier League title holders have often come unstuck in the latter stages.

Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant,Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti have all tried and failed to deliver, with Grant coming closest in 2008 after defeat on penalties in the final against Manchester United.

Malouda, who has been in the best form of his Chelsea career over the past season, feels, however, that this year will be different and that they are more than equipped to win the trophy.

"I am 30 now and I know a career is short. I really want to enjoy my career more," Malouda told Chelsea TV.

"There is no better side than Chelsea in Europe and right now the aim is to win the Champions League.

"It was a wonderful experience to win the Premier League last season and I want to keep it.

"When you're at a club like this, you have to win.

"I want it every year, to be on top and there is no second place. I always want to be first."

Olympique De Marseille President Looking Forward To Reunion With Chelsea’s Didier Drogba

Drawn in Group F in the Champions League along with Chelsea, Olympique de Marseille are looking forward to the return of hero Didier Drogba to Stade Velodrome, president Jean-Claude Dassier has confirmed.

The Ivoirian was linked with a summer move back to France by some reports in the media, and though they unsurprisingly proved far-fetched, the 32-year-old hitman will be travelling to Provence this season with the English champions. It is an event Dassier is greatly anticipating.

“It will be both very pleasant and satisfying to see Didier Drogba again at the Velodrome, but he won't be alone,” the president warned, according to UEFA’s official website.

“Chelsea are the benchmark. Those are two huge games. We have our chance to go through with our strengthened squad but there must be no complacency. The Champions League is never easy.”

Spartak Moscow and Zilina are also involved in the pool, while Dassier may be slightly heartened to know that Drogba, who thrilled the Velodrome crowd during the 2003-04 season, won’t be involved in the Chelsea squad to face OM at Stamford Bridge on Matchday 2, as he will be serving a suspension carried over from last term.

Chelsea Deny €40m Move For Real Madrid Defender Sergio Ramos

Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen has personally assured Real Madrid president Florentino Perez they have made no move for Sergio Ramos.

The Blues were linked with a mammoth £33 million swoop for the Spain World Cup 2010 winner earlier this week after new contract talks stalled. The reports are understood to have been dismissed out of hand by the Chelsea hierarchy.

According to AS, Arnesen stated to Perez that he had been offered the player by an agent rather than making a move himself.

"It is absolutely false," the Dane is believed to have said.

"We haven’t made any bid for Ramos.

"What did surprise us is that a person called us on behalf of the player to see if we were interested in signing him."

Ramos himself quashed the rumour by declaring he wanted to finish his career at the Bernabeu.

Speaking to Marca, he said: "There’s no truth in it. I had a dream of winning the World Cup and I achieved it. Now I have another: to retire playing at Madrid."

You're All Running Scared Of Us Again, Insists John Terry

John Terry believes every club in the country fear Chelsea again now that the Premier League trophy is back at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea scored a record 103 goals on their way to winning the title last season and has begun their defence in similar attacking fashion by netting 12 times in wins over West Brom and Wigan.

They are strongly tipped to maintain their 100 per cent record tomorrow when they face Stoke, who they beat 7-0 at Stamford Bridge in April.

Skipper Terry admits that Chelsea lost their ability to intimidate opponents during Manchester United's hat-trick of championships between 2007 and 2009 but is confident they have their aura back now.

He said: “When [owner] Roman Abramovich first came in to Chelsea, we bought a lot of players and went on to win a lot of things.

“Speaking with the other players in the England camp, they were saying we were going to run away with the title for five, six, seven years. You're going to do all sorts, win this and win that.

“You could sense it in them that they were scared of Chelsea but in the last couple of years that had gone. I don't know why. Obviously we've not been as good as we could have been and not bought too many players but the way we played last season everyone should have respect for us again and that little bit of fear.

“Watching Manchester United win it for three years killed me and I was frustrated and hurt. If everyone felt like I did for three years, we should now realize how important it is to keep it here. I love lifting the trophy and winning things with this football club. I want to continue to do that.

“It is a lovely trophy and this season we go again. We have to retain the title and the FA Cup again. At the same time, I want to win the League and the Champions League in the same year.”

Terry is adamant coach Carlo Ancelotti deserves all the credit for turning Chelsea from a team labelled by some critics as boring' to the entertainers they are now.

He added: “It starts with the manager at the training ground and then on the pitch. In times before, we went two or three goals up and me and the other players in the backline would just keep the ball.

“The manager has come in and whether we are losing or drawing games, he just wants us to move the ball forward much more quickly.”

Chelsea have added only 23-year-old Brazilian Ramires, who will be officially unveiled at a press conference today, and 30-year-old Yossi Benayoun to the squad that was criticized for being too old following their early Champions League exit at the last 16 stage in February.

But Terry insists that the best is still to come from his side and added on Chelsea TV: “We're far from being too old. [Frank] Lampard is in his prime as is Didier [Drogba] and me. I'm 29 turning 30 this season. I feel great and the last couple of seasons I have played 120 games.

“I just hope to be able to continue to do that and to keep myself fit and sharp.

“It's just an excuse from outside the club to bring us down but that's where it's important that the club and the players stay together, stay friends and make sure that everything is okay here.”

John Obi Mikel Feels Pre-Season Effort Is Paying Off For Chelsea

John Obi Mikel feels his hard work on the training pitch is paying off after helping Chelsea open the defence of their Barclays Premier League title in blistering form.

The Blues have recorded successive 6-0 victories, over West Brom and at Wigan.

Next up are Stoke at Stamford Bridge - who were hammered 7-0 there in April as the Blues stormed towards the championship.

Mikel is now fully fit after a knee injury forced him to miss Nigeria's World Cup campaign and the midfielder is relishing the challenges ahead.

"Towards the end of last season before I was injured I was in good shape and playing almost every week. Then I got injured, had surgery and did my rehab," Mikel said on the club's official website, www.chelseafc.com.

"I just put my head down and knew I had to work twice as hard as the other players to get myself ready for the start of the season.

"I feel like it is paying off and I don't want to stop, I want to keep going and working hard in training.

"If you speak to the guys they will tell you I work as hard as anyone else on the training pitch, maybe harder and I just want to keep going like this."

Chelsea are expected to put Stoke to the sword again tomorrow, with confidence flowing in the dressing room.

Mikel added: "We all have a good understanding at the moment, they all know when to go and when to come in. I think it's pretty much working out as we want it to all the time.

"We know we are not going to score six every game, if you manage one and get three points it is all we need, but at the moment it is enjoyable to be a part of it and playing, and I hope it keeps going like this."

Chelsea Continues Supporting Tickets For Troops

Chelsea continues our pledge to support our Armed Forces this season by donating thousands of seats to the charity Tickets For Troops.

Tickets For Troops, which also has the support of the FA and the Football League, is a charity dedicated to providing top cultural, musical and sporting tickets to our soldiers, sailors and airmen.

Since launching last year it has provided over 200,000 top tickets to events nationwide and over 60,000 members of the Armed Forces have registered with the scheme.

Thousands of tickets have been made available to all serving military personnel and to veterans who have been discharged through injury since 2001, at the new Tickets for Troops website.

Tickets have been donated for top football and cricket matches, boxing contests, snooker, horse-racing events, theatre, and both classic and rock music concerts around the country.

Chelsea was the first football club to support the initiative, with chairman Bruce Buck being a patron for the charity. Last year the club donated more than 150 tickets for the Remembrance Sunday clash against Manchester United, a move that was organized through the British Legion.

'Chelsea Football Club, its staff, players and fans proudly supports our boys and the brave work they do,' said Buck.

'Tickets for Troops is a politically neutral and independent organization, it is purely in the interests of supporting our Armed Forces, which we are always more than happy to do.'

The charity boasts other patrons from the world of entertainment and sports, including singers Joss Stone and James Blunt, actress Joanna Lumley, ex-England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio and former England footballer Gary Lineker.

Tickets For Troops chairman, Lord Marland said: 'Tickets For Troops has benefited from a great wave of generosity from our ticket donors who have wanted to demonstrate their support and show their appreciation for the dedication and commitment of the marvellous men and women of our Armed Forces.

'I would like to thank Chelsea for their generous support of our troops during these difficult times.'