Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti asks players to concentrate on reaching UEFA Champions League final
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has urged his players to concentrate on reaching the UEFA Champions League final and should not think about avenging their 2008 defeat at the hands of Manchester United.
The Blues have been drawn against United in the quarterfinal of the Champions League 2010-11.
Ancelotti said, “I don't think we should consider the past. Obviously the players can remember they lost against United, but we can remind ourselves that we won last year and this season against them. For my players, I don't think revenge is a good motivation.
It should be fantastic motivation to look forward in the future. We have four games to reach the final in London. If Chelsea reached the final there, we'd have a good revenge for 2008 - not against United.”
Nine players of Chelsea’s current team were part of the side that suffered a defeat against Manchester United on penalties in the final of the Champions League at Moscow in 2008. The London side reached the final by beating fellow English rivals http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Liverpool-c39809.
However, Manchester United made it through to the final by overcoming Spanish Giants Barcelona and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Paul-Scholes-c29394 long-range effort at Old Trafford proved to be the difference between both sides.
It was the first time in http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 history that they qualified for the final of the Champions League and were also on the verge of becoming first club from London to win the elite European title. However, Manchester United denied them the opportunity at that
time.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Frank-Lampard-c14097 in the same half. After full time, both sides were drawn at one goal each and the tie was decided on penalties. United’s goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar emerged as a hero
after he saved Nicolas Anelka’s penalty to win the third Champions League crown for Manchester United.
Carlo Ancelotti wants his players to forget about the past and start focusing on the game at hand. The Italian boss of the Londoners was positive about being drawn against Manchester United.
He said, “I'm not happy, I'm not disappointed. I'm realistic. We have to play against United, a team we know very well and they know us very well. It will be difficult, obviously, but we want to move on and reach the semi-final. For English football it's
good. Compared to last season, one team will be in the semi-final. Last season, no English team got to the semi-final. This year, one or two will be. This is good.”
Carlo Ancelotti will be aiming to keep his 100 per cent record against Manchester United in the League after he defeated Sir Alex Ferguson’s men twice in the same competition with AC Milan.
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