Andre Villas-Boas confident Chelsea can defeat Barcelona and win the UEFA Champions League
New http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604, claiming he would quit if he did not believe the Blues could go on to lift the Champions League trophy.
The UEFA Champions League has become somewhat of an obsession at Chelsea, ever since the Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003. Since then the Blues have managed to win every trophy other than the coveted Champions League.
The failure to do so has led to the premature departure of many managers, with the latest one being Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti. The former AC Milan boss was sacked at the end of last season after failing to deliver any silverware at the club.
His sacking came just a season after leading Chelsea to their first ever domestic double of the English Premier League crown and the FA Cup. His successor, Villas-Boas, therefore knows the price he will pay if he is unable to bring the European trophy to
Stamford Bridge.
One of the main reasons he was chosen to replace Ancelotti was his success with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/FC-Porto-c39186 last season. Villas-Boas became the youngest ever manager to win the UEFA Europa League, the second tier European competition, and is now looking to try his luck at
the Champions League.
He revealed he was confident his side had the class and quality to face any side, including Barcelona, who are considered one of the best clubs in the world. The Catalan side have won the European Cup three times in the last six years and are favourites
to retain the trophy they won last season.
Villas-Boas said while speaking to reporters:
“Barcelona are the reference. They can beat any team in the world but so could Chelsea and so could Real (Madrid).
If I didn't believe that, I'd quit the game. I'm not going into the game with a losing mentality.”
The Portuguese manager said the European competition was highly unpredictable, with many upsets having taken place over the years. Under Jose Mourinho, the Blues went on to defeat Barcelona in the earlier stages of the competition, with http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Inter-c39567 Milan, again
under Mourinho, defeated the La Liga outfit in the 2009-2010 season.
Villas-Boas said:
“That's what happened with Porto and Monaco.
Porto put out Deportivo and Lyon, and (Manchester) United in the last 16. Monaco put out Chelsea and Real Madrid.
It's pretty unpredictable. There's a pattern over the last four years with more or less the same teams present in the semi-finals, but it depends on the draw up to then.”
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