Ancelotti claims that Abramovich is not obsessed with Champions League
Chelsea boss, Carlo Ancelotti, has insisted the club’s owner, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, is not obsessed with winning the Champions League. Ancelotti’s superb record in Europe’s elite competition was rumoured to have been the main reason he was selected for the Chelsea job, but the Italian insists otherwise. "I speak with Roman a lot, but he is not obsessed with the Champions League," claimed the former AC Milan coach.
Following last season’s double-winning success, it is thought that the side’s main objective this term is Champions League glory. Ancelotti was under-pressure after defeat to eventual winners Inter Milan in the last 16, but he and his team bounced back to claim Premier League and FA Cup glory. But these days, he admits the Champions League is their main aim: "The normal step for players in this situation is to think about winning the Champions League.”
The Blues have come very close in recent years, laying claim to countless semi-finals and one final, with John Terry only a penalty kick away from securing the big prize back in 2008 under Avram Grant. He infamously struck the post and after Nicolas Anelka’s spot-kick was saved by Manchester United’s Edwin van der Sar, the west London club suffered another devastating finish.
Despite last year’s early exit, they remain one of the favourites this season, and rightly so. They have started the domestic campaign faultlessly, ruthlessly swatting aside all four of their opponents to lead the table with maximum points. However, many would expect the strongest challenges to come from Spain – namely Barcelona and Real Madrid – so although few would disagree with them laying claim to the strongest side in England right now, the two aforementioned Spanish powerhouses are going to take some beating. But if anyone is going to stop the Spanish pair from claiming Europe’s ultimate prize, Chelsea would be top of the list.
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