tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43175494036358097132024-03-12T21:08:07.202-07:00Chelseawheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-41785335127574960842007-07-17T12:24:00.000-07:002007-07-17T12:26:18.536-07:00Chelsea Signs 4-Year Deal With DisneyEngland's Chelsea Signs 4-Year Deal to Become Disney's Official Soccer Club<br />LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Chelsea of the English Premier League has signed a four-year deal with The Walt Disney Co. to become the official pro soccer club of Disney's Wide World of Sports complex and presenting sponsor of the Disney Soccer Showcase Series.<br /><br />Chelsea will also have a significant presence at other Disney-created soccer events through coaching and player clinics held in conjunction with some of the events.<br /><br />An annual educational exchange program will also be created where at least one Chelsea Soccer Academy team will visit and compete at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida.<br /><br />In exchange, Chelsea will bring a winning team from a selected Disney soccer tournament to be their guests at a Chelsea match and train at their soccer academy in England.<br /><br />"Chelsea is committed to assisting and promoting all levels of soccer in the United States, and youth soccer is a massive part of that," Chelsea business affairs director Paul Smith said.<br /><br />Further talks between Chelsea and Disney are planned to see how Chelsea can work with the media and entertainment company's various brands.<br /><br />"To align ourselves with Chelsea FC will not only confirm the position of the Disney Soccer Showcase as the premiere youth soccer tournament in the United States, but now makes it an absolute must tournament for youth soccer players everywhere," said Mike Millay, director of sports at the Walt Disney World Resort.<br /><br />Via : biz.yahoo.comwheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-80499844187798539762007-07-16T10:38:00.000-07:002007-07-16T10:40:51.933-07:00Chelsea duo Drogba, Shevchenko on AC Milan shopping listAC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani admits Chelsea strike-pair Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko are on their shopping list.<br /><br />"One of these five non-European players that we are following will arrive," said Galliani.<br /><br />"Those players are Ronaldinho, Shevchenko, Drogba, (Samuel) Eto'o and (Alexandre) Pato."<br /><br />Milan are aware that the chances of signing Ronaldinho or Eto'o this summer are slim, Barcelona having warned the Italian giants that both are unavailable for transfer.<br /><br />The Rossoneri also face tough opposition from Chelsea and Inter to sign 17-year-old Brazilian starlet Pato, who has a contract with Internacional until 2009.<br /><br />And it is no secret that Milan are eager to bring Shevchenko back to the San Siro.<br /><br />The Ukraine international has failed to make an impact since joining Chelsea last summer and is reportedly keen on a return to Serie A.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Via :www.tribalfootball.com</span>wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-91941435669993114662007-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:002007-07-16T10:38:02.638-07:00Chelsea's Bridge, Cole could miss timeLondon, England (Sports Network) - Chelsea may be without a pair of defenders to start the season as both Wayne Bridge and Ashley Cole are battling injuries and are not expected back for a few more weeks.<br /><br />The 26-year-old Bridge had to pull out of a training session in the United States this past Friday, and according to reports, he had surgery on his pelvis to repair the problem. If Bridge did indeed have to undergo surgery, he is expected to miss the next three months.<br /><br />Cole, meanwhile, is still recovering from the ankle surgery that he had at the end of last season, and is not going to be ready to play for weeks.<br /><br />These injuries leave manager Jose Mourinho with a shortage of players to fill the left-back position along his defense. With less than one month until the start of the Premiership season, it looks like Mourinho will turn to newly- signed defender Tal Ben Haim, who normally plays in the center but can also play out wide if necessary.<br /><br />Ben Haim played 30 games for Bolton last season and was brought to Stamford Bridge to bolster the back line, but should now get to take over a starting spot to begin the season.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Via : www.tsn.ca</span>wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-16773311280370528372007-07-15T03:25:00.000-07:002007-07-15T03:28:08.492-07:00Real confident of landing Chelsea starReal Madrid are confident they will prise Arjen Robben from Chelsea Football Club.<br /><br />The Spanish champions have made it known they fancy signing the Dutch international this summer, although the Blues insist the player is staying and are in negotiations with him over a new contract.<br /><br />Despite this, Real remain determined to land the former PSV Eindhoven winger, and new manager Bernd Schuster is believed to have placed the player at the very top of his wanted list.<br /><br />It is now being reported in Spain that the Bernabeu club are lining up a solid bid of £13.5million for Robben, and they are quietly confident this will be enough to land the player.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Via : www.fansfc.com</span>wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-56782713754742151532007-07-15T03:13:00.000-07:002007-07-15T03:25:39.288-07:00Terry's late show as Chelsea open U.S. tour with victoryJohn Terry's late goal proved decisive as Chelsea came from behind to claim a 2-1 victory over Club America in a friendly at Stanford Stadium.<br /><br /><br />The Blues skipper struck in the 84th minute when he collected a pass from new signing Florent Malouda and beat America goalkeeper Armando Navarrete with a powerful strike.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb87/henrytea/083terryDM_468x729.jpg"><img src="http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb87/henrytea/083terryDM_468x729.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It proved an eventful debut for the former Lyon winger, who also netted the equaliser to mark his Chelsea bow in impressive fashion.<br /><br />Club America stunned Jose Mourinho's side by taking an unexpected lead after just four minutes when midfielder Juan Carlos Mosqueda pounced on a loose ball inside the area and beat Petr Cech.<br /><br />Despite dominating possession, Chelsea could not capitalise on several scoring opportunities against the Mexicans and had to wait until the 75th minute to fashion an equaliser.<br /><br />Defender Sam Hutchinson found Malouda and the midfielder managed to sneak a shot past America goalkeeper Armando Navarrete to level the encounter before having a hand in Terry's late winner.<br /><br />Chelsea will next face Korean side Suwon Bluewings before rounding off their American tour against David Beckham's new club LA Galaxy.<br /><br />Boss Jose Mourinho was satisfied with his side's display and the Portuguese boss, who had previously stated his intention to use the series of US friendlies as competitive training sessions, was happy with the workout his side received from the Mexican club.<br /><br />"I'm pleased," Mourinho said.<br /><br />"It was a very good training session. I want to thank Club America because they gave us exactly what we needed - good competition.<br /><br />"It was a very good game by our team. There was good passing by our team, good defense, and a good overall game."<br /><br />It proved an eventful debut for Malouda, who also played a part in Terry's late strike after the former Lyon winger had hauled his new side level.<br /><br />"We played a good game," Malouda said.<br /><br />"It felt great to contribute to the team in this first game."<br /><br />Club America coach Luis Fernando Tena was glad to see his side compete with their illustrious opponents.<br /><br />"Overall I was pleased with the way we played tonight," Tena said.<br /><br />"Chelsea played better in the second half though and that was the difference."<br /><br />Via : img.dailymail.co.ukwheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-49167050223535002662007-07-04T11:49:00.000-07:002007-07-04T11:51:45.128-07:00Beckham targets Chelsea clash for LA debutDavid Beckham is targeting Los Angeles Galaxy's friendly against Chelsea to launch his career in America after a scan on his ankle injury showed no long-term damage. <br /><br /><br />The England midfielder has a medial ligament injury and organised a scan in London at the weekend off his own bat.<br /><br />The results of the scan were positive news and Beckham, who arrives in Los Angeles late next week for the start of his career in Major League Soccer, is hopeful of making his debut in the game against Chelsea on July 21. <br /><br />Beckham's spokesman Simon Oliveira told PA Sport: "David had a scan on his injury at the weekend and that showed no long-term damage. <br /><br />"With the right rest and rehabilitation he should be training as planned when he arrives in the States." <br /><br />Beckham is currently on holiday but has taken a personal fitness coach with him in order to be in as good condition as possible when he joins the Galaxy, who are midway through the MLS season. <br /><br />The 32-year-old played with the injury for England and Real Madrid last month and has been told that the break before he goes to LA could be enough to heal the problem completely. <br /><br />Beckham flies to California next week, after making a visit to his football academy in Greenwich, London, and will be officially unveiled as a Galaxy player on July 13. <br /><br />The result of the scan also removes any lingering uncertainty about whether he would be fit for England's friendly against Germany at Wembley on August 22. <br /><br />His first competitive games for the Galaxy are set to be home matches against two Mexican sides: Guadalajara on July 24 and Pachuca four days later. <br /><br />It is understood that Beckham is not concerned about the prospect of adding to his heavy schedule when he plays for the Galaxy in a one-off friendly with Australian A-League club Sydney FC in November. <br /><br />The Football Federation Australia (FFA) have guaranteed the England midfielder will play during the match at Sydney's Telstra Stadium on November 27.<br /><br />Via :www.dailymail.co.ukwheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-36505558329192769122007-07-04T11:47:00.000-07:002007-07-04T11:48:38.527-07:00Beckham aims to play for Galaxy against ChelseaLONDON --David Beckham is confident he can recover from an ankle injury in time for his debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy in a July 21 exhibition against Chelsea in California.<br /><br />The England midfielder originally injured his left ankle playing for England in a European Championship qualifier June 6. The injury flared again when he played for Real Madrid in the Spanish league.<br /><br />Beckham decided to have an ankle scan during a stopover in London, and it was determined he has an injured ligament. His agent, Simon Oliveira, said Wednesday the scan showed ''no long-term damage.''<br /><br />''With the right rest and rehabilitation he should be training as planned when he arrives in the States,'' he added.<br /><br />Beckham helped Real Madrid win the league title before leaving the Spanish club and also has regained his place on the England tea. He is to be introduced as a Galaxy player July 13 at the team's stadium in Carson, Calif.wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-49031922866776887122007-06-16T23:33:00.000-07:002007-06-16T23:38:30.435-07:00Lampard Relishing Early Liverpool Test<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx7Kq8xoUsvjIRz4uTRangOZwRIMkCfrOD06NEHnBoX4S-yLGJAufxFH4eqyqUZU_ElU5BJRZOo4eJMm_vaWydzBFV3eKYhmqIhWnnN_QUA67nbw_Rcw1ArPaNxGXrW_kJmCcmQNZtCo1/s1600-h/capt.sge.klu12.060607115723.photo02.photo.default-512x356+gggg.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlx7Kq8xoUsvjIRz4uTRangOZwRIMkCfrOD06NEHnBoX4S-yLGJAufxFH4eqyqUZU_ElU5BJRZOo4eJMm_vaWydzBFV3eKYhmqIhWnnN_QUA67nbw_Rcw1ArPaNxGXrW_kJmCcmQNZtCo1/s320/capt.sge.klu12.060607115723.photo02.photo.default-512x356+gggg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5076918854367039570" /></a><br />The midfielder has earmarked his side's visit to Merseyside on Saturday August 18 as one of the early highlights of the new league season. <br /><br />Chelsea were twice beaten in front of the Kop during the second half of last season and the England midfielder is happy to be coming up against Steven Gerrard’s men so soon this time around. <br /><br />"The two fixtures that really stand out in the first few weeks are the ones at Liverpool and United," he said.<br /><br />"It's quite simple. If you're serious about winning the championship then those are the games you have to get results in and so we know what's ahead. <br /><br />"We played very well in the second half at Old Trafford last season – some of the best football we played all season.<br /><br />"It was a different story at Liverpool, when it seemed that we were caught cold and lost early goals. <br /><br />"But Liverpool have had a habit of gaining momentum later in the season this past couple of years so. Maybe playing them in the third match could be a good time."<br /><br /> Blues ready to offload £10m SWP<br /><br />Roman Abramovich's wallet has been closed to the Portuguese coach, who has added three new players to his playing pool in the form of Claudio Pizarro, Steve Sidwell and Tal Ben Haim - but all on free transfers.<br /><br />Mourinho already has a headache over who to select in midfield, with the likes of Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Arjen Robben, Michael Essien and Jon Obi Mikel battling for starting roles.<br /><br />The Blues boss knows Wright-Phillips has a number of admirers willing to meet the club's asking price, with West Ham, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool, Newcastle and his former employers City all set to vye for his signature.wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-4100206002580736442007-06-06T02:27:00.000-07:002007-06-06T02:29:56.425-07:00Liverpool Failed To Strike Deal, Reveals AlvesThe Reds declared yesterday that they were pulling out of the race to sign Alves, just as reports of a massive bid from Chelsea broke.<br /><br /><br />It was being speculated that Liverpool had been priced out, and Alves has confirmed that the Reds were unable to agree upon a price with Sevilla.<br /><br />He then went on to express his admiration for Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard, also insisting that he was keeping his mind on Sevilla's title challenge for the moment.<br /><br />Chelsea have supposedly taken the lead after tabling a straight cash offer worth 24 million euros, leaving both Milan (20 million) and Real Madrid (cash + Baptista) in their wake, at least for now.wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-20202787518612279752007-06-03T17:59:00.000-07:002007-06-03T18:05:45.447-07:00Lampard 'big enough' to cope with the boo-boysIt was one of those strange anomalies of English football on Friday at Wembley that the moronic elements of England's support managed to be respectful during the Brazilian national anthem but could not resist booing Frank Lampard. New stadium, same old problems. He is not the first Englishman to be jeered by his own fans in the last two seasons but Lampard might be wondering what exactly he has to do to turn around this old grudge. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072008954855148258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56Hx0Wdmy3otLTjjsT8vVurp6575k4-5_OhIe52GbFsqWwiraEFqD8mXTojVwEhuacyWht_ZJR4M9x3PYRX8g78Q0Hjgl3VCQ0Sdp3pnooerPIFBB0sLHGN2zsaEbWxae6y5W25UOep9o/s320/r578979943.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />After the match he did not seem like a man racked with hurt. That is not Lampard's way. He is, by his own admission, the stubborn type, steadfastly confident in his ability to turn things around. He did so with the West Ham fans who made life difficult for him there and on Friday he put in a performance that drew praise from an unimpeachable source. Dunga, the Brazil manager, described Lampard and Steven Gerrard as the "engines" of the England team, even if they had to spend the evening in the shadow of the man on the right wing.<br /><br />Officially that means that any move now by Lampard to buy out his contract would probably earn him a nominal ban when he joined his new club. Unofficially it is further evidence that the 28-year-old will be staying put, although after Friday's experience he will probably be considering a good holiday after Wednesday's match.<br /><br />He is not the first England player to be booed by his own fans, although Peter Crouch and Owen Hargreaves were given much rougher treatment than Beckham ever experienced. The issue for Lampard next season will be whether he keeps his place, with Hargreaves fit and playing at Manchester United and Steve McClaren presumably committed to playing 4-4-2, with Gerrard and one other in the centre. Before then there is the small matter of Estonia, a side with no goal in six defeats so far. Were things to go wrong it would be one of the biggest embarrassments in the history of the England team.<br /><br />The pairing of Lampard with Gerrard against Brazil may have looked to be inviting disaster - no holding midfielder to look after Kaka - but it worked up to a point, with the Liverpool man playing a more defensive role. The debate over the compatibility of these two players has gone on so long that new evidence is always to be welcomed, but it will have to withstand a few more tests before Hargreaves can again consider himself surplus to requirements.wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-83425295538376064052007-05-31T19:24:00.000-07:002007-05-31T19:37:10.940-07:00Chelsea's Terry: Beckham can have England captaincy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6ozl_LeXLMxpM_2k7ECyEDSM7VoSHK3g3EGeuj0gyw3QpQN2Q7RMyFvrdzhUWaa3tE_G-iZbYw3iLUzglZ_boozCB-HuHImWQHMhRLjzKnqATwVrgOFdSN7DmwiSmnD3HjWCqTfyY_TK/s1600-h/capt.sge.ite49.310507164148.photo01.photo.default-512x359"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6ozl_LeXLMxpM_2k7ECyEDSM7VoSHK3g3EGeuj0gyw3QpQN2Q7RMyFvrdzhUWaa3tE_G-iZbYw3iLUzglZ_boozCB-HuHImWQHMhRLjzKnqATwVrgOFdSN7DmwiSmnD3HjWCqTfyY_TK/s320/capt.sge.ite49.310507164148.photo01.photo.default-512x359" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070919351716924114" /></a><br />Chelsea captain John Terry says he'd have no problem handing Real Madrid's David Beckham the England captaincy for his 100th international.<br />Beckham won his 94th cap in the World Cup quarter-final defeat to Portugal last summer but has had to wait 11 months to add to that tally after being overlooked by new England manager Steve McClaren.<br /><br />Now he is back in the fold for the games with Brazil and Estonia and, if he stays involved, could reach the century mark in the return with the Estonians in the autumn.<br /><br />Terry believes the former Manchester United player deserves his recall and has revealed the support he has received from Beckham since being made skipper by McClaren.<br /><br />The Chelsea star said: "Becks fully deserves his recall. We've all been watching him. He has been in great form, supplying great crosses and his work-rate is fantastic and it's really great to have him back.<br /><br />"Maybe that has given belief to other people who have not really been involved since Steve McClaren took over, that there is a chance and there is maybe a new era and there are chances for everyone.<br /><br />"Becks can give us great things and he will do that. It is great to have him back and we all feel that. We were having lunch and Becks walked in and I shook his hand and I said 'it's great to see you back'.<br /><br />"I don't watch much Spanish football but since he's been back, he's made me want to watch Spanish football because of how well he has been playing.<br /><br />"I would love to see Becks get his 100 caps for England. I know what that would mean to him. Would I give him the captaincy for the game if he got to 100 caps? Yes I would."<br /><br />Terry added: "Do I feel intimidated by David Beckham? Not at all. Since I got the captaincy, I've had one phone call a week from Becks wishing me good luck and saying 'I'm always here if you need me'.<br /><br />"That is big of him and I can't speak highly enough of him. He has been fantastic since I was given the captaincy. He has not pestered me but he has always said 'I'm here if you need me'.<br /><br />"To have that from such a great man and such a great player is unbelievable. If things were going wrong, I would not hesitate to ask his advice." <br /><br />Players focused on saving McClaren’s job, says Terry<br /><br />LONDON: England captain John Terry said yesterday that he and his fellow international players will do everything they can to save under-fire boss Steve McClaren’s job. <br /><br />Terry and Co play a tune-up friendly against Brazil tomorrow in the first international at the new Wembley. <br /><br />But the Chelsea captain is focused on the match that counts in midweek. <br /><br />Terry is pleased to have David Beckham - the player he replaced as skipper after the World Cup last summer – back in the squad. <br /><br />“We are fully behind the manager and we are going to do our best to keep him in his job. <br /><br />“Will there be a question mark over him if England lose? Possibly. But we are not thinking like that. <br /><br />“We are thinking positively. We need to go there and get a win. It is as simple as that. We need to go there and perform.wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-45629208294019505022007-05-31T08:38:00.000-07:002007-05-31T19:24:35.797-07:00Ranieri Targets "Chelsea Miracle"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpV8THmRQykKmo-HH9r19GLjcNdRsuWoZHUE_8HHaQcZqCxXSYgPNrPrMyNy-m0QgMfg45tih0S6-AgQA6pLB6j8Oh9MCQ4ALJoeeTUfy7GhbyM7T-MQQKQSn6gjFwKPNojiF9DvwtpQR/s1600-h/ranieriAP_175x125.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpV8THmRQykKmo-HH9r19GLjcNdRsuWoZHUE_8HHaQcZqCxXSYgPNrPrMyNy-m0QgMfg45tih0S6-AgQA6pLB6j8Oh9MCQ4ALJoeeTUfy7GhbyM7T-MQQKQSn6gjFwKPNojiF9DvwtpQR/s320/ranieriAP_175x125.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070916121901517506" /></a><br /><br />Ranieri is set to move to Manchester City if the proposed takeover goes ahead, and is looking forward to the challenge. <br /><br />"The Manchester City challenge reminds me of the experience I had at Chelsea where without spending £1, we built a good team," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. <br /><br />"It was an achievement that convinced Abramovich to buy the club. <br /><br />"I created the Chelsea miracle from nothing. Then, mountains of money came as well as a selection of top players. <br /><br />"Why England again? Because at this time, English football is a fascinating window that hypnotises you. <br /><br />"Here, there are so many champions, seven or eight teams at the top level just as Italy had some time ago. <br /><br />"Unfortunately for us, Italian football, we are poorer, despite Milan's extraordinary victory in the Champions League. <br /><br />"To return to England means being at the centre of something important. <br /><br />"The idea is to face Manchester United as soon as possible, and be at the same level as them in the standings."<br /><br />That might take some doing, but then again, you won't hit the top of the trees unless you aim for the sky!<br /><br /><br /><br />Ranieri wants Chelsea miracle at City<br /><br />Former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri believes he can recreate another "miracle" if he is given the vacant post at Manchester City.<br /><br />Ranieri has been offered a contract extension by Italian side Parma, after steering them to safety in Serie A.<br /><br />However, the 55-year-old is reported to have scheduled talks with Parma for Friday - and appears to have made up his mind that he will replace the sacked Stuart Pearce at City.<br /><br />Ranieri was spotted in London this week, and despite claiming it was for personal reasons the Italian is rumoured to have held talks with the consortium trying to buy City.<br /><br />He said in an interview with Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport: "The Manchester City challenge reminds me of the experience I had at Chelsea where without spending one pound we built a good team.<br /><br />"It was an achievement that convinced (Roman) Abramovich to buy the club. I created the Chelsea miracle from nothing. Then, mountains of money came as well as a selection of top players."<br /><br />Ranieri spent plenty of Abramovich's money once the takeover had been completed but prior to that there were some funds available under the previous ownership, most noticeably the purchase of Frank Lampard for 11 million pounds (22 million dollars).<br /><br />However, the Italian also oversaw the sale of several high-profile players.<br /><br />The Rome-born coach guided Chelsea into the Champions League semi-finals and also a runners-up finish in the Premiership before Abramovich appointed Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2004.<br /><br />Ranieri has been counting the days for his return to the Premiership ever since.<br /><br />"Why England again? Because at this time, English football is a fascinating window that hypnotises you," he said.<br /><br />"Some of the richest men in the world would do ridiculous things in order to buy an English club because the Premier League has become a luxury stage.<br /><br />"Here (in England), there are so many champions, seven or eight teams at the top level just as Italy had some time ago.<br /><br />"Unfortunately for us, Italian football, we are poorer, despite Milan's extraordinary victory in the Champions League.<br /><br />"To return to England means to be at the centre of something important."<br /><br />Ranieri is so optimistic about what he can achieve at Manchester City that he believes they can challenge bitter rivals Manchester United.<br /><br />"The idea is to face Manchester United as soon as possible and be at the same level as them in the standings," he said.<br /><br />"With Manchester City, I hope to complete every stage. This time, I have been chosen whereas before, Abramovich found me at the club."wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-31217055587459374652007-05-31T00:04:00.000-07:002007-05-31T00:20:02.354-07:00Chelsea boss Mourinho: I'm no longer the best<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHxwQigv7m8V86j_YQvrqSRKi8kHoyBrsiuxvin3zIg1z7Pa_zOSTw5hcUQdO7ME4Wn3Q0bXHEY_8lh77kubZegXKDMBQ0Aqol5tnhaE4IjUonVvvWO3rz6GN7zfHKE6wrzCtcFBuv7Ni/s1600-h/mourinho.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070621113482857138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHxwQigv7m8V86j_YQvrqSRKi8kHoyBrsiuxvin3zIg1z7Pa_zOSTw5hcUQdO7ME4Wn3Q0bXHEY_8lh77kubZegXKDMBQ0Aqol5tnhaE4IjUonVvvWO3rz6GN7zfHKE6wrzCtcFBuv7Ni/s320/mourinho.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho accepts he is no longer the best coach in the world.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />"The elite group are Rafa Benitez, Frank Rijkaard and Carlo Ancelotti and we are sharing the best trophies in Europe among us.<br /><br />"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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />The Blues' chief declared: "When I pick players to play, I don't think about the money we spent to get his signature.<br /><br />"What I think about is the contribution the player has made during training.<br /><br />"I pick those who have shown more quality and ambition. I don't care if the player is a £10 player or £10million player.<br /><br />"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.<br /><br />"He adapts to many positions in the team, which makes him a very special player." <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070620108460509858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HTJ7TifqXe70i6ot_U0QHa5EAUcAxTY0isfIny-6c5en2lDOGZgCvsWcK8e4SD2n86uTOmpWu0YPi-rDmPubP6ruoPsm4b_6Jq7gusV67emCKhJUwnlLy_-qvSFmKF1mMAsWFFg_Cwse/s320/capt.sge.acj22.040507095320.photo00.photochgo.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Milan ready to rescue Sheva from Chelsea hell<br /><br />AC Milan are ready to bring Andrei Shevchenko back from Chelsea Football Club.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.”<br /><br />AC Milan are ready to re-sign Andrei Shevchenko from Chelsea.<br /><br />Vice-president Adriano Galliani told the Daily Star: “We are ready to buy him back.”wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4317549403635809713.post-48393609236999888722007-05-30T21:50:00.000-07:002007-05-30T22:06:57.322-07:00McClaren backs Gerrard and Lampard<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vKke4oyhBQdljZWDAeqVlEr79_njsjnBXx6hlsUitqcRohpERFuD0DNycaESOmOohkAU5ML6An_UBuPHFpCK4cryELeikH1TNn6tMUh51KiXLJUW10QFsvrw-O0D6yE9XZHE6Ci0wg5p/s1600-h/capt.lst11305281934.britain_soccer_england_lst113"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5vKke4oyhBQdljZWDAeqVlEr79_njsjnBXx6hlsUitqcRohpERFuD0DNycaESOmOohkAU5ML6An_UBuPHFpCK4cryELeikH1TNn6tMUh51KiXLJUW10QFsvrw-O0D6yE9XZHE6Ci0wg5p/s320/capt.lst11305281934.britain_soccer_england_lst113" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070586727974685330" /></a><br />Under-pressure England coach Steve McClaren has backed Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to prove their doubters wrong and finally impress in central midfield together.<br /><br />Liverpool skipper Gerrard and Chelsea lynchpin Lampard have never fully convinced when playing in tandem in the middle of the park, with both players used to operating with a defensively-minded anchorman at club level.<br /><br />With former Three Lions captain David Beckham recalled to McClaren's squad for England's upcoming double header and Manchester United-bound Owen Hargreaves injured, McClaren is set to play Gerrard and Lampard together for the first time during his international managerial career.<br /><br />The coach had previously avoided the issue by playing Gerrard on the right wing.<br /><br />"Quite a while ago, I looked at the games Frank and Steven had played together over the previous two years," McClaren explained.<br /><br />"They had played ten games together in the centre of midfield in qualifiers and tournaments. We won seven, drew two and lost one.<br /><br />"That is not a bad record and I believe it proves they can play together."<br /><br />England play Brazil in a glamour tie at the new Wembley Stadium this Friday, followed by a must-win Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia the next week.<br /><br />McClaren's predecessor Sven-Goran Eriksson persisted with Gerrard and Lampard in central midfield, favouring Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole and Beckham on the flanks.<br /><br />This is likely to be the same midfield McClaren opts for against Brazil, prompting criticism that the manager is already fresh out of new ideas just nine games into the job.<br /><br />England are currently fourth in Euro 2008 qualifying group E, trailing Croatia, Russia and Israel.<br /><br />McClaren has faith in in Lampard-Gerrard axis<br /><br />Steve McClaren is adamant Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard can forge an effective central midfield partnership for England - and he has the statistics to prove it.<br /><br />The return of forgotten man David Beckham to the international fold signals the end of McClaren's experiment with Gerrard in the right-sided role.<br /><br /><br />Gerrard's flexibility was one of the reasons the England coach felt he could cope without the man who was so integral to the work of predecessor Sven-Goran Eriksson.<br /><br />Now, with his side hitting the point of no return in their bid to reach Euro 2008, McClaren has abandoned the plan, bringing back Beckham and restoring Gerrard into his favoured central slot.<br /><br />Yet that move has only re-opened the old debate surrounding the effectiveness of Lampard and Gerrard in the same midfield pairing.<br /><br />In the past it has been suggested the pair inhibit each other, with neither man reaching anywhere close to the heights they hit so often at club level.<br /><br />But McClaren has done some research. And he feels there is no reason to believe England cannot succeed with Lampard and Gerrard in the engine room.<br /><br />'Quite a while ago, I looked at the games Frank and Steven had played together over the previous two years,' revealed McClaren.<br /><br />'They had played 10 games together in the centre of midfield in qualifiers and tournaments. We won seven, drew two and lost one.<br /><br />'That is not a bad record and I believe it proves they can play together.'<br /><br />There are plenty of people who felt Gerrard should never have been shunted out of position in the first place.<br /><br />While insisting he was happy to play anywhere for his country, the Liverpool skipper has never made any secret of his desire to operate in the middle.<br /><br />And his inspirational display in the absence of Lampard during March's Euro 2008 qualifier with the part-timers of Andorra in Barcelona, which appeared destined to end in humiliation at the interval, finally convinced McClaren to make the change permanent.<br /><br />'Steven can play on the right-hand side,' he said.<br /><br />'He has done that for Liverpool, scored goals and given big performances.<br /><br />'But, especially in the second half against Andorra, it seemed Steven had a point to prove about playing in the middle, and he proved it.<br /><br />'He was our inspiration that night and he inspired from the centre of the field which is a strength with him.wheel coolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06122061770130215588noreply@blogger.com0