Didier Deschamps looking forward to Chelsea match
Olympique Marseille boss Didier Deschamps has revealed that he is relishing the chance to test his side against English Premier League giants Chelsea when the clubs meet in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League at the end of the month.
Deschamps is a former player at the Stamford Bridge side, having spent the 1999-00 season there. He won the FA Cup during his sole campaign in England and is looking forward to making a return to London.
He told UEFA’s official website on Thursday that, “Returning to Stamford Bridge will give me great pleasure. Although the stadium itself is renovated and much bigger, the wonderful ambience which I experienced remains. English grounds always seemed full
and at the Bridge there were always families in the stadium and a great match atmosphere. But Chelsea now have a very competitive European team with something like 20 internationals — a great compensation if you have injured or suspended players.”
Deschamps added that he expected Chelsea to provide a stern test for the French champions, as the Blues have won all of their EPL games so far, losing only once this season, in a Carling Cup match against Newcastle United this week.
He also revealed that he was looking forward to meeting up with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti, whom he worked under at Italian side Juventus for six months.
He said that, “Without hesitation, the Champions League is the best of all competitions. Not only do Chelsea want to win this trophy, they are among four or five teams which can legitimately expect to do so. They won the Premier League title last season
and are already performing really well. I know their manager Carlo Ancelotti well. I like his style of football, and I'll also be pleased to see Carlo again."
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