Chelsea boss Mourinho: I'm no longer the best

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho accepts he is no longer the best coach in the world.

He said: "I don't think I am the greatest coach of this generation. But I belong to an elite group of young coaches who have chalked up important successes and made a huge impact.

"The elite group are Rafa Benitez, Frank Rijkaard and Carlo Ancelotti and we are sharing the best trophies in Europe among us.

"There are others I would not like to mention and I don't think I am the best. But I want to stay in the group. I want to stay among the top."

Mourinho has a star-studded squad. But while some of his big-money buys, such as £24million midfielder Michael Essien, have been worth every penny, not all have lived up to expectations - like £30m flop Andriy Shevchenko.

The Blues' chief declared: "When I pick players to play, I don't think about the money we spent to get his signature.

"What I think about is the contribution the player has made during training.

"I pick those who have shown more quality and ambition. I don't care if the player is a £10 player or £10million player.

"I have no regrets in buying Essien at a high price. Michael is a high-performance player, who will perform consistently for 10 consecutive months.

"He adapts to many positions in the team, which makes him a very special player."

Milan ready to rescue Sheva from Chelsea hell

AC Milan are ready to bring Andrei Shevchenko back from Chelsea Football Club.

The Ukrainian international striker has been a huge disappointment following his £30million move from the San Siro to Stamford Bridge, casting doubts over his long-term future.

Milan have almost constantly been linked with bringing him back to Italy, and vice-president Adriano Galliani told the Daily Star: "With the right conditions, as we have said for weeks, we are ready to buy him back.”

AC Milan are ready to re-sign Andrei Shevchenko from Chelsea.

Vice-president Adriano Galliani told the Daily Star: “We are ready to buy him back.”