Football News: Chelsea Manager Carlo Ancelotti Ready to Defend Premier League Title
Chelsea manager Caro Ancelotti is looking optimistic ahead of the start of English Premier League. The Italian won the title in his first season, and says he is under no pressure as the team is expected to defend their league title.
The former AC Milan manager not only won the league in his very first season, but also managed to double the joy by winning the (2009-2010) FA Cup. However, it may yet have been a more memorable season, had they progressed in Europe. Chelsea was outdone in the knockout stage by none other than the former boss of Chelsea, Jose Mourinho, who led his side Inter Milan to UEFA Champions League glory.
Things started going right for Ancelotti ever since he arrived at the Stamford Bridge, the Italian instated his famous ‘Christmas Tree’ formation, and it worked wonders for the Blues.
While Chelsea looked to go from strength to strength on the field under him, there were some off-the-field problems in the team that were making headlines. Club Captain John Terry was involved in an infamous affair with former teammate Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend Vanessa; the English media went to town with this piece of news. England Manager Fabio Capello was finally forced to take the armband away from Terry and handed it over to Rio Ferdinand. Ashley Cole has his share of personal problems and was going through an ugly divorce.
However, Ancelotti gave open support to both his players, and the players responded by some sterling performances on the pitch.
Few months into the season though, the rest of the teams started catching up to the new ‘Christmas Tree’ formation. Ancelotti, after few slip-ups, changed the set-up and once again wins started to flow.
Ancelotti said that in the last season, it was after 10 to 15 games that others finally understood the Chelsea formation, but when they started to adapt so did the Blues. He added that this is what good teams do, and there is never a single formula to win; a team always has to evolve and keep learning. The Italian said that this is the same approach that will help his side retain the title.
The former AC Milan coach added that this season, he will be looking to go a step further and get Chelsea that elusive Champions League crown. He said that the players that he has at his disposal are definitely good enough to mix it with the best in Europe. Ancelotti said that when he was with AC Milan, Champions League glory was a norm, and he won two European trophies with the Italians. He said to win in Europe, a club needs to be familiar and comfortable with the league. He went on to say that Chelsea have already been to the final once and to semifinal multiple times; all the team needs is to cross that final hurdle and that would be his aim this season.
Most of the coaches coming to Stamford Bridge would still be intimidated by the ghost of Jose Mourinho, who was a crowd favourite, and with good reason. He took Chelsea to back-to-back Premier League title wins. He was fired in 2007 because of lack of success in Europe. His successor, Avram Grant, did take Chelsea to their first Champions League final in 2008, but was not able to cope with the legacy of ‘The Special One’. Ancelotti, however, has made his own identity and with his calm and methodical style, he has earned the love of Chelsea fans, and a strong backing from the owners and the board.
The upcoming season may determine how long he will last at Stamford Bridge, and retaining the league title would be his first priority, with the Champions League trophy as his ultimate goal.
Tags: