Blues Keen On Kaka Swoop - Report

Chelsea is hopeful of signing Real Madrid playmaker Kaka in a cut-price summer deal, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

Blues chief Carlo Ancelotti, who has just won the Double in his first season in English football, worked with the Brazilian star during their time together at AC Milan.

The 28-year-old moved to Madrid in a £68.5million deal last summer but had a quiet first season in La Liga and has been tipped to move on.

Despite his amazing first season at Stamford Bridge Ancelotti is not resting on his laurels and is ready to bolster his squad, but whether central midfield is an area he needs to strengthen is debatable.

Michael Essien will be like a new signing next season, while Jon Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack have all performed superbly at different points of the season.

Chelsea Villain Tom Henning Ovrebo To Quit International Refereeing

Controversial Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo has quit international refereeing after he was ignored for the upcoming World Cup.

Ovrebo, 43, received death threats in 2008 when he denied Chelsea several penalty shouts in their Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona.

He continued to court headlines in this year's competition, when he allowed a Miroslav Klose goal in the first leg quarter-final meeting between Bayern Munich and Fiorentina to stand when the striker was clearly offside and then later declined to send the same player off for a dangerous tackle.

Speaking to Reuters today, he insisted his retirement after officiating 23 matches in Europe's top club tournament, plus numerous internationals was "no big drama", as next year he would have been over UEFA's age limit.

"This is based on signals Norway's Football Association got from UEFA about prospects for further assignments," Ovrebo said.

"Some will remember me for the Chelsea-Barcelona game in particular, but I can live well with that."

Youth Internationals: Borini On Target

Fabio Borini was on target to help Italy Under-19s to victory in the first game of a European Championship qualification tournament.

Italy beat Czech Republic 2-0 on Friday despite playing for over 30 minutes with 10 men. A Jacopo Sala cross led to the opening goal in the first half before Borini doubled the lead 15 minutes from the end with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. Sala played the first-half; Borini was subbed on 78 minutes.

Italy faces Northern Ireland on Sunday and then host-nation Russia on Wednesday.

Chelsea youth products Josh McEachran and Nathaniel Chalobah were part of the England Under-17 team that ensured a place in the European Championship semi-finals with a win over Greece on Friday night.

A 1-0 victory in the second group game of the tournament in Liechenstein gave the young England side six points out of six. McEachran, playing behind the main striker, was typically creative while schoolboy defender Chalobah headed a corner just wide.

England's final group game is against Turkey on Monday with the semi-final on Thursday.

Jeffrey Bruma and Patrick van Aanholt have both been in action for the Dutch Under 19 side in two matches against Portugal. The first resulted in a 3-1 defeat; the second match, in which Van Aanholt only played the first half, ended goalless.

Charity Pitch Events Raise Vital Funds

Stamford Bridge played host to our national and global charity partners this week as they held separate football tournaments on the hallowed turf.

On Wednesday afternoon, Help a London Child held a five-a-side tournament on the pitch before the winners went on to play an 11-a-side match for the cup.

The competition was called Capital Kicks and Capital Radio's Breakfast Show host and life-long Chelsea fan Jonny Vaughan came along to show his support.

'Thank you very much to all the teams who took part,' said Vaughan, 'it was all in aid of our charity Help a London Child.

'There was loads of enthusiasm, we raised loads of money and it was a cracking day.'

The cup final pitted Capital/LBC, managed by Ron 'Chopper' Harris, and The Independent, managed by Scott Minto, against one another. Minto's side The Independent (pictured) won a tense encounter by a single goal.

'I just told them to go out and enjoy it. Don't try to be the hero and take on 10 people, you're all in it together so play as a team,' said the triumphant Minto.

Then on Thursday the club's global charity partner Right To Play also held a football tournament at Stamford Bridge.

The international charity held a World Cup-type of tournament for the fourth year and raised a phenomenal amount of money.

'We set up a World Cup tournament where teams don't represent Argentina and England which is the standard World Cup tournament format, we represent Liberia, Lebanon, Rwanda and so on,' said Mike Emery, director of Right To Play.

'Teams pay to take part, they are proud of the country they represent and last year we had a final that was Sierra Leone versus Rwanda, which is never going to happen in modern football.

'This year we have raised £125,000 which is great. This is the fourth year running and it has raised almost £100,000 every year so it is a really good event for us and the money is distributed to our projects around the world,' added Emery.

One person taking part in the Right To Play World Cup was Parkour founder Sébastien Foucan, who starred in the James Bond film Casino Royale by using his skills of jumping and climbing to overcome most obstacles.

'I am here because I have been really involved with Right To Play for more than three years now and I try my best to be with them as much as I can to really help the kids in poor countries,' said Foucan.

'I feel it is the type of tournament when it is not really about the competition, it is about participation and I am really happy to be here.'

Chelsea Admit New Uefa Rules Will Change Transfer And Contract Policy

The Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has admitted the club will have to keep a close eye on spending and the club's wage structure in the light of the proposed Uefa plans to force clubs to balance their books.

The proposals will prevent clubs from spending more than they make from their revenues and aim to curb billionaire owners investing huge amounts of money. The new rules will be in place from the 2012-13 season and clubs could be thrown out of European competition if they do not abide by the regulations. However, Buck thinks that the rules concerning owner-investment are not particularly clear at present.

"We have looked very closely at the proposed rules and, starting now, we are going to have to be very careful on transfer fees and in salary renegotiation because having a positive profit and loss statement will be crucial in getting a Uefa licence and participating in the Champions League," said Buck. "Even if we wanted to spend more money we just won't be able to so we have to do what is necessary to comply with the new rules. In round terms your football income is going to have to equal your football expenses.

"I think personally it is very significantly different if a club gets money from its owner than a club going out and borrowing money from a bank, and I think the rules ought to take account of that. It is unclear at the moment whether they will.

"One of the problems that we see with the current formulation is that it is going to maintain the status quo. In other words, if owners cannot put money into their clubs then it is going to be very difficult for the club that is, say, at the bottom of the Premier League to work its way up to the top, or a club from the Championship to move into a respectable position in the Premier League. We don't think maintaining the status quo is right."

Meanwhile, Buck has reaffirmed there are no plans to move away from Stamford Bridge or increase its capacity which currently stands at around 42,000. The club is understood to be looking at naming rights for the stadium but that would, almost certainly, be a long-term deal over a 10-year period and with a high-profile, blue-chip investor.

"In this current economic environment it makes no sense for us to look at the possibility of a new stadium, spending that type of money," added Buck. "In terms of Stamford Bridge, it is possible we could find a way of increasing capacity by several thousand seats but it would be very expensive. You would only really do it to improve the atmosphere as opposed to improve the financial situation regarding match-day revenue.

"Also it is unclear how digital media development will affect live crowds 10 years from now. When you are going to be able to watch the match on your wrist watch, is that not going to impact on attendances? We don't really know.

"So because of all those factors, we don't think this is the right time to look at expanding Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium, but what we do have to do is look at new income sources and one of those as everyone knows is naming rights.

"We have a project for that and chief executive Ron Gourlay is doing a darn good job with that. Hopefully in the not too distant future we will have something that makes sense for a sponsor and makes sense for Chelsea and our fans."

New Treatment Could Mean Michael Ballack Is Ready For South Africa – German Doctor

The World Cup dreams of Germany captain Michael Ballack may not be over after all, as a doctor has declared that new treatment methods could speed up the healing process of the 33-year-old.

Injured in the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Portsmouth last weekend, the midfielder was swiftly ruled out of any possible action in South Africa, but Dr. Markus Becker of the German Orthopedics Network has suggested that that decision was taken a little too quickly.

“With the help of a new treatment method could be accelerated healing significantly,” he told Bild. “I think that Ballack could in any case be at least partially restored for the World Cup.”

The new method of treatment involves injecting an acid into the injured ligaments, and Nuernberg club doctor, Dr. Matthias Brem, has endorsed this technique, stating that it has helped one of his players make a remarkable recovery.

Oliver Bierhoff has hit back on behalf of the DFB (German FA), stating: “Dr. Muller-Wohlfahrt [the medic to the national side] is an internationally respected physician. We have every confidence in him. We have always fought for every player - even for Michael Ballack. Distance diagnoses do not make sense.”

Therefore, it seems that Germany will make no late u-turn on the Chelsea ace before naming their final squad.

Florent Malouda Wants To Replicate Chelsea Form With France In South Africa

France have been in far from impressive form in the build-up towards the 2010 World Cup, but highly-rated Chelsea winger Florent Malouda is still full of ambition.

"It’s difficult to say how the players who were excluded [from France's World Cup squad] will feel; I imagine that they’re very disappointed. But now, for those who are part of the group, it’s time to get serious, to take responsibility," he told FIFA.com.

"There is a lot of work to do and I can assure you that we have no intention of turning up at the World Cup with our heads down. We’re going to South Africa to win.

"When you have the good fortune to win trophies at club level, as was the case this season with Chelsea, you want to replicate that with your national team.

"I’m ambitious, there’s no denying it. Nicolas Anelka and I would love to relive our recent successes, but with France this time."

Chelsea Battling Manchester City In Race To Sign James Milner From Aston Villa

Chelsea has joined Manchester City in the fight to sign James Milner from Aston Villa, according to a report from The Sun.

City is believed to have had an initial bid of £25 million rejected by Villa, and is now readying a second offer of £30m.

However, Chelsea, still reportedly smarting from being beaten to Robinho by the Citizens two summers ago, are keen to make sure that they don't lose out again.

The report claims that Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti feels that the prospect of playing Champions League football at Stamford Bridge will tip the balance in his club's favour as far as Milner is concerned.

Milner, 24, has two years left on his current deal. He is an ambitious player who wants to win trophies and become an England regular and may see lining up alongside the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard as a more likely route of achieving this than joining former team-mate Gareth Barry at Eastlands.

Chelsea Pair Dropped As Serbia Cut Their World Cup Squad To 24

Serbia's coach Radomir Antic today cut his World Cup squad to 24 players with the Chelsea duo of Slobodan Rajkovic and Nemanja Matic two of the six players to be omitted.

The Ajax attacker Miralem Sulejmani, PSV Eindhoven's defender Jagos Vukovic, the Partizan Belgrade midfielder Nemanja Tomic and Red Star Belgrade's striker Dejan Lekic will also miss out.

The Valencia forward Nikola Zigic was retained and says he does not feel any extra pressure after being tipped by Antic to be one of the stars in South Africa.

"The coach's words are not a burden," Zigic said. "It's good that Antic praised me and I will try to justify his confidence. I always give my best for Serbia and it will always be that way."

Serbia were drawn in Group D alongside Germany, Ghana and Australia.

Ancelotti Urges Asian Kids To Sign Up For Chelsea

With less than two weeks to go before the start of Chelsea’s second Search for an Asian Star campaign Manager Carlo Ancelotti is encouraging young Asian players to sign to the groundbreaking scheme.

The program is designed to breakdown barriers between football and the Asian community while encouraging young Asian players to get involved with the game at all levels.

Through a series of tests and matches, Chelsea hopes to uncover stars of the future. Two of last year’s winners have now gone to sign for professional club academies.

“This is a huge opportunity to come to Chelsea and enjoy the best coaches and the best training ground,” said the Double winning manager. “Everyone with a love for the game should sign up and see what they can do – it will be great fun and a good way to make new friends and who knows, perhaps one day we will see you at Chelsea.” The tournament will take place on the second May Bank Holiday weekend (29-31) for players from Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi backgrounds aged eight to 13-years-old.

Participants will take part in series tests specifically designed and used by the Chelsea academy to examine speed, skill and ability followed by small sided games.

One player from each age group will be selected for a week's training with the Chelsea academy squads during the summer. Two of last year's winners have since gone to be signed by Leyton Orient and Southend.

Chelsea Football Club will also be inviting managers, coaches and scouts from clubs at all levels of the game to identify talented youngsters and information will also be on hand for Asian players to find clubs in their area.

Know Your Chairman - Bruce Buck

When hearing Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck speak, one may wonder what series of events brought him to Stamford Bridge. Here is an American, themselves not known as particularly strong football lovers, running one of the more successful Premier League sides in recent history.

Just another successful businessman perhaps, lured by Roman Abramovich’s millions to oversee the development of the club, passed off as yet another ‘lifelong supporter’. At a time when the Liverpool chairman has openly declared himself a lifelong Chelsea fan and you might argue who gives a damn where his allegiances lie.

Bruce Buck, however, has indeed been a Chelsea supporter long before the days of Roman Abramovich and the subsequent success they have been able to enjoy since as a result of his millions. Buck left New York for England in 1983 and became a Chelsea fan not long after, becoming a season ticket holder in the early 1990s. As a graduate of Columbia University Law School, Buck was a founding managing partner of the London office of the biggest U.S law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Buck represents both European and non-European clients, specializing in mergers, acquisitions and capital market transactions. He was particularly involved in overseeing the firm’s Russian practice since the opening of a Moscow office in 1992. It is through these connections that led Buck to meet Roman Abramovich.

It was Buck who advised Abramovich on his £140 million purchase of Chelsea Football Club in 2003, as well as having done legal work on acquisitions for the Russian company Siberian Oil (Sibneft), of which Abramovich was the majority shareholder. Bruce Buck remains the only person, besides Abramovich to own a share of the football club, holding the mighty amount of one single share.

Bruce Buck is one of the more vocal and recognizable individuals at Chelsea, known for his occasional media interviews. Backed by an owner who refuses to involve himself in the media, Buck maintains the connection between the business and the supporters, responding to any queries and concerns which the supporters and indeed the media may choose to express. Not that the club has too much to worry about at the present time.

Financial reports released last December revealed that all of the club’s outstanding debt had been converted into equity, making Chelsea effectively debt free. This is a worrying sign for the clubs challenging for Chelsea’s crown, a sign of the continuing success and development of the club in the future. Bruce Buck has certainly made an impact during his time at Stamford Bridge. An American he may be, but with Chelsea Football Club very much in his heart, doing the best for his club. Unlike some owners up the road in Liverpool I could mention.

Chelsea Captain John Terry Is A 'Jerk' - Ex-Liverpool Striker Andriy Voronin

Former Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin has blasted John Terry for the challenge that saw him require surgery and stated Jamie Carragher is "capable of wickedness".

The Dynamo Moscow player went under the knife this week to correct a nose injury suffered when Terry made contact with his face during England's 2-1 win against Ukraine at Wembley last year.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Voronin believed he was intentionally struck by the Chelsea captain and called him a "jerk".

"Terry couldn't clear the ball cleanly, so hit me in the face," Voronin said.

"Jerk! In my opinion, he did it deliberately. Terry is capable of wickedness. As are Jamie Carragher and Rio Ferdinand. They are the masters."

Voronin cut short his Premier League stay in January when he moved for £1.8m to Dynamo after a lacklustre spell in the English top flight. And he didn't have many kind words for the football he experienced at Anfield.

"In England it's carnage," Voronin said.

"If in a match one of the players doesn't bleed, doesn't smash his head in a collision or lose his leg, the fans feel cheated - the game was a failure.

"It's a crazy pace from the first minute to the final whistle. Complete dedication, tremendous atmosphere in the stadiums, but the tactics of most teams are simple in the extreme: throw the ball 50 yards up the pitch and then mob rush up to the opposition goal to score."

Malouda Wants Chelsea To Dominate

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda wants the Stamford Bridge club to emulate Manchester United and dominate the Premier League for years to come.

Malouda bagged 12 goals as the Blues denied their Manchester rivals a fourth successive league crown in a title race which went right to the last day of the season.

Chelsea also ended the domestic season on a high with victory in last weekend's FA Cup final over Portsmouth to secure a first ever double.

But despite the successes still being fresh in the mind, Malouda is already looking ahead to next season.

"Next year we will come back with more appetite," he told the club's official website.

"That (the Double) should be the minimum for us every year now.

"We have to regularly be at the top like Manchester United was for three years. That's our target now.

'We are Chelsea, we want to win everything, now we have the Double and we have to try and win more because when you get to the stage where you relax, that's when it goes wrong.

"Maybe the manager will bring out something more from us because we have big ambitions for next year."

Buck Expects Blues Arrivals

Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck has confirmed that manager Carlo Ancelotti plans to sign two or three new players this summer.

The Blues have enjoyed a season to remember after following up their Premier League title by landing the FA Cup against Portsmouth to complete their first-ever double.

Buck insists the club is always looking to strengthen where possible, although the squad does not require wholesale changes following their successful campaign.

Chelsea could lose the likes of Deco and Michael Ballack this summer and Buck is waiting to see who departs before outlining their options going forward.

Despite the prospect of flexing their muscles in the transfer market Buck insists the club is determined to promote from within and give youth a chance.

"I have said that in every year there is some refreshing of the squad and maybe we can expect three or four in and three or four out," he told the club's official website.

"But this year I think Carlo has said two or three in and two or three out and he is very satisfied with the current squad.

"We can expect a couple of changes but that is just the nature of football, you can't have the jigsaw puzzle together and that is it forever.

"Let's see how the summer pans out. Once we are really clear on the kind of vacancies we may have and what we want to fill, we will decide what kind of player we want.

"Between now and the end of the transfer season there will be a story somewhere that every great player in Europe is coming to Chelsea.

"We will just have to see how it pans out. I honestly think that a year ago I was the one who first used the phrase 'marquee player' and I have regretted it ever since.

"Every year, because of players being injured, players being not as good or better than expected or opportunities arising, it is an ever-changing scene so we can expect some changes during the summer, but we don't agree with some of the comments that we have an old squad.

"Our average age is 27 to 28 years old and we do expect a number of players from the Academy and the reserves to be in the first-team squad next year."

Buck revealed the club saluted Ancelotti and his coaching staff at a board meeting on Monday for their successful season.

"Chelsea had a board meeting on Monday at Cobham and the board formally thanked Carlo and his staff and the players for a job well done but it was also pointed out that Monday was the start of the new season," he continued.

"We have to start looking forward and are planning for the new season.

"The double is something special, very few teams have done it, and certainly in the last seven years this has to be the best season we have had.

"But we have to keep in mind that this is a season that has had a few ups and downs.

"The other Premier League titles that we have won in recent history were, from start to finish, pretty straightforward, if you can use that word.

"We were ahead all the time and won those titles in April. It is a lot different from winning it on the last day of the season."

Carlo Ancelotti Rejects Mick McCarthy Deal

Mick McCarthy has seen a bid to extend Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne's loan deal rejected by Carlo Ancelotti.

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy wanted Mancienne for another season but has fallen foul of the new home-grown players rule introduced by the Premier League.

Carlo Ancelotti needs Mancienne to stay, as he must have eight English players in his squad next term.

Manchester United, Chelsea & Manchester City Eye £46 Million Swoop For Barcelona's Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Barcelona superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be set for a £46 million switch to Manchester United, Chelsea or Manchester City after David Villa's arrival at the Nou Camp.

The Catalan giants have agreed a £34.2 million deal with Valencia to bring the lethal centre forward to the club. Sport has reported this has pushed Ibrahimovic towards the Premier League as Barcelona look to balance the books.

United have been linked all summer with a move for a top-line centre forward to support Wayne Rooney. City's billions and the presence of Ibrahimovic's ex-Inter Milan manager Roberto Mancini makes them a possible destination, while Chelsea are in the market for a "marquee signing".

Ibrahimovic has struggled to win over the fans at the Nou Camp since his £60 million move last summer. Despite grabbing 21 goals in all competitions, he could be forced out after just one campaign.

Barca Reject Chelsea Bid For Toure

Chelsea have reportedly made a £17million offer for Barcelona misfit Yaya Toure.

According to Catalan Television, the Blues’ bid for the out of favour midfielder was swiftly rejected by Barca, who are holding out for closer to £20million.

The Ivorian’s outspoken agent yesterday distanced his client from a move to Arsenal, saying that ‘there were bigger clubs interested’, so rumours of Chelsea’s offer may come as no shock.

The Premier League champions look set to lose Deco this summer, and with the future of Michael Ballack still not 100% certain, Carlo Ancelotti may see Toure as the ideal younger replacement for the German captain.

Madrid And Chelsea Ready For Tug Of War Over Bayern Star

Real Madrid and Chelsea are ready to battle it out this summer for the signing of Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery. The talented French international is set to miss the Champions League final on Saturday through injury with reports claiming the enigmatic winger has played his last game for the club, with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid ready to battle it out for the winger’s signature. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has also shown interest in the winger, however Fergie is unwilling to pay over the odds for the international, while local rivals Manchester City are unlikely to be able to tempt the player without the offer of Champions League football.

The Frenchman has been embroiled in scandal of late having been romantically linked with an under-age vice girl, who he admitted to having paid for sexual services with when the girl was 17-years-old. The 27-year-old is ready to start a new page in life and is aware of the interest from West London club Chelsea and Spanish giants Real Madrid. The prospect of linking up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, and co at the Bernabeu does excite the Frenchman, however the a move to Premier League double winner Chelsea is also a viable alternative, with the Blues having courted the player under Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luis Felipe Scolari.

Chelsea are looking at strengthening their forward line with owner Roman Ambramovich reportedly eager to bring in one big name transfer, with the blues being linked with moves for Kaka, Sergio Aguero, Alexandre Pato and Luis Suarez in recent weeks. Carlo Ancelotti could lose Joe Cole and Michael Ballack on free transfers with the likes of Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Paulo Ferreira, and Juliano Belletti all expected to leave the club this summer.

However, while Chelsea are looking to spend this summer Real Madrid are eager to strengthen their title tilt next term and the Madrid Chiefs have made Ribery their number 1 target according to reports in Spain. Sports bookmaker SKY BET have cut the odds on the Galacticos making them the favorites, however Chelsea are a close second setting the scene for a two – tug of war between the two clubs for the talented Frenchman’s signature.

Chelsea Set To Move For Promising Rennes Midfielder Sylvain Marveaux

Chelsea are set to move for rising French star Sylvain Marveaux, according to Ouest France.

The 23 year-old shone for Rennes last season and helped himself to 10 goals and seven assists from attacking midfield. This form has reportedly led the Blues France-based scout Guy Hillon to recommend the player to manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Marveaux is supposedly ready to travel to London next week to meet the club's hierarchy and discuss personal terms about the move.

Lampard Not For Sale, Says Chelsea Boss

There is no danger of Frank Lampard defecting to Real Madrid or anywhere else this summer, according to Carlo Ancelotti.

The Chelsea boss has quickly appreciated the importance of the midfielder to his team's fortunes and also the bond the player has with the club.

"This is a joke," said the Italian of suggestions Lampard might be tempted by a different challenge next season.

"Lampard will stay here. When I started last season, there was a problem with John Terry for Manchester City no? Every time I said 'No, John Terry will stay here because he's important and I don't want to do the same with Frank Lampard. He will stay here.
"I know him very well. I know how he is feeling with this club, with his team-mates and how he is important for the supporters and it is very difficult for him to think to change.

"He is very important to us. There are not other players who can score 27 goals in a season."