Ancelotti eyes Euro glory

[Dunny]

New Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti immediately set his sights on bringing UEFA Champions League glory to Stamford Bridge.
Ancelotti, who signed a three-year contract with the Blues just hours after stepping down as AC Milan coach, tasted European success twice as a player and twice as a manager with the Rossoneri.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich has seen his expensively-assembled side claim every domestic honour, but it is the Champions League which he craves above all others.
Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Guus Hiddink all came close to claiming continental glory, while Luiz Felipe Scolari was shown the door before the competition had reached the latter stages this season.
Ancelotti, speaking in English to Chelsea TV, is happy to be the new man charged with ensuring the Blues lift Europe's most prestigious club honour.
He said: "For me, the Champions League is a beautiful sensation. When I played I won two times, in 1989 and 1990. It was a fantastic moment.
"It was the same when I was a coach in Milan in 2003 and 2007. The Champions League, for me, is the best competition in the world and everyone wants to win.
"Chelsea has a great record, five semi-finals in six years is a beautiful score, but now we have a need to win. I hope!"
Objective

Ancelotti, who turns 50 on 10th June, believes it is vital to maintain a strong team ethic, which appeared to be lacking at Chelsea under Scolari but was very much in evidence when Hiddink and Mourinho were at the helm.
He said: "I like to be close with the players. I like to be close with the company. I like to speak with people. I believe in team-work, it is the most important thing to create a group to work together to build a dream.
"To have a strong organisation, to have a strong discipline, to have the right motivation. I hope to do this together because this is the right way to arrive to success.
"I want to bring my experience, I want to bring my individual quality. To win is important, to work together is the most important thing. To have great motivation, to have a right objective.
"At Chelsea it is easy to find the objective. Win the Champions League, win the Premier League, win the FA Cup, win the Carling Cup.
"Naturally, it is not easy, but the right way is to create a group of people who work well together."

Improve

Question marks have been raised over the former Parma and Juventus manager's ability to communicate with his players, a factor which is believed to have played a part in Scolari's premature exit, but the Italian is determined to have mastered the language even further before pre-season training begins.
"This is my first interview in English and, for me, it is not easy. I want to learn and I want to improve," he admitted.
"When we start the new season I will speak well because it is important for me to speak with the players, the team, the assistant and with all the operators who will work with me."
a.top_betting_link_1 {background-image: url('/Images/skysports/fixturecal/icons/fix-bet.gif');background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:0% 50%;padding-left:18px;}

[Raggs]

Ancelotti, speaking in English to Chelsea TV, is happy to be the new man charged with ensuring the Blues lift Europe's most prestigious club honour


WOW !!!!

[Dunny]

AC Milan general manager Adriano Galliani revealed several players were reduced to tears when they heard coach Carlo Ancelotti was leaving.
Ancelotti confirmed on Sunday his contact at the San Siro had been terminated by mutual consent, ending an eight-year reign, and Chelsea officially announced his appointment on Monday morning.
The Italian broke the news to his team following the 2-0 win at Fiorentina which secured automatic qualification for next season's Champions League.
Emotions were already running high in Milan with veteran defender Paolo Maldini playing his final game for the club, and Galliani admitted Ancelotti's exit had been hard to take.
"My relationship with him has been more as a friend than as a manager and to see him on the Chelsea website holding a Chelsea shirt has left its mark on me," said Galliani.
"I am still in a bit of shock with the emotion of the game and then in the dressing room.
"I spoke first and thanked him and Paolo Maldini and remembered these eight years and a lot of players were crying.
"Above all I can remember (Gennaro) Gattuso, who was the closest to me, and he had tears in his eyes.
"I only mention Gattuso because he was close to me, but others had tears in their eyes as well."
Former Milan player Leonardo has already been appointed as Ancelotti's replacement and Galliani continued: "I don't think there are any clubs who have ended their relationship with a coach and then, that same night, gone out for a meal together.
"Carlo, Leonardo and I went out to eat together and we spoke about the Milan formation for the future. It was a really pleasant evening."
Leonardo revealed Ancelotti encouraged him to step into his shoes.
"Sunday was an extraordinary day, to see all the players crying," he said.
"Carlo is the man who has pushed me the most to take on this challenge.
"I have had a very friendly relationship with Carlo all this time and he has not only wished me good luck and given me a lot of advice, but he has inspired me a lot."

[Paul Marin]

Who want to bet me that Milan and Chelsea "somehow" end up facing each other in next year's CL? Just like it was inevitable that Jose had to face Liverpool after he went to Inter. Any takers? Didn't think so.