Drogba: Tough To Go Out At Home

Following our exit from the Champions League on Tuesday, Didier Drogba knows we have to improve if we want to win the domestic league title.

The Ivorian was obviously disappointed by the midweek result, and felt there could have been at least one penalty awarded over the two ties, but he's now concentrating on the competitions we can still compete in. That means wins over Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth in the next week are a must if we are to maintain our challenge for the Barclays Premier League.

'We are disappointed but we have to come back stronger,' insists the Chelsea number 11.

'The League is going to be a big battle, we have one game more to play [than our title rivals] and we have to go to Portsmouth,' he adds, looking ahead to the next midweek clash.

'So, we have to go there and do everything we can to be top of the League again.'

But with another Champions League campaign ending with another ban for Drogba, does the Ivorian think the Blues are unlucky in Europe's elite competition?

'At the end of the day Inter were a better team,' he reports. 'We couldn't play our game and they were stronger than us. But it is difficult to stop at this stage of the competition and be out.

'In the two games we could have won at least one penalty, but maybe the referee didn't see them or feel like giving any penalties.

'It is tough because every season you start the Champions League you have a lot of belief and then to go out like this, especially at home, it's just very difficult.'

Drogba's red card in the 86th minute means he'll miss the start of next season's European campaign.

It'll be the third season in a row this has happened following a red card in the Moscow final and further disciplinary action after our final game of the competition against Barcelona last year. Aware of the repercussions after last season's exit, Drogba accepted his sending off on Tuesday with grace, despite disagreeing with the decision.

'The referee was a bit harsh with this red card,' he says. 'I stepped on his tendon but it was not intentional, I was more focused on the ball coming from the cross.

'But it is hard and I didn't really want to discuss it at the time, I just went straight into the changing room.'

Now in terms of Champions League success, Chelsea will have to wait for the 2010/11 season.

'All the players here are really happy and we want to stay, we want to contribute to this adventure. It will mean a lot to win it next season together because we have been trying so hard for such a long time. I hope next season will be different for us in the Champions League.'

Reserves Topple Charlton At Cobham

Chelsea's second string were victorious in an entertaining friendly against Charlton at Cobham on Wednesday, but are left counting the cost after a serious injury to defender Carl Magnay.

The defender's knee gave way shortly into the second half with nobody around him, and the prognosis is not good.

Coach Steve Holland was understandably concerned following the 3-2 win over the Addicks, in which Jacob Mellis scored our first and Fabio Borini notched twice.

'Carl's injury is a bit of a disaster I'm afraid,' Holland said. 'We are still awaiting results of the scans but the early assessment is that he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, and that there is damage to the medial collateral ligament, and an issue with a cracked kneecap also, so that's a really nasty injury.'

There was some good news though, as 17-year-old forward Philipp Prosenik returned to action after a lengthy layoff.

'That was Philipp's first game back after four months out injured, and that was a reward for all the effort he's put in,' Holland explained. 'He's had a tough first season in England which is very difficult for him, but again he did well.'

As for the game itself, 'we were better in the second half than the first, made a bad mistake for the first goal but then got back in with a good equaliser,' assessed the coach. 'We've been on to Jacob Mellis about his end product and he did well and continues his improvement and worked very hard.

'We really got hold of the game and started to wear them out with our passing and made a lot of chances in the second half and had a fairly comfortable win. Also, it was good to see Fabio get a couple of goals as well.'

Borini was denied in the opening exchanges by some smart goalkeeping, before Charlton took an early lead after our own stopper Jan Sebek was dispossessed when trying to deal with a backpass, the visiting forward having the simplest of tasks to tap home.

Mellis quickly restored parity though with a smart left-footed finish following a Chelsea counter-attack.

Borini had another ruled out for offside and Daniel Philliskirk went close, but Charlton went ahead again with a close range finish moments after Sebek had pulled off an excellent one-on-one save.

Holland was unimpressed with his side's defending and made his point clear, no doubt reinforcing the message at half-time.

Shortly into the second period centre-half Magnay was struck down by injury, crumpling in a heap with nobody around him and requiring a stretcher.

He was replaced by schoolboy Nathaniel Chalobah who slotted into central midfield, captain Liam Bridcutt (pictured) dropping deeper into defence.

Mellis almost notched an equaliser after Borini had laid off inside the area, Nana Ofori-Twumasi doing well to pick the forward out with his right-sided cross.

A heavy challenge on Nemanja Matic should have given the Blues a penalty, but a minute later they levelled anyway, when Borini cut inside and fired hard across the goalkeeper and into the top corner from outside the area.

The Italian then put his side in front with a tidy finish through the goalkeeper's legs after some slick build-up play.

At the other end Sebek made another reflex save after a casual clearance had allowed Charlton to press, before sub Prosenik worked the away keeper with a curling shot.

Charlton manager Phil Parkinson was watching from the sidelines, and chatted for a period with Chelsea coaches Ray Wilkins and Paul Clement, who were monitoring the performances of the young Blues.

Guard Delays Terry Meeting

The security guard who has hit by John Terry's car on Tuesday night has delayed his meeting with the Chelsea captain because he does not want to "cause a fuss".

Steve Rowley, who is deputy security manager at the club, was hit by the England defender's Range Rover after Chelsea's 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Initial reports suggested that Mr. Rowley had broken his leg but last night he released a statement confirming the collision had left it badly bruised.

Terry was not aware of the accident until he was telephoned at home in Oxshott and he was found to have no alcohol in his blood when breathalysed by Surrey Police.

Phil Hall, spokesman for the former England captain, said that Terry had intended to meet Mr. Rowley on Thursday but the security guard declined, saying that he did not want to cause a fuss.

Hall said: "John rang him this morning and after training this afternoon to ask Steve how he was.

"Steve said he was fine and that he was resting up. John discussed visiting him today but he just said: 'No, don't worry about it. It's not worth the hassle, there's nothing that you can't say that you haven't already done, it'll just turn into more of a media circus if you do come."'

"John and Steve have now agreed to meet up some time in the next week at work.

"I don't know what John has planned. I think he wants it to remain private.

"Steve has been told he needs to rest for a one week but he thinks he could be back at work sooner."

Hall revealed that the 29-year-old will meet with Surrey Police again next week.

"John will have to meet the police as is the procedure for this kind of thing," said Hall.

"The police officer who initiated the operation is off until next week apparently so he will talk to him then."

Terry has endured a tempestuous 2010 amid rumours of an affair with lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel.

Reports about Terry's relationship with Ms Perroncel, the former partner of fellow England star Wayne Bridge, put pressure on team manager Fabio Capello.

The Italian stepped in to strip him of the England captaincy during a short private meeting at Wembley at the beginning of February. Bridge later made himself unavailable for the World Cup due to Terry's presence in the squad.

Terry's wife, Toni, was in the passenger seat at the time of Tuesday's incident.

Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich Wins 'Gambling Problem' Claim Case

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has accepted an apology and substantial libel damages at the High Court, following newspaper claims that he had a serious gambling problem.

The legal action arose out of claims made by Italian newspaper La Repubblica last May in an article entitled 'A black year for Abramovich as he loses a yacht at poker'.

His solicitor, John Kelly, told the judge that his "internationally well-known and wealthy" client had suffered "distress and embarrassment" as a result of the newspaper's claims.

Kelly asserted that the report had claimed Abramovich had "suffered a heavy loss in a poker game and had been forced to hand over a luxury yacht worth half a million euros to cover his gambling debt.

"The report also alleged that Mr. Abramovich's poker playing had led to a crisis with his long-term partner Dasha Zhukova and that Mr. Abramovich was now gambling online.

"The article would have been understood to mean that he had such a serious gambling problem that he was not only jeopardizing his relationship with his long-term partner Dasha Zhukova, who had been forced to issue him an ultimatum that he either give up playing poker or she would end their relationship, but he was also seriously risking his financial stability and had already been forced to liquidate assets, through the sale of one of his yachts, in order to cover his heavy gambling debts.

"Regrettably, these allegations were not put to Mr. Abramovich or his representatives before publication. If they had been, the defendant would have been advised of the utter falsity of the allegations."

The solicitor for the publishers of the article offered her clients' apologies to Mr. Abramovich, who intends to donate the damages received to charity.

Gullit Urges Chelsea To Buy

Former Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit has urged the club to invest in new players to finally win the Champions League after branding them "powerless" against Inter Milan.

Gullit, manager at Stamford Bridge between 1996 and 1998, believes Carlo Ancelotti's squad cannot win the trophy owner Roman Abramovich craves without a fresh injection of talent.

When asked if the current squad can be crowned European champions next season, Gullit said: "Not any more. This was their last chance. They need to add players to this team.

"Against Inter it was a difficult match for them, they couldn't outsmart them and they looked powerless. The worst thing to see was no creativity, no ideas, no-one to do something and change the game."

He added on Sky Sports: "They did everything, they started 4-3-3, then went 4-4-2, then put on (Salomon) Kalou and (Joe) Cole and they had nothing. They couldn't change the game. Their best player was the goalkeeper."

Even Chelsea players admitted Jose Mourinho, their former manager, got his tactics right to send Ancelotti's men out of the competition at the last-16 stage.

"The longer the game went on we had no answer to create something, we are really disappointed," said midfielder Michael Ballack on official website chelseafc.com.

"We have to be focused on the league now and that is also a big competition for us because we haven't won it for the last few years."

Ancelotti Ready For Increased Pressure

Carlo Ancelotti admits he will come under pressure at Stamford Bridge after his Chelsea side were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 by Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

The Champions League trophy was Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's priority this season after having lost out on the final in Moscow to Manchester United in 2008.

But Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat by Inter, which ensured a 3-1 aggregate loss, put paid to the dream for another season.

And after being taunted by the Inter fans, Ancelotti said: "I have been involved in football for a lot of years and I know what fans do. That doesn't change anything. I want to do my best job for Chelsea, that's all.

"My regret is we didn't play as well as we did in the first leg. But I've worked for a long time in this environment and I know exactly what expectations are.

"It's normal that a manager is going to come under pressure if he loses a few matches."

Chelsea lie second to Manchester United in the Premier League and are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Ancelotti added: "Now we have two important competitions we want to win. We'll have more pressure on the next few games, but we must be strong and have good control of our emotions.

"Maybe this defeat could be a very good motivation for the next few games. We have to be strong after this defeat. We have to have a new motivation, a good motivation, for the future."

Reaction: Never In Full Control

As the dust settled on Chelsea's Champions League exit having lost at home to an Italian side for only the second time, the two managers were in agreement. Inter were worthy winners.

Having stifled Chelsea's usually potent attack at Stamford Bridge, the Serie A champions made sure their first-leg lead was preserved when Samuel Eto'o scored late in the game. It sent the Blues out at the first knockout stage for the first time since 2006 when Eto'o, then of Barcelona, also scored in the match at the Bridge.

Four years further on Jose Mourinho deployed the Cameroon striker and Macedonian Goran Pandev in wide attacking positions and their contribution was important according to the defeated manager.

'It did not surprise me how Inter lined up because that was how they played in last 30 minutes in San Siro,' Ancelotti said, 'but one thing I was surprised by was the hard work put in by the two wide men on the night.

'Inter played a very good game,' the Italian continued. 'They put strong pressure on the pitch on our midfielders so we were not able to play how we wanted. Inter deserved to win. We were never in full control. There was only a short period when we could control the game. We could have played better.'

Many who have seen the action will believe Chelsea were denied two penalties for fouls on Branislav Ivanovic and Didier Drogba at corners, to add to the one denied to Kalou in the first leg, but the manager would not be drawn into any suggestion there is a reason why Chelsea suffer so in European competition.

'We are unlucky, only this. A penalty is when the referee whistles. The referee didn't whistle so I don't want to comment.'

Ancelotti was not able pass judgement on Drogba's late red card either. In common with most in the stadium he had missed the off-the-ball incident.

'I am very, very happy because we won and because we were the best team,' announced Jose Mourinho when it was his turn to pass comment.

'Sometimes you win because you are lucky, sometimes you win because something happened during the game that made the ball go to one side and not the other, and sometimes because you are the best team.

'Sometimes you win because you are the best team from the first minute to the last and that is the perfect game. And that team was my team so I am very happy for them, very happy for the Inter supporters and very happy for myself because I worked so much to prepare this game.

'I am not happy because my ex-players lost, I am not happy because Roman lost, I am not happy because Chelsea supporters go home sad. I am happy with our happiness, not with their unhappiness.

'Yesterday I exchanged a few SMS with John Terry I told him tomorrow somebody will be sad, but that's life.

'Possibly I am no longer so special for Chelsea supporters who will probably never forgive me.'

'We are very sorry,' summed up Ancelotti, 'but we have to stay focussed on the other competitions.

'We are now only in two competition but they are of high importance. For sure we have more pressure now on the other games but we have to be strong and have good control of our emotions - and maybe this defeat can be good motivation.'

Ballack: No Answers

Michael Ballack admitted we had 'no answers' to Inter's strong defensive display at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening.

The midfielder was talking after being eliminated from the Champions League at the first knockout stage, the first time in four years we have not reached the semi-finals at least, but he was able to give credit to an organised Inter side.

'We didn't play that well, we are really disappointed with our performance but Inter did well,' he admitted. 'We knew it would be difficult to score, we could see from the first leg. Especially in the second half today we had no answer to create chances, and the longer the game went on the harder it got. We are disappointed but have to accept it.

'The first half was okay, we had three or four chances where they defended in the last moment, but the longer the game went on we had no answer to create something, we are really disappointed.'

Things might have been different had we been given two first-half penalties, but both Ballack and team-mate Didier Drogba remained philosophical.

'If you play at this level against strong teams like Inter you have to look at these situations as well. We are not lucky, in the first leg we should get one, and tonight as well,' said the German. 'We don't want to moan but we are a little unlucky of course.'

Drogba, who was sent off after clashing with Inter midfielder Thiago Motta late in the game, felt hard done by, and added: 'I think that Inter made a great match and they deserved to win. [The dismissal] is difficult to take because yes, I stepped on his calf, but I don't think I deserved this red card.

'Probably, we missed the chance in the first match in Milan, in which we had many opportunities but we failed to score more. Tonight Inter were better. I think that now they can go very far in the competition.

'The most important thing is we are out of the competition. We didn't play the way we wanted, Inter stopped us playing and that's what made the game difficult for us. It is a difficult result and now we are going to have to focus on the league and FA Cup.'

That means quickly getting over the disappointment of elimination by bouncing back at Blackburn on Sunday. No doubt Carlo Ancelotti will be looking for the right reaction from his men.

Drogba: I Didn't Deserve Red Card

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba does not believe he deserved to be sent off against Inter Milan but was more disappointed with the result.

The Blues bowed out of the Champions League on Tuesday night after going down 3-1 on aggregate to the Italian side, managed by former Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

The tie had been delicately poised at 2-1 ahead of the second leg at Stamford Bridge but Chelsea were unable to score the goal they needed as Inter produced an excellent defensive performance.

Samuel Eto'o then struck in the 79th minute to seal Inter's success and Drogba was left to admit the better team had made it through to the quarter-finals.

The Ivorian striker nevertheless insists there is still a lot to play for this season and has switched his attention to domestic matters.

"We didn't play the way we wanted," he told Sky Sports.

"I think Inter stopped us playing the way we wanted and that's what made the game difficult for us.

"It is a difficult result and now we are going to have to focus on the league and the FA Cup."

Drogba was shown a red card for a foul on Thiago Motta in the closing stages to complete a miserable night for Carlo Ancelotti's men.

He thinks the decision was harsh, but concedes it was not a significant incident as Chelsea's European dreams were shattered for another season.

"It is difficult to take because, yes I stepped on his calf, but I don't think I deserved this red card," said Drogba.

"But it is something that happened in the game. The most important thing is that we are out of the competition."

Ashley Cole And Michael Essien Have A Laugh As Chelsea Slump To Inter Defeat

Defeat in the Champions League and his much-publicised marital problems don't seem to be bothering Ashley Cole, or Chelsea pal Michael Essien, as they share a joke in the stands at Stamford Bridge.

Cole, without a wedding band after his recent split from wife Cheryl, was pictured in the seats near the Blues bench on Tuesday night as the home side slumped to a 1-0 defeat against old manager Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Both the England left-back and Essien are out injured, and their absence cost a below-par Chelsea dearly as they crashed out of Europe in the last-16.

But the on-field problems of their team-mates clearly didn't stand in the way of a good joke as Ghana international Essien laughs and smiles as he and Cole exchanged pleasantries.

As well as his ongoing ankle injury, which will keep him out for at least another month, Cole has been pleading with his estranged wife not to divorce him before this summer's World Cup in South Africa.

And, in a bid to escape the intense media spotlight in England, the defender has also been linked with a move to Spain to join La Liga leaders Real Madrid ahead of next season.

Inter Defeat Shows Signs Chelsea Are Turning Into Carlo Ancelotti's Embarrassing AC Milan

Though Jose Mourinho has not played Chelsea since his departure by "mutual consent" in September 2007, beating them for the second time in three weeks on Tuesday night must have felt incredibly familiar.

Not because he was up against so many players he signed and managed, not because he was on his old ground and not even because another of his fearless predictions once again came true.

Condemning an ageing force of superstars to another critically damaging defeat is what he has been doing for the season-and-a-half he has been in Italy. The Inter boss has had the beating of city rivals AC Milan not just on head-to-heads, but on their points tally as well, and Chelsea are showing almost all the symptoms of going the same way.

A spectacular team was assembled by Carlo Ancelotti at the beginning of the decade. Backed by one of the most rich and powerful men in football's history, Silvio Berlusconi, Ancelotti was able to bring in Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta, Clarence Seedorf, Filippo Inzaghi and many more to formulate a team that would prove one of the most dominant in Europe and a consistent force domestically.

But when the return didn't quite match the mammoth investment, doubled up by the implications of the 2006 Calciopoli scandal and Serie A's overall decline in revenue, this great Milan side began growing old together. And not in the good way.

There was no sign of a new generation coming to take the place of the old, nor was there the ambition to go the extra financial mile to sign a new set of emerging stars. The 2007 Champions League triumph aside - which itself was in many ways an anomaly and a swansong for a once superb side - Milan have been on the most humiliating slide for what has now been several years.

Ancelotti has moved on, but the song remains the same at San Siro, and now too at Stamford Bridge. Here we have the blueprint of a domineering Chelsea side assembled almost entirely by Jose Mourinho from 2004 to 2007, backed by hundreds of millions of owner Roman Abramovich's personal fortune.

This is a team whose fortunes in their prime mirrored those of Milan. Chelsea were an unbeatable force domestically, but also-rans in Europe.

The decline is taking the same ominous shape it did at San Siro. The owner has lost far too much (with the recession doing for Abramovich the hard work that Calciopoli and Serie A's revenue decline did for Milan) and has so far shown no willingness to spend his way out of trouble. The squad, while talented, are all of the same age and beginning to exhibit the same weaknesses, and the coach is precisely the same person.

A person who trusts in experience and class, who trusts in what's familiar and who trusts in forward planning. He is a creature of habit, and has quite clearly already found his groove at Stamford Bridge - so much so that he had no semblance of a clue of how to respond to Jose Mourinho's tactical masterstrokes on Tuesday evening.

For long enough now, Serie A has looked an old and tired proposition when faced with the Premier League, but it was Inter's incredible energy, boundless determination and tactical invention that did for a tired and predictable Chelsea over the two legs of this tie.

It was an ominous role reversal that says as much, if not more, about Chelsea's shortcomings as pretenders to the European throne as it does about Inter's resurgence under Jose Mourinho.

It's not too late for the Blues, and escaping the transfer ban for the Gael Kakuta saga is a blessing they cannot afford to pass up. There needs to be a summer shake-up. A game-changer. Where are Chelsea's three strikers up front to defend with attack, their creative genius in midfield or their wonderkid on the bench?

It won't all cost the earth, but it will require the coach and sporting director - whether or not they are still Ancelotti and Frank Arnesen - to have the courage and the vision to make it happen this summer. Gambles will have to be taken now, swallowing many a bitter pill with the hope of avoiding the impending putrid aftertaste that is the washed-up and near-unsalvageable state of AC Milan.

Terry's Car In Collision With Security Official

Chelsea have confirmed that captain John Terry was involved in an accident outside Stamford Bridge on Tuesday which resulted in a club security officer suffering a leg injury.

The Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday that they were called to an incident after Chelsea's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan and that a 35-year-old man had been taken by ambulance to a west London hospital.

"Police were called shortly before 11.15 pm on Tuesday to reports of a collision between a car and a pedestrian," a Met Police spokesman said.

"A 35-year-old man suffering a broken leg was taken by ambulance to a west London hospital where he is described as being in a stable condition.

"The car, a 4x4, did not stop at the scene. Enquiries into the incident are ongoing. The Metropolitan Police Service did request Surrey Police conduct a breath test on our behalf, which was carried out. We don't discuss the results."

Chelsea said Terry had not been aware of the incident at the time but spoke to the police and the member of staff when he was told about it. The club said they understood that the security official had not suffered a broken leg.

"We can confirm there was an unfortunate accident as John Terry left Stamford Bridge last night," Chelsea said in a statement.

"When driving out of the stadium at approximately 1-2mph in a queue of traffic exiting the ground, his car was surrounded by photographers and fans.

"In the melee that ensued a member of Chelsea's security staff was knocked to the ground, making contact with the car. He suffered a badly bruised leg.

"John was aware at the time that there was a lot of contact with his car during the incident but not that anyone was injured as a result. Upon hearing of the injury, John spoke to the police. He has also been in contact with the staff member to check on his welfare."

Terry was stripped of the England captaincy last month following newspaper revelations that he had an extra-marital affair with the ex-partner of England and former Chelsea team mate Wayne Bridge.

Match Report: Chelsea 0 - 1 Inter Milan

Jose Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge in triumph as Inter Milan sent Chelsea crashing out of the Champions League.

Samuel Eto's clinical strike 11 minutes from time settled a scrappy encounter and sealed a place in the quarter-finals for Mourinho at the expense of the club he left in 2007 after a hugely successful three-and-a-half years.

And the misery for Chelsea and coach Carlo Ancelotti was complete when Didier Drogba was sent off in the closing minutes after a penalty area clash with Thiago Motta.

Mourinho's Inter were able to keep a subdued Chelsea at arm's length for the majority of a tense evening littered with fouls and spells of ill-feeling, with even the self-appointed "Special One" being targeted for abuse by the supporters who once idolised him as frustration spread around Stamford Bridge in the closing moments.

He celebrated in relatively muted fashion when Eto'o capped a spell of Inter pressure with the crucial goal, after Diego Milito had missed the chance to seal Chelsea's fate even earlier.

Chelsea had their moments in a frantic first half, with Michael Ballack shooting just wide and Nicolas Anelka seeing a close-range effort cleared off the line by Motta, while keeper Julio Cesar saved well from Florent Malouda after the break.

And Chelsea were also left claiming they were victims of a clear injustice in the first half when Drogba was dragged to the ground by Walter Samuel as they wrestled to reach a corner.

This apart, Inter were able to restrict Chelsea, who failed to show the wit and guile required to break them down, demonstrating the defensive discipline and resilience that is the trademark of any Mourinho team.

He did not milk Inter's win at the final whistle, but Mourinho may just appreciate the irony of the fact that he has ended Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's dream of bringing the Champions League to Stamford Bridge.

For Ancelotti and Chelsea, the task is now to regroup and refocus their sights on the Premier League and the FA Cup.

Mourinho stated his attacking intent with the presence of Goran Pandev, Milito and Eto'o, but after a positive start the game soon descended into a predictable war of attrition.

Chelsea's Ballack posted the first moment of danger, but he dragged his shot low and wide past Cesar's upright from the edge of the area. Drogba was also denied by a defiant block from Maicon as he closed in on goal.

Inter knew that vital away goal would leave Chelsea with a huge task, and Eto'o wasted a wonderful opportunity to provide it for them after 33 minutes.

Maicon's cross deceived John Terry, but Eto'o appeared surprised at getting the chance and directed a poor header down and well over the bar.

In a frantic finale to the first 45 minutes, Walter Samuel threw himself in front of Malouda as he drove into the box, while Motta rescued Inter with a goalline clearance as Anelka forced a shot beyond Cesar.

The tension was robbing the game of any real quality and also resulted in plenty of short tempers. And Chelsea were particularly infuriated when referee Wolfgang Stark ignored penalty appeals as Drogba was clearly dragged to the ground by Samuel as the grappled to reach a corner.

Both teams left the pitch to a frustrated chorus of jeering at the interval, with Chelsea coach Ray Wilkins clearly angry at the events of the first half.

Mourinho's gestures from the sidelines made it clear he wanted Inter to exploit the areas around Chelsea left-back Yuri Zhirkov, but the Russian full-back twice rescued his side with perfect challenges on Eto'o and Pandev as they closed in on keeper Ross Turnbull.

Malouda brought a fine save from Julio Cesar at his near post, but once again Chelsea were having trouble producing the invention needed to break the deadlock.

Ancelotti responded by sending on Joe Cole just after the hour, but this was only the signal for Inter to create, and waste, their best chance as Milito snatched at his effort with only Turnbull to beat, much to Stamford Bridge's relief.

Inter had been the more dangerous team after the break, and the killer away goal they had been threatening duly came with 11 minutes left. Wesley Sneijder's pass cut Chelsea apart and Eto's showed great expertise to guide his finish around Turnbull.

Mourinho indulged in some fairly low-key fist-pumping, but the rest of Inter's backroom staff and players celebrated wildly as Chelsea's players were forced to accept their Champions League hopes were over for another year.

As time ran out and emotions ran high, Drogba appeared to stand on Motta's foot and saw red. It was a moment that summed up Chelsea's miserable night.

I Should Still Be The Manager At Chelsea, Says José Mourinho

José Mourinho breezed back into Stamford Bridge last night to declare he was "home" and should still be Chelsea's manager. The Internazionale coach pointed out that while he has continued to accumulate silverware in Italy his former club has one FA Cup to show for the three years since his departure.

The Portuguese veered from an initially diplomatic script, marked by an admission that he would tone down his celebrations should the Italian champions eliminate their hosts from the Champions League this evening, to suggest some level of regret at the fracture of his relationship with Roman Abramovich after his glittering three-year spell in charge at the London club.

"I feel sorry but I look forward," said Mourinho. "I feel sorry because when I look at the big four teams from when I was in England, the managers are all still there: Sir Alex [Ferguson] is there. [Arsène] Wenger is there. [Rafael] Benítez is there. I did more than enough to be here. But the decision was made. Chelsea looked forward. I look forward. They move on. I move on. I keep winning important things. They keep winning ... something. They won an FA Cup.

"I have nothing to prove to Chelsea: to Chelsea's players, to Chelsea's fans, to Chelsea's board. The relations are great. When it's possible, happiness for me and happiness for them is the perfect situation. I don't believe I will be booed. I believe I will be clapped. But, for me, this game is just about getting to the quarter-finals. It doesn't mean anything else to me at all."

His only regret concerned the timing of his eventual departure, with Mourinho conceding he should have left Stamford Bridge on his own terms immediately after claiming the FA Cup in 2007. By then his relationship with Abramovich had fractured beyond repair, though the Portuguese was persuaded to remain at the club, only to be forced out in September of that year after a sluggish start to the following season.

Asked if there was one thing he could change from his time at Chelsea, he said: "I would have left the day after the FA Cup final at the end of that third season. The timing was wrong [when I eventually did leave]. I waited until September and I didn't enjoy my time after I left until I went to Inter. Being away from football was too painful. If I'd left in May I would have started the next season at a new club."

Inter – with whom he claimed the domestic title last season – may top Serie A again, albeit by a solitary point, but the 47-year-old is enduring a relatively torrid time in Italy at present. Defeat at lowly Catania last Friday has allowed Milan to gain ground in the championship race, while Mourinho and his Italian striker Mario Balotelli were reportedly embroiled in a spat at training in Milan today which has resulted in the forward being omitted from the squad for disciplinary reasons. Carlo Ancelotti has since suggested he might seek to work with Balotelli at Chelsea.

In the circumstances, and with his relations with the Italian press clearly strained, Mourinho appeared to relish a return to London and familiar haunts. "I feel at home," he said.

"I opened the door, went up to the second floor where there are people I know; to the third floor where there are people I know. The players didn't come to see me but they are working, or at the team hotel. Before the game I know everybody and I love them, and after the game the same, but, for 90 minutes on Tuesday night, I'll know nobody.

"I'll be restrained if we win, yes. Because it's Chelsea. Because it's the team where I worked for three and a half years, the same players, the same supporters who made me feel incredible every time we played in this stadium. But don't confuse this emotional control with a lack of professionalism or of me not having a desire to win. I watched the first leg seven times on DVD, stopping and going back over and over again. Chelsea is different and I have to be different but I gave everything to prepare for this game. So don't confuse my feelings for my ex-players and my ex-club with any lack of desire or motivation to win this game."

The Inter manager was confident enough to name seven of his starting line-up for this evening's collision with Ancelotti – with whom he endured a troubled relationship last season when they were on opposite sides of Milan – and said that his former club was in safe hands under their current manager. Mourinho said: "They have a good chef, yes, a chef with experience and with knowledge of the ingredients that football needs. They are in good hands."

Yet Mourinho still has designs to return to the Premier League in the future. "I have three things still to do in my career," the Portuguese said. "One thing is to come back to English football. Another is to win the Spanish championship, because no one has won Italian, English and Spanish titles.

"And another, when I'm old, is to coach my national team. But, for now, I would like to keep winning with Inter.

"I will still be the Special One whatever happens. How old is Giovanni Trapattoni? Seventy? I want to coach as long as him but, even at that age, I will still have things to prove. That's my motivation. So, after this game, I will still be the Special One. Win or lose."

Real Madrid Eyeing Chelsea's Ashley Cole

Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole is Real Madrid's top prospect in their plans to reinforce the left side of defence next season, reports Marca today.

The club hierarchy has reportedly developed a list of their transfer targets for the position and along with Cole, who heads the list, Los Blancos are also keeping tabs on Manchester United's Patrice Evra, Lazio's Aleksandar Kolarov, Arsenal's Gael Clichy, Fenerbache's Andre Santos, Deportivo La Coruna's Filipe Luis and Benfica's David Luiz.

Cole has reportedly been in contact with Chelsea, having expressed his desire to leave the club for a variety of personal reasons.

While right-sided player Alvaro Arbeloa has filled in nicely at left-back this season, covering for the less defensive minded Marcelo, Madrid are in need of a proficient left-back that can slot into the Blancos' attack-minded style of play.

Chelsea Are Not The Side Jose Mourinho Left But They Are Still Good Enough

Internazionale need José Mourinho's sulky charisma even more than his tactical acumen. His personality can distract opponents from the fact that his side, judged by the high standards of the Champions League elite, is unremarkable. If Chelsea keeps a clear head, they ought to overturn the 2-1 deficit from a gripping first leg. Should anyone in Carlo Ancelotti's squad need reassurance, they could get a chuckle out of reading Internazionale's recent record in the tournament.

The most they have achieved in the previous half dozen campaigns is a couple of appearances in the quarter-finals. Mourinho continued the mundane form in his first season with Inter, unable to make much of a fuss as Manchester United eased them aside. Chelsea's disappointments have been far more histrionic.

After the Portuguese had parted company with the club in the autumn of 2007, Avram Grant took them to a shootout loss against United in the final. A year later the side, under the caretaker leadership of Guus Hiddink, were beaten in the semi‑final by the referee Tom Henning Ovrebo's rejection of penalty appeals as well as Andrés Iniesta's goal for Barcelona in the third minute of stoppage time. No one can call such experiences enviable but they confirm Chelsea as a team who customarily play for high stakes.

It would be trite to believe that Mourinho can cure Inter with an injection of his personality. The limitations of even his managerial skills were set out in the comedy of Inter's loss at Catania last Friday. The introduction of Sulley Muntari, with the score at 1‑1, may have been one of the most hilariously disastrous decisions in the history of the game. It would, in all justice, be absurd to suppose that even the far-sighted Mourinho could have envisaged the consequences.

Muntari was immediately booked for a foul and then, while inside the area, lifted his arm to block the resultant free‑kick. The Ghanaian was shown a second yellow card and Catania scored from the penalty before claiming a third goal towards the end.

Inter, with a one-point lead over Milan, are still on course for a fifth consecutive title and it is scarcely their fault that the Calciopoli scandal caused such helpful havoc with Juventus, for instance, demoted to Serie B in 2006. Nonetheless, Mourinho has benefited from entering the Italian game at time of disruption, when the means and relative stability at Inter have been great assets.

For a man with such a reputation as a pragmatist, he takes part of the credit for a first-leg encounter with Chelsea that was full of entertainment and admirable technique. It will be to the benefit of European football as a whole if Mourinho can inspire a revival by the renowned Serie A clubs.

Progress, all the same, ought not to be made on that front tonight. If there is disquiet about Chelsea it reflects their own flaws more than the prowess of Inter. The Premier League table lays bare a vulnerability seldom associated with them. There are seven other clubs whose defensive record at home is superior to Chelsea's. It is not difficult to track the sources of deterioration in the post‑Mourinho period.

Ricardo Carvalho is no longer the smooth yet powerful centre-back he once was and it is open to debate whether the Portuguese or Alex ought to be paired with John Terry. The club captain has himself been affected by having the England captaincy taken from him. Petr Cech's calf muscle problem has been unsettling, too, with neither Hilario nor Ross Turnbull convincing as deputies between the posts.

Resilience has been further undermined by the loss to injury of the left-back Ashley Cole and the powerful Michael Essien. It is as if the fates have introduced a handicap system to ensure that Inter stay in contention. Chelsea should keep self pity at bay by remembering how today's visitors toiled in their group. Barcelona, naturally, won it, but it was still mediocre of Inter to register a mere pair of victories, over Rubin Kazan and Dynamo Kyiv. Mourinho's side, with three draws in that phase, seemed to depend on being difficult to beat.

There was stylishness from Inter and, particularly, from Wesley Sneijder in the first leg with Chelsea. If Ancelotti's team is not presently equipped for flawless work in defence, they will have to impose themselves in attack. It would be of benefit if Nicolas Anelka, subdued since Didier Drogba's return from the Africa Cup of Nations, rediscovered his form. Chelsea have their worries, but they also possess the means to ease them.

Chelsea Get It All Wrong With Battle Cry To Fans As They Ask Home Crowd To 'Raise The Temperature' For Crunch Clash With Inter Milan

Liverpool supporters taunt their Chelsea counterparts with the chant 'You ain't got history' while some question how many supporters have joined the bandwagon since Roman Abramovich rode into town with all those rubles.

Fans of the London club naturally bristle with indignation at the jibes - but honestly, the club doesn't always help their cause.

Have a look at this edict from the official website as Stamford Bridge gets ready to welcome the aristocrats from Inter Milan.

'Flags or scarves will be laid out at seats around the stadium for tonight's game but please bring your own colour and singing voices, and please arrive early to raise the temperature ahead of kick-off'

Yes, you read it right folks - it really does say 'raise the temperature'.

Can you honestly imagine Manchester United fans needing such instruction before one of those famous European nights at Old Trafford?

I doubt very much the Anfield crowd will ever need to be whipped up into any manufactured frenzy for the big occasions - indeed Chelsea know to their cost how loud that ground can be after that 2005 European Cup semi-final.

I don't even think London's 'lesser lights' would need such encouragement. Certainly not West Ham. Probably not Fulham either.

So as you settle down to watch live coverage of the big Champions League match, or listen in your transistor sets, try and gauge the temperature for yourself.

Ancelotti: Roman Likes Blues' Style

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti claims he has finally given owner Roman Abramovich a team that plays with the style and flair he craves.

The Russian owner has long been known to desire an attacking style of play at Stamford Bridge, and Ancelotti believes his team has delivered that this season.

With Jose Mourinho returning to West London for a Champions League showdown with Chelsea on Tuesday night, the timing of Ancelotti's comments suggests he is aiming a sly dig at his Portuguese opposite number.

The 'Special One' had an extremely successful three-year spell with Chelsea between 2004 and 2007, winning two Premier League titles, two League Cup trophies and one FA Cup.

But criticism was often rounded on Mourinho that his style of play did not match the ambitions of Abramovich, and the former Porto boss left after reported disagreements with the billionaire owner.

Ancelotti, however, claims he shares the same attacking ethos as Chelsea's wealthy chief and says he has changed things since his arrival.

He said in The Sun: "Some things we have changed. The system of play is a little bit different. We play attacking football.

"Roman wants to see the team in his identity. I think the team now is playing with his identity. We want to improve this but this is a good way to play."

Simon Kjaer Tells Liverpool, Manchester United & Chelsea: I Will Only Leave Palermo For Irresistible Offer

Simon Kjaer has said only a substantial offer will see him swap Palermo for Premier League football.

Kjaer, who turns 21 next week, is reportedly being followed by Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea.

But his signature will not come cheap as he lays out the terms and conditions.

"I have three years left with Palermo. To leave here, one of those offers that you cannot say no to will have to arrive," he told the club's official website.

Add to that a guarantee of playing first team football, and negotiations become easier.

"I am a first choice at this club, and I have the chance to play in prestigious competitions wearing the Rosanero jersey," he concluded.

Palermo currently occupies the Champions League qualification position in Serie A and welcome Inter to La Favorita on Saturday night.

Capello Not Giving Up On Bridge And Cole

Fabio Capello is playing a patient, waiting game, but is still convinced he will have both his first choice left-backs, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge, in his 23-man World Cup squad.

After losing David Beckham through injury this weekend, the England boss is concentrating on formulating his strongest possible squad for South Africa - and that still includes Cole and Bridge.

Cole is facing a race against time to be fit following a foot injury, while Bridge has taken the decision to make himself unavailable in light of the allegations that concerned John Terry and his former girlfriend.

An FA insider told Soccernet: "We believe that Ashley Cole will be back playing in time for the World Cup, and this is good news.

"There is still plenty of time for Wayne Bridge to think again about his decision not to want to play for England again. There is enough time for him to think about it.

"There is no rush, we are not rushing him, and I am sure Fabio will want to talk to him personally, in the hope that he will change his mind."

Capello has also invited Beckham to play again for England in the European Championship qualifiers in the autumn, which is the earliest point at which the then 35-year-old midfielder could be expected to play again.

"We hope he will be fit for next year," the England manager told Sky Sports News. "I hope he will be fit for the Euros because he is one of the best players in England."