Football Update: Ancelotti and Essien Look Forward To Champions League Glory
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien said in a statement that he knew that the Blues had to work hard to start their title defence as well as work hard towards finally conquering Europe.
The Blues have had a successful start to the new season, winning all four of their opening fixtures and scoring 17 goals in the process and conceding just a single goal. The last few times that Chelsea had a start like this, the Blues lifted the Premier League trophy and the last time even the FA Cup.
While they have dominated domestically, even the two seasons they lost out to Manchester United, the Blues have not been as lucky in Europe. Losing out to Manchester United in the final in 2007, Barcelona in the semi finals in 2008 and last year to Inter Milan in the round of 16, Chelsea will hope to do better this year.
Chelsea start off their European campaign with a trip to Slovakia to take on MSK Zilina, the English sides participating in the Champions League this time around will have the added motivation of lifting the Champions League trophy at Wembley, that is, if they make it that far.
Even though this is the first fixture of the group stages, a slip this early on could prove costly for the Champions. The Blues could be without Captain John Terry and Frank Lampard. Terry suffered a rib injury because of which he had to be sidelined and his return is not yet confirmed. Lampard is also not confirmed for tomorrow’s match, as the midfielder has just returned from a hernia operation and Carlo Ancelotti might not think it wise to play him so soon.
Chelsea will also be without Didier Drogba, the Ivoirian goal scoring machine. The striker is serving a ban brought forward from last season; he got a straight red in the match against Inter Milan and will now have to miss three of Chelsea’s fixtures in the Champions League. Previously Chelsea depended on the striker for all their goals, but recently players like Malouda, Kalou and Anelka have taken the pressure off of him and he won’t be missed too much in the group stages.
Compared to the “group of death” Group G, Chelsea are said to have been lucky to have been drawn in Group F where they take on Marseille and Spartak Moscow. There couldn’t be a greater misconception, French side Marseille are strong opponents and Moscow have been dominating domestically and will prove to be a tough challenge for the London side.
Michael Essien told reporters, “We still have a lot to do. The season is very long, but we have played some good football and are scoring a lot of goals - we have to keep going like that.”
Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager has won the Champions League for times. Twice as a player and twice as the manager of Italian giants AC Milan, he led Milan to Champions League glory first in 2003 and then in 2007. The 51 year old will be looking to repeat his success in Europe with Chelsea, who have yet to lift the European Cup.
The Italian manager said, “It's the competition which has given me the most satisfaction in my career, both as a player and as a coach, so it has a very special importance for me to take part in and to win it. In Europe everyone knows the importance of this trophy.”
“A London team hasn't won the Champions League, but this season there is a better chance with three teams in the competition and the final is at Wembley so for London it is a special year,” he added, stressing on the importance of lifting the Champions League trophy for the first time at Wembley.
The Chelsea boss was admitted that the Champions League was a slightly higher priority this year as the Blues had won both the Premier League and the FA Cup in his first year as manager. He said, “For Chelsea, the Champions League is just as important a competition as the championship because the Premier League is very important in England. Given that we won it last year, it would be great to win something in Europe as well as at home.”
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