Petr Cech Convinced Chelsea Can Win The Champions League This Season

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is relishing the beginning of the Blues' Champions League campaign and is sure that this could be the season the side finally brings the trophy to Stamford Bridge.

The domestic Double winners face MSK Zilina this evening in the first game in their group and Cech is clearly confident ahead of the clash.

"We are coming here in a very good mood. We have been playing very well recently and we are ready to go in the Champions League," Cech told reporters.

"Last year we won the Double which is a great achievement but we couldn't progress in the Champions League, that's the way it is.

"The previous seasons we have always been in the semi-final and once in the final, but we all believe that this time is going to be the breakthrough. We all believe before every season that we can go all the way and win it."

Cech believes that Carlo Ancelotti's side has all the ingredients in place to win the competition, with quality and experience combining with a fierce work ethic.

"I believe that because of the work I can see every day at the training ground, starting with the manager and finishing with all the people working for the club," he added.

"We always have the quality in the team and we have a great team spirit. That is the start and now we need to have the good performances on the pitch. We always have a good start.

"We know we have what it takes."

Ancelotti Says Yuri Zhirkov Won't Be Leaving Stamford Bridge

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that Russian international Yuri Zhirkov will not be leaving Chelsea, despite rumours linking him with a move back to Russia.

The left-sided player was signed from CSKA Moscow a year ago for a fee just short of £20million. Zhirkov made seventeen appearances for Chelsea last season, but only due to the absence of an injured Ashley Cole.

Given his limited first-team opportunities, it had been suggested that Zhirkov would leave Stamford Bridge. However, Blues boss Ancelotti is hearing none of it.

"I don't need to speak with him about the future," said Ancelotti, who will start with Zhirkov against MSK Zilina in the Champions League this evening.

"That is because his future is here with Chelsea. He is a good player.

"He knows in this club, in the top teams, there is a lot of competition to play and for this reason, he has to improve.

"But I think that he will have the possibility to play a lot of games this year, because we are involved in a lot of competitions. We need to have all the players fit and ready to play."

Chelsea Open Contract Talks With Gael Kakuta

Chelsea has begun talks with France Under-19 star Gael Kakuta over a new contract to secure his long-term future at the club.

Kakuta's current deal runs out at the end of the season, but coach Carlo Ancelotti wants to keep him at Stamford Bridge and a five-year extension is close to being agreed.

The 19-year-old made the headlines for the wrong reasons last season after Fifa accused Chelsea of inducing him to break his contract with Lens when they signed him in 2007.

Chelsea was banned from making any signings for two transfer windows only for Fifa's decision to be overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February.

Ancelotti sees Kakuta, who was named player of the tournament after helping France win the European Under-19 Championships this summer, as key to his plans for the squad.

He said: "Now he is first team, he will have the same opportunity as the other players and he deserves to play because he trained well, he is focused and concentrated. He will play and we now have to consider him not a young player but a player in the first team."

Kakuta came on as a substitute against West Ham on Saturday and is expected to be named on the bench again for their opening Champions League game at MSK Zilina tonight.

It is the first time the Slovakian champions have qualified for the group phase of the competition, but coach Pavel Hapal has warned Chelsea not to expect an easy match.

He said: "It's a great challenge for me and I'm really looking forward to it. On the other hand, we won't sell ourselves short. We want to show our supporters quality football and we'd like to get some points from our meeting with Chelsea.

"We obviously respect our opponents; they're a really big club. Chelsea is obviously superior to us, but football is about 11 players playing against 11 players and we want to walk off with our heads high after the match."

John Terry: I'll Die Unhappy If Chelsea Don't End European Pain

John Terry today admitted he will die an unhappy man if he ends his career without winning the Champions League with Chelsea.

Carlo Ancelotti's side begins this season's campaign at MSK Zilina, which was the first side Chelsea faced after Roman Abramovich bought the club seven years ago.

Terry is the only member of the team that beat the Slovakian champions in a two-legged qualifier in 2003 who will start for the Blues tonight.

Since making his debut in the competition back then, the 29-year-old has suffered heartache having played in four semi-final defeats, as well as missing the penalty which would have won the club the trophy against Manchester United in 2008.

Terry suffered more frustration last season after the club were beaten by eventual winners Inter Milan to crash out at the last-16 stage for only the second time in their history.

They went onto win their third Premier League title in six years but the Chelsea captain is still frustrated at having failed to claim European football's biggest prize yet.

He hopes for better fortune this season and told Chelsea TV: "Until we win that trophy I'm not going to die a happy man, that's a fact. I realize now that going out of the competition last season made us stronger in the League.

"But I will never give up hope of winning that trophy. I owe it to every Chelsea fan because of what happened in the final in Moscow two years ago. I still hold that as a big responsibility, I let the fans, players and the club down by missing the penalty.

"It would be nice if we did get a penalty or something like that when we should. Last season against Inter, Salomon Kalou should have had one home and away.

"We were almost perfect in the group stages but then in the knockout phase you only need to have two bad days and you're out. We didn't play as well as we should have done out there or at home. We should always fancy ourselves to score at home but we didn't. We just weren't good enough.

"But one year on, with the squad of players that we have, we are good enough to go all the way. You just need that bit of luck."

Chelsea allowed experienced quintet Michael Ballack, Joe Cole, Juliano Belletti, Deco and Ricardo Carvalho to leave this summer and only replaced them with Yossi Benayoun, who will start his first game for the Blues tonight, and Brazil midfielder Ramires.
But goalkeeper Petr Cech is adamant Chelsea are not a weaker side from the one that reached the Champions League semi-final in 2009.

"We will see if we are better but we hope this time will be the breakthrough," said Cech.

"What gives me the belief this season will be different is the work I can see every day on the training ground, starting with the manager and finishing with everyone who works for the club.

"We are coming into the game with Zilina in a very good mood because we have been playing very well recently. We are raring to go in the Champions League campaign. We are ready and want to start with a win."

But Carlo Ancelotti has told his players they must learn from their exit to Inter Milan and toughen up if they want to taste success at Wembley in May.

The Chelsea boss said: "We have to stay focused and play well against Zilina. Our aim is to start well and win this group but it will not be easy. Every team has quality and it is an important game for Zilina."

Malouda: The Beautiful Competition

We step into the unknown in Slovakia this evening, but Florent Malouda believes it is such trips that make the Champions League so exciting.

It is our eighth successive season in Europe's premier club competition but tonight is a debut for MSK Zilina, the Slovakian champions who progressed past Sparta Prague to reach the groups for the first time.

It is unusual these days to play completely new opposition, but Malouda pointed out it has also happened in the last two campaigns.

'In the past when you think about Cluj, when we first played them they were new, and last year we played APOEL Nicosia, so it can happen,' the Frenchman said. 'That's the Champions League, now there are so many countries involved that it is exciting. It is original, that's the beauty of this competition.

'It is always a danger for a big team like us to go there, if you're not completely focused you can have big disappointments, so we shouldn't go there thinking it is going to be easy. We have to be really concentrated throughout the game.'

Of course the scouts will have been busying their reports for Carlo Ancelotti since the group stage draw was made in late August, and Malouda believes the tempo of the game will be an important factor in deciding its outcome.

'Now with the videos and all the games on TV you can find out almost everything about the opposition, all the teams know the way we play,' he suggested.

'I think the difference will be the pace of the game. If we can control the pace then it will be good for us but if we go there and start slow and sloppy it will turn to their advantage, that's the first thing we have to do.'

The other teams in Group F are French champions Marseille and Russian runners-up Spartak Moscow, both of whom are expected to provide stiff competition. Malouda is already looking forward to facing the side from his homeland at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight's time.

'Marseille will be a difficult one because if you look at the recent years the French teams have done well in the Champions League,' he said. 'Last year they had two teams in the last eight. It is big for them, they were champions last year and were waiting a long time, so they will want a good start.

'They won't want to come to Stamford Bridge and lose 4-0 like Bordeaux did two years ago. I can tell you it will be difficult in both games. Over there it is a big atmosphere but we are used to that.

'For all the teams in the group we are at the beginning and we all want to finish first, so we have to get the points.'

Giles Smith Midweek View

Imagine if Chelsea suddenly announced, out of nowhere, that the club's next manager was definitely going to be English. No exact date on the appointment, and no names specifically, but this much already decided: that whoever it was, and whenever it was, the next person through the door of the gaffer's office at Cobham would be an Englishman, with a valid UK passport and a native grasp of English swear words.

You'd be pretty confused, wouldn't you? You'd certainly struggle to see the logic. Why make this peculiarly narrow decision, you'd want to ask yourself? Why, against the backdrop of an unignorable history of success in English football for foreign coaches, impose this entirely arbitrary restriction on the running of the club when no rule or law (either in football or in the European regulations on employment) insists that you do so? Why go out of your way to shackle yourself, completely voluntarily?

And then you would mournfully shuffle through the likely candidates, and the decision would get no easier to understand. In fact, it would start to look devastating - possibly even suicidal.

Roy Hodgson? Well, maybe that would be OK, in fact. A good manager and an intelligent and likeable man - almost everybody says as much. But, even so, based on his record, and even allowing for the unlikely possibility of a highly fruitful forthcoming period at Liverpool, would he really represent a step on from the present incumbent, when the time comes? Probably not.

Harry Redknapp, then? Hmm.

'Big' Sam Allardyce? I don't think so, really, do you?

Stuart Pearce? No.

Steve McClaren? Well, he's clearly a lot better than a lot of people once gave him credit for, and all power to him for achieving a major turn-around in his fortunes after that nasty business with the umbrella. But would anyone round here genuinely be breaking out in spots and a fever of anticipation at the thought of him being next up after Mr. Ancelotti?

Neil Warnock? Now you're just being satirical.

But, of course, a situation in which the club comes right out and declares that it will choose its next manager off the English-only menu isn't going to happen. And it isn't going to happen primarily because Chelsea aren't stupid. And this has got nothing to do - let's be clear - with any entrenched bias against the idea of an English manager, or with any strong feelings for or against the current catalogue.

It has solely to do, rather, with the club's sensible desire to pursue the best available person at the time, based on his record and aptitude, rather than on his passport. And the best candidate may, indeed, turn out to be English, come the moment when Mr Ancelotti decides that he has had enough (assuming and hoping that's a good few years off). But why tie yourself to the notion when you don't need to?

Yet this is precisely what the FA have decided to do with England. The next England manager, after Fabio Capello, will be English, they have already said - and this despite the fact that it may be two years at least before Capello leaves, so who knows what may happen between now and then? And the idea seems to have gone down rather well, not least among those managers who (wouldn't you know it?) happen to be English. (Redknapp and Allardyce, in particular, sound hugely enthusiastic about the prospect.)

Madness. It's like removing yourself from the driving seat and lashing yourself to the bumper instead. What a good thing it is that clubs aren't run like this.

Some people have noted the flying start that our team has made to the defence of its title this year and somewhat grudgingly pointed out that, impressive though these first four performances have been, the club has had a relatively soft opening to the season, fixture-wise, so nothing too much ought to be inferred.

Rubbish. What these people need to remember is the basic truth behind the old cliché: there are no easy games at this level. Apart from West Ham, obviously.

Same goes for our Champions League group: slightly soft, people are saying, in advance. But is there anything soft about away games in Slovakia and Russia? We're about to find out, I guess, starting tonight. For what it's worth, though, my feeling about the Champions League is the same as my feeling about the Premier League: no easy games. Apart from West Ham.

Incidentally, one final thing: did you notice the eerie parallel between our game on Saturday and Manchester United's at Everton? In both cases the score line was 1-3 when the fourth official held up the board for time added on.

Spooky coincidence, no? The difference, of course, was that, in our match, it was still 1-3 when the final whistle went, whereas in United's, strangely enough, it wasn't. But just for a moment there, we and United were matching each other in the title race, blow for blow. And people say the Premier League isn't as tightly competitive this season.

Ancelotti To Prioritize Champions League

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has explained how important it would be for the Londoners to win the Champions League this season.

The Blues get their European adventure up and running at Slovakian side MSK Zilina on Wednesday evening and, following their league and cup double last term, the Italian coach would love to see the coveted prize arrive at Stamford Bridge at the end of this term.

"It's the competition which has given me the most satisfaction in my career, both as a player and as a coach, so it has a very special importance for me to take part in and to win it," he said.

"In Europe, everyone knows the importance of this trophy.

Essien: Blues Ready For Long Euro Road

Michael Essien accepts Chelsea still have plenty of hard work ahead of them as the Barclays Premier League leaders set their sights on conquering Europe.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men have started the new campaign in the way they finished the last, with a 100% record from their opening four games, and have conceded just one goal.

Chelsea embark on the quest to lift the European Cup at Wembley in May with a trip to Slovakian minnows MSK Zilina on Wednesday evening, where the Blues could be without both captain John Terry, because of a rib injury, and midfielder Frank Lampard, just back from a hernia operation, as well as the suspended Didier Drogba.

While the desire for Champions League success burns as fierce as ever, both within the squad and the boardroom, plenty of challenges lie ahead, with Marseille and Spartak Moscow still to come in Group F.

"We still have a lot to do," said Essien, who netted a brace in Saturday’s 3-1 win at West Ham.

"The season is very long, but we have played some good football and are scoring a lot of goals – we have to keep going like that."

Ancelotti has won the European Cup four times, twice as player and again as coach when he guided AC Milan to Champions League glory in 2003 and 2007.

The 51-year-old Italian would like nothing better than to emulate that feat with Chelsea.

"It’s the competition which has given me the most satisfaction in my career, both as a player and as a coach, so it has a very special importance for me to take part in and to win it," said Ancelotti, whose side went out in the last 16 to eventual winners Inter Milan, and a certain Jose Mourinho last season.

"Everyone knows the importance of this trophy. A London team hasn’t won the Champions League, but this season there is a better chance with three teams in the competition and the final at Wembley so for London it is a special year. Given that we won the Championship last year, it would be great to win something in Europe as well as at home."

Chelsea have met Zilina once before, in the 2002/03 Champions League qualifier, which the English side won 5-0 on aggregate.

The Slovakians had to come through three preliminary rounds to make the group stages, knocking out Sparta Prague.

Ashley Cole Rested As Frank Lampard Is Forced To Wait For Return

Chelsea will rest Ashley Cole for Wednesday’s Champions League tie away to MSK Zilina and have resisted the temptation to recall Frank Lampard.

John Terry, however, has recovered from bruising to his ribs which forced him to be substituted during Saturday’s Premier League victory at West Ham and will play.

After the hamstring and gluteus problems which ruled him out of England’s last two internationals, Terry had been thought a doubt.

Chelsea have deemed that Lampard — who underwent groin surgery and missed the England games against Bulgaria and Switzerland — is not fit enough to play so he will stay behind to train while the squad travel to Slovakia. He is expected to return for Sunday’s league match at home to Blackpool.

The absence of Cole was less expected. It is understood the left-back has had an ankle niggle although Chelsea maintain he is being left out simply because of the number of games he has played.

This means a rare opportunity for Yuri Zhirkov, who has grown frustrated at the lack of opportunities since he moved to Chelsea in the summer last year.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “Ashley Cole stays out because I want to give him a rest. He played two games with the national team, played Saturday, and I will give him a rest.”

With Didier Drogba suspended, Nicolas Anelka is expected to play as a central striker, rather than on the flanks as he has done in Ancelotti’s formation. Florent Malouda will return to the starting XI.

Varney Aims To Bridge The Gap

Luke Varney has warned Chelsea that Blackpool is capable of pulling off a shock victory at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

The Tangerines, installed as favourites for relegation before the season began, have defied their critics so far this campaign by picking up seven points from their four Premier League fixtures to climb to fourth in the table.

Perhaps the most impressive of their performances was Saturday's surprise 2-0 victory at Newcastle, which came courtesy of goals from DJ Campbell and Charlie Adam.

Now Varney, who won the penalty which enabled Adam to open the scoring on Saturday, has warned the champions, who have a 100 per cent record so far this year, that he and his team-mates are brimming with confidence ahead of Sunday's game.

Varney said: "We spoke before about what we wanted from these two games and to be honest I would have taken a point from Newcastle but we can go to Chelsea now and enjoy ourselves.

"We are going to go there with the same attitude, the same group, the same togetherness. We're achieving a lot more than everyone was expecting so we'll be full of confidence and who knows what will happen?

He added: "It will be a daunting proposition too but we know we can go into the match on the back of Saturday's game with a lot of confidence."

Yuri Zhirkov's Failure To Impress At Stamford Bridge Blamed On Former Chelsea Boss Guus Hiddink

Guus Hiddink has been blamed for ruining Yuri Zhirkov’s talents by a Russian football legend.

Zhirkov has been an £18million disappointment at Chelsea after being plagued by injury last season and he is threatening to ask for a move in January if there is no way into Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

The 27-year-old is commonly seen as being behind left back Ashley Cole in the Stamford Bridge pecking order, despite making his name as an attacking winger before leaving CSKA Moscow for England before last season.

The world saw Zhirkov excel as a makeshift raiding full back for Russia at Euro 2008, but 1960 European champion Viktor Ponedelnik believes the role did more harm than good.

‘As a player, Zhirkov was broken by Hiddink,’ said Ponedelnik, 73. ‘And it’s important to say this loudly.

‘Yuri played tremendously as a left attacking midfielder. He has a left leg as if he were holding a spoon in his hand to eat borsch (vegetable soup) from a cup.

‘But Hiddink decided to invent some revolutionary system so that one player was the left back and the attacking winger. But for that it was necessary to insert four hearts in Zhirkov.’

Zenit St Petersburg and Spartak Moscow are monitoring Zhirkov’s availability.

Pat Nevin: Deadly Weapon

Pat Nevin witnessed the latest Chelsea win in the flesh and as he watched the ball and game squirm from West Ham's grasp, he spotted a set-piece trend, as he explains in this week's column.

As I was broadcasting (in a totally unbiased manner) on Saturday for BBC Radio 5 at Upton Park, I was struggling to find just the right words to describe Chelsea's performance. Perfunctory sounded OK but not quite right. Functional or efficient didn't sum it up either but I was getting closer. Eventually it came to me, sufficient.

How depressing it must have been for the Hammers to know in their heart of hearts that most of the Blues players had at least another couple of gears in reserve if and when needed. The reason for the less than full throttle approach for 90 minutes was of course the barrage of games on the horizon, so Avram Grant may have been able to suggest West Ham controlled large parts of the game, but surely he knew what was likely to happen if his team had the audacity to get within a goal of Chelsea.

There were a number of particular highlights, the short cameo by Gael Kakuta near the end lifted the spirits, he will certainly be needed between now and the end of the season. Michael Essien in particular looked unstoppable, the two goals being merely the icing on the cake of a sensational performance. There was a gap where Frank Lampard usually arrives in the box to get his habitual goals and the Ghanaian decided to fill it with devastating consequences for West Ham.

One of the other heartening sights was the Chelsea bench and the quality sitting there. Zhirkov, Malouda, Sturridge, Benayoun and Alex were alongside the aforementioned Kakuta, each capable of having a huge effect if needed. Add on top of that the final minutes of the Everton v Manchester United game and it made for a particularly pleasant Saturday afternoon. In fact I would go so far as to say it was bordering on relaxing for the players, which is just what the doctor ordered before setting off on the European travels.

One player who to be honest wasn't at his very best at the weekend was Didier Drogba, it was just one of those days for him. We all know that he can have those afternoons and even the boss was seen to remonstrate with him vehemently after one incident of less than adequate holding up play. His head just didn't seem to be in the right place, but incredibly he claimed two assists and the two most important ones at that. If you are going to have an off day, you might as well make it a productive one.

One moment in particular struck me, or more pertinently struck West Ham keeper Robert Green, that long-range free kick which the Englishman fumbled horribly. Now here's a thought, I do not think Didier was necessarily trying to score with that strike. He was simply trying to get it on target with pace, dip and some movement hoping the keeper would parry or punch instead of catching it, then the other strikers could follow in to mop up the pieces.

It is not the first time this season that this has been the specific aim of a Chelsea free kick. Witness the first goal v West Brom or a save Thomas Sorensen had to make for Stoke City, do you notice the similarity?

Because of the unusual way Didier strikes the modern 'lighter feeling' ball, much as Cristiano Ronaldo does, it is a ploy that is horribly difficult to cater for. Of course Green was at fault to a large degree but forget the slow motion replays. When you see that ball coming at the keeper at match speed, moving three different directions at once, it is not at all easy to deal with. It is yet another deadly weapon to use this season, the answer is of course to have a six-man wall to cover the entire goal, but this leaves gaps elsewhere for Chelsea players to utilize. Catch 22 again for the opposition.

So next stop Zilina and hopefully a winning start to the Champions League campaign. This game will be important mostly for the effect it will have a few months down the line. Three points out there and the Holy Grail of early qualification is a possibility that of course leads to the chance of resting those who need it most, allowing kids to be blooded in Europe and giving fringe players an opportunity to shine.

United Keeping Plenty In Reserve Chelsea Clash

Ryan Donaldson says Newcastle United's young guns will not shirk the chance to take on the mighty Chelsea in the Carling Cup next week.

United take part in something of a dress rehearsal for the third-round tie on Thursday night at St James’ Park, and it’s likely that several members of the cast of characters for the cup clash will be involved in the FA Premier Reserve League encounter.

Donaldson put in a solid performance at Accrington Stanley in the second round last month and, while he has dropped back into the reserves since then, he has been checked out by several Football League sides – including Carlisle United – for a possible loan move.

Donaldson told the Chronicle: “As long as we’re in the cup the younger lads have a chance of playing. We’ll just have to wait and see and keep our fingers crossed.

“Chris Hughton has got a lot of trust in us and it’s good to see him saying that when you pick up the paper. The manager put in a lot more experienced players in as well in the last round like Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands and Ryan Taylor.

“It was easy for us because we want to play, but they showed that they are good professionals as well by putting in the performance too.”

Donaldson has bittersweet memories of the Carling Cup after enduring a shock defeat at the hands of Peterborough last season.

He said: “We all know what happened last year against Peterborough so it was good to exorcise the ghost a bit at Accrington. It wasn’t a pretty game but in the cup it is about getting through and we go the right result in the end.

“It wasn’t the best experience a year ago at Peterborough, but if anything that has made us stronger.

“The gaffer and Colin Calderwood reminded us of what happened last year and I think it showed.

“We’re all a year older as well now.

“That was a big game for us, so we were all delighted.”

United’s second-string game with Chelsea on Thursday kicks off at 7.05pm.

Carlo Ancelotti: We Have Not Won The Premier League Yet

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti refuses claims that his side has taken the initiative to retain their Premier League crown after the champions beat West Ham United 3-1 to maintain their perfect start to the season.

The Blues are on top of the Premier League after winning their opening four matches and they are already two points clear of second-placed Arsenal and four ahead of main rivals Manchester United.

Chelsea have been in excellent form to date, and have netted 17 goals and only conceded one, but Ancelotti maintains that the race to win the title will be a long one.

"It means nothing," he said. "We've started better than Manchester United, but it will be a long race.

"I said last year that the race is only decided at the end of the season. I will say the same this year.

"There are moments during the season where you are not lucky. United conceded in the last seconds against Fulham, and two goals in the last few minutes against Everton.

"Little details have cost them four points, or they would be in our position. It can happen to us the same."

Carlo Hails Essien Factor

Carlo Ancelotti says Michael Essien is 'better than a new signing' after the Chelsea midfielder notched a brace against West Ham.

The Ghanaian's goals were his first for the club since he tore the medial ligament in his left knee while training with his national side in January.

Blues manager Ancelotti has heaped praise on his performance at Upton Park, and is hoping he retains his fitness this season.

"I think he's better than a new signing," said Ancelotti.

"We missed him last season because he's one of the top midfielders in the world. He came back and we're happy he can maintain this level of play.

"He's fit now. We have to pay attention because he's playing well, all the games at the start of the season. He scored today, and that's fantastic. He's a fantastic jumper and I hope he maintains this position for as long as possible."

Ancelotti Plans To Emulate Ferguson At Chelsea

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he is planning a lengthy stay at Stamford Bridge.

The 51-year-old, who won the domestic double in his first season in charge, is currently guiding Chelsea through a magnificent start to the campaign, chalking up four wins from as many games.

Formerly of Juventus and AC Milan, Ancelotti is yet to coach the national side, but he admits he wants to develop a similar legendary reputation to his Premier League rival at Old Trafford.

"I don't know when I will finish my career,'' he told the News of the World.”When I started my career in 1995 I said five years is enough so my idea was to close my career in 2000.

"Now it is 2010 and I have to say I love this job, I'd love to stay here at Chelsea and I would like to stay here. I would be happy to stay as long as [Sir Alex] Ferguson at Manchester United.''

Ancelotti also played down suggestions that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is desperate to win the Champions League. When Ancelotti was drafted in as Chelsea manager 12 months ago, Champions League success was marked down as his number one target, but he insists Abramovich is not obsessed with European success.

"I speak with Roman a lot, but he is not obsessed with the Champions League," said Ancelotti. "He wants to win everything, but he's not desperate. I don't have pressure from outside. I want to put myself under pressure because I want to win.

"He wants a team with a clear identity and we have created that. The normal step for players in this situation is to think about winning the Champions League. The players have reached the semi-final five times and one final. They deserve it, but only if you do it better than others.

"I don't want to think that the Champions League is more important than the Premier League. Both are very important. Last season we won the Premier League. We don't want to say the Premier League is not very important - we would like to win it again. But the normal step is to do things better than we did last season in the Champions League. We went out too early.

"Our aim is to improve our type of play, to have more continuity to do better and to stay involved."

Ancelotti: England Could Go Foreign Again

Carlo Ancelotti believes the Football Association should not rule out going foreign again when they choose a successor for Fabio Capello.

The FA has indicated that they would prefer an Englishman in charge when Capello steps down after the European Championships in 2012.

But Chelsea’s Italian boss Ancelotti said: “It could be English, it could be a foreign manager, it is the decision of FA. I don’t think it has to be necessarily English. There are a lot of coaches with good qualities, not just English.

“For a long time the England team has had a foreign manager, they were unlucky also. (Sven-Goran) Eriksson was not lucky.”

In the wake of the headlines surrounding Wayne Rooney, Ancelotti also insisted that the private lives of footballers should be respected.

Chelsea has had their fair share of negative publicity surrounding players such as John Terry and Ashley Cole.

Ancelotti, speaking on BBC 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme, said: “My philosophy is that I don’t want to control the private lives of my players.

“My players have to know that they have to respect the shirt also when they are outside of the training ground, outside of the pitch, but I am not able to control the private lives of my players and I don’t want to judge anybody because everyone can do everything.

“A lot of kids are looking at the behaviour of the players so they have more responsibility and they have to know this, but as a manager I don’t want to control.

“If my player wants to stay outside, go to bed at 12 o’clock or eight o’clock - I’m not interested.”

Ancelotti added: “The private life has to stay the private life – I wouldn’t like it if people judged my private life – only one person can judge your private life and I think that is God.”

Michael Mancienne Ready To Quit Chelsea In An Attempt To Further His Career

Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne has said he will probably have to leave the club in search of further development.

Mancienne is currently on a season-long loan at Wolverhampton Wanderers, his third spell at the club following limited opportunities at Stamford Bridge.

And despite the new Premier League ruling requiring clubs to include eight 'home-grown' players in a 25-man squad, the England under-21 captain has not found his prospects at Chelsea enhanced.

And Mancienne believes there is plenty of young English talent that is good enough to play at the top level:

"Everyone in the Under-21 side is capable of playing in the Premier League – it’s just getting the chance." He told The People.
"Most of the time loan moves are the best thing we can do ­because you don’t want to be sat around. Everyone just wants games.

"I don’t know why young ­players don’t get a chance. Teams go out and buy a player for a lot of money and then have to play him to justify that. Otherwise, it’s money down the drain."

Mancienne also feels that reputations come ahead of form and potential, limiting the opportunities for emerging youth teamers.

"It is difficult to break in at Chelsea. They’ve got players who are representing and captaining their countries.

"They’re in so many cup competitions as well and they need to win all the games.

"It’s a good place to get your football education but it is hard for youngsters to get an ­opportunity to play."

And despite gaining plenty of experience through temporary deals, the 22-year-old doesn't see the loan system as a way of earning a place at your parent club:

"I’ve played a few games but I’ve been out on loan the majority of the time.

"The manager doesn’t speak to me, not when I’m out on loan. Instead, I just have scouts that come to watch games and I report to them and they then go to the club.

"As a player you just want the chance to make a name for ­yourself, to show what you can do.

"So will I have to get away from Chelsea? Yes, I probably will."

Ancelotti To Assess Terry Rib Injury Before Champions League Tie Against MSK Zilina

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed after his side's 3-1 win over West Ham United that captain John Terry is a doubt for the club’s opening Champions League game against MSK Zilina on Wednesday.

“[John] Terry took a knock on his rib, we'll look on Monday, hopefully he’s fit for Wednesday. He had pain at the end of the game so I took him out.

“Frank Lampard is the same as Terry, we'll take a decision on Monday.

“We want to start the Champions League well, I will change the lineup because I want to rest some players.”

Ancelotti did, however, express his delight at the returning Michael Essien describing him as being "like a new signing".

The Ghanaian international scored two headers to help his side to the win and to extend their 100% record.

Essien suffered an injury while on 2010 African Cup of Nations duty with Ghana in January, and missed the rest of the season, managing only 14 Premier League appearances for the entire campaign.

However, he has begun the season in fine style and the Italian admits he is delighted to have him back in the team.

“[Michael] Essien is like a new signing, he's come back and we are happy that he can play,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“Essien is fit now, we have to pay attention, he's playing all of our games and I hope he maintains this condition for as long as possible.”

Ancelotti: No Pressure In Europe

With four wins from four in the bread and butter of Premier League football, the spotlight now turns to the Champions League as we begin another European campaign.

For Carlo Ancelotti, the hunt for a third European Cup triumph starts while success in this competition would be a first for Chelsea, something the manager is only too aware of, though he insists any pressure to win club football's greatest prize comes only from him.

'I don't want to think the Champions League is more important than the Premier League,' said the Italian. 'Both were very important last season, this season the normal thing is to think more about the Champions League, but we don't want to say the Premier League is not important.

'We would like to win again, and the normal step is to want to do better in the Champions League. We went out too early and want to do better this season.

'Our aim is to improve if it is possible our kind of play to have more continuity, to do better and stay involved in all the competitions until the end of the season, to give continuity to the victory of last season.

'I'm not under pressure, I will put myself under pressure, I don't have pressure from outside. I want to put myself under pressure because I want to win. Roman [Abramovich] was very happy about the victory of the Double.'

Such success in his first season at Stamford Bridge went a long way to matching some of Ancelotti's achievements during his eight years with AC Milan, and he hopes he can keep this squad together for many years to come, dismissing suggestions that he heads an ageing squad.

'I don't want to consider players that are 30 old, they are in the middle of their career, they have experience,' he stressed. 'Now the physical training has improved a lot compared to 20 years ago, now there is more control, you can control the physical training and recovery.

'Thirty years old is the right moment. When I was a player my best moment was when I was 30, so I cannot say a player of this age is old.

'I want to stay here as long as possible,' the former midfielder continued. 'I feel good; I love this atmosphere around football, so I would like to stay here.

'I am not interested to go to another side. When I finished my work in Milan I chose the right place to work.'