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Ancelotti wants Champions League glory with Chelsea
Source: Agencies |
July 7, 2009, Tuesday
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CARLO Ancelotti said yesterday his top priority at Chelsea is winning the Champions League, and remained confident that captain John Terry will stay with the team "forever."
He also announced that the club had signed Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow, in a move to strengthen the midfield.
"Zhirkov is naturally on the left," he said. "I think he can do all the work and can play in defense and in between."
At his first news conference with the London club, the Italian manager spoke in comfortable English and littered his responses with quips.
He initially deadpanned that Terry may not remain captain - amid speculation the defender may accept an offer from Manchester City - but then quickly declared he was joking.
"John Terry is a symbol of this team," Ancelotti said. "He will be captain next season. He said he wants to stay forever and we want to keep him for ever. Now there is a question of Manchester City, but for Terry there is no price. Terry will be at Chelsea forever."
Ancelotti is Chelsea's fifth manager in less than two years, and how long he lasts will largely depend on his ability to deliver the Champions League trophy. And Ancelotti - a two-time winner in his eight years at AC Milan - knows it.
"I am here for this, to win the Champions League," he said. "I think this is the great competition in the world."
Ancelotti is replacing Guus Hiddink, who reached the semifinals last year. In less than four months, Hiddink revitalized the team after Luiz Felipe Scolari was fired midseason, and won the FA Cup before returning to coach Russia full time.
Ancelotti was unveiled by Chelsea yesterday almost exactly a year after Scolari, a World Cup winner with Brazil, was hailed as the manager to repeat the successes Jose Mourinho achieved between 2005 and 2007.
While Mourinho won the Premier League twice, he could not get beyond the last four of the Champions League. His successor Avram Grant was fired despite reaching the 2008 final, and Scolari struggled to steer the Blues out of the group stage before being let go.
Ancelotti said Chelsea would not try to match the spending of Real Madrid, which has spent more than 200 million euros in the last month on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
"Chelsea does not necessarily have to have the best players," Ancelotti said.
There is still uncertainty about whether Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Andriy Shevchenko will remain with the club. Ancelotti indicated that Shevchenko is the most likely to leave.
He also announced that the club had signed Yuri Zhirkov from CSKA Moscow, in a move to strengthen the midfield.
"Zhirkov is naturally on the left," he said. "I think he can do all the work and can play in defense and in between."
At his first news conference with the London club, the Italian manager spoke in comfortable English and littered his responses with quips.
He initially deadpanned that Terry may not remain captain - amid speculation the defender may accept an offer from Manchester City - but then quickly declared he was joking.
"John Terry is a symbol of this team," Ancelotti said. "He will be captain next season. He said he wants to stay forever and we want to keep him for ever. Now there is a question of Manchester City, but for Terry there is no price. Terry will be at Chelsea forever."
Ancelotti is Chelsea's fifth manager in less than two years, and how long he lasts will largely depend on his ability to deliver the Champions League trophy. And Ancelotti - a two-time winner in his eight years at AC Milan - knows it.
"I am here for this, to win the Champions League," he said. "I think this is the great competition in the world."
Ancelotti is replacing Guus Hiddink, who reached the semifinals last year. In less than four months, Hiddink revitalized the team after Luiz Felipe Scolari was fired midseason, and won the FA Cup before returning to coach Russia full time.
Ancelotti was unveiled by Chelsea yesterday almost exactly a year after Scolari, a World Cup winner with Brazil, was hailed as the manager to repeat the successes Jose Mourinho achieved between 2005 and 2007.
While Mourinho won the Premier League twice, he could not get beyond the last four of the Champions League. His successor Avram Grant was fired despite reaching the 2008 final, and Scolari struggled to steer the Blues out of the group stage before being let go.
Ancelotti said Chelsea would not try to match the spending of Real Madrid, which has spent more than 200 million euros in the last month on the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.
"Chelsea does not necessarily have to have the best players," Ancelotti said.
There is still uncertainty about whether Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Andriy Shevchenko will remain with the club. Ancelotti indicated that Shevchenko is the most likely to leave.
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