Chelsea news

Guest · Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 8:27 pm Post subject: Chelsea news

Maka shot me six times in back

November 11, 2006

CHELSEA’S French contingent will be banned from team paintball games unless they learn the rules.

Monday’s team-bonding session turned to agony for Frank Lampard after Claude Makelele shot him SIX times from point-blank range.

Lamps was left with bruises when the France midfielder hit him in the back.

Now Makelele and the other French lads could be forced to surrender their weapons — unless they start playing FAIR.

Lamps said: “You’re not supposed to shoot from less than six yards. But Maka shot me six times from point-blank range and left me with bruises on my back!

“The French boys need to learn the rules properly. It was important to do it — it was already scheduled to happen before we lost last Sunday.

“But it was one of those things that we could easily have said let’s not bother.

“But we have good team spirit and JT organises these things and we all went along. Someone needs to teach Maka the rules though.”

Guest · Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 3:59 am Post subject:

Shev hint to Milan chief

November 13, 2006

ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO wants to return to AC Milan says their president Silvio Berlusconi.

The claim was made in an Italian TV interview when Berlusconi revealed he had spoken to the Chelsea striker to congratulate him on the birth of his second son Christian.

AC Milan sold Sheva to Stamford Bridge for £31million last summer but he has not settled and this new claim will do little to change that.

Berlusconi said: “He called me on the phone to tell me about the birth. I was with several others and we all started singing ‘Sheva come back to us, come back to us’ and he said ‘I would very much like to.’

Shevchenko has hit just five goals in 15 matches for Chelsea but is very much part of manager Jose Mourinho’s plans.

He has struggled to fit in with Chelsea’s style of play and his wife, Kristin, is believed to feel uncomfortable in London where she has made very few friends.

The striker, however, is a close friend of Roman Abramovich and even if the Chelsea owner was willing to allow him a return to Milan — either on loan or permanently — a replacement would have to be found first.

Apart from that, Milan are struggling with the 11-point penalty they received for their part in the Italian match-fixing scandal and they are languishing near the bottom of Serie A.

Shevchenko looked a happy man on Saturday when he scored in Chelsea’s 4-0 victory against Watford and marked the goal with a Bebeto-style baby celebration.

Guest · Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:50 pm Post subject:

Sheva denies Milan talk

November 13, 2006

ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO has rejected reports linking him with a return to AC Milan.

The Chelsea ace spoke to Milan president Silvio Berlusconi at the weekend following the birth of his second son.

And Berlusconi later revealed details of the conversation on Italian TV.

He said: "Sheva called me on the phone to tell me about the birth.

"I was with several others and we all started singing 'Sheva come back to us, come back to us' and he said 'I would very much like to'."

But Shevchenko, who scored his fifth goal for Chelsea on Saturday, insists his reply was purely out of politeness.

The Ukrainian striker said: "The phrase I made that I wanted to return was out of simple courtesy."

AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani also insists Shevchenko has little hope of rejoining the club he left for £30million last summer.

Galliani said: "It is technically impossible.

"Shevchenko is a non-European player and his spot has been taken by Ricardo Oliveira, full stop.

"The president thinks ahead to the future and speaks about feelings, but he doesn't look at the acquisitions.

"He forgets that Sheva is a Chelsea player, that they paid millions for him and that he made a life choice."

Guest · Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:49 pm Post subject:

Mourinho in ref warning

November 22, 2006

JOSE MOURINHO has piled the pressure on Howard Webb — the man who will take charge of Chelsea’s powderkeg clash at Manchester United on Sunday.

The Blues chief last night told ref Webb: You have to get the big decisions right.

Mourinho slammed Graham Poll’s handling of the defeat at Spurs earlier this month but believes Webb is a “solid” official.

He said: “Mr Webb looks a very solid referee and the kind of big decisions he makes are normally the right ones.

“Everyone makes mistakes but the big ones which decides games he seems to get right and so I am very comfortable to have him.”

Slovakian Lubos Michel will take charge of Chelsea’s Champions League game in Germany tonight.

And Mourinho, preparing for the match against Werder Bremen, added: “I always wish referees well before the game and I always trust them.

“Sometimes I don’t feel the same after the game.

“I have great memories of Lubos Michel and sad ones. Great when I won the UEFA Cup with Porto and sad in the Champions League semi-final when we lost at Liverpool but he was not the linesman he was the referee.”

United counterpart Alex Ferguson also demanded a “strong referee” for the top-of-the table clash.

And Rotherham-based Webb, 36, a 6ft 3in former policeman, has the reputation of being a very strong official.

But he has never refereed a Premiership match at Old Trafford and his only previous match there was an FA Cup against non-League Burton Albion in January.

Webb has only been on the Premiership list since 2003 but has impressed his chiefs.

Fergie did accuse him, of picking on Cristiano Ronaldo after last season’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham.

Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini, 33, has played down a bust-up with Mourinho over losing his place to Hilario.

The Italian was unhappy not to start in Barcelona after recovering from concussion suffered in the same match at Reading which saw Petr Cech fracture his skull.

Cudicini, who will start in Bremen, said: “The coaches thought I wasn’t 100 per cent ready.

“I thought I was ready and that’s what I said to Mourinho. But he is a nice person. There was a confrontation, we talked. It’s something I’ve done over the past two years with him.”

Guest · Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 9:52 pm Post subject:

MICHAEL ESSIEN is set to become the latest member of Chelsea’s £6million club.

The Ghanaian midfielder, 23, signed a new deal last season worth £60,000 a week but he wants to double his money.

Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack both earn £130,000 a week — £6.76m a year — while Didier Drogba has just landed a big increase.

Both Lampard and John Terry are also set to land bumper new deals at the richest club in the world.

Now Essien, who has been impressive this season, wants his slice of the cake.

His agent Fabien Piveteau said: “I’m in negotiations with Chelsea regarding Michael’s contract. I have a meeting planned with them in December to talk about a new, improved deal.

“They are happy with Michael and he is happy to stay in England.”

Guest · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:33 am Post subject:

Sheva is like a broken Ferrari

December 13, 2006

ARSENE WENGER has poked fun at Chelsea — comparing £31million Andriy Shevchenko to a broken down Ferrari.

The Arsenal boss cheekily pointed out Blues’ Russian owner Roman Abramovich’s spending does not always pay.

Wenger said: “Sometimes you need to be patient, sometimes you don’t need to be.

“And to know that, you need to smell the game a little bit and understand all the ingredients. It’s not like buying a machine.

“You can buy a super player and he can look disastrous for four, five months.

“If you buy a super machine, a Ferrari, from the first day it goes well — unless it’s a Russian who buys it and it breaks in two.”

Guest · Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 5:34 am Post subject:

Cech set for new year return

December 13, 2006

PETR CECH expects to be back on the training pitch next month.

The Chelsea keeper is making great progress in recovering from a fractured skull.

Cech, 24, suffered the horror injury during a collision with Reading’s Stephen Hunt in October.

News of his return will delight Blues boss Jose Mourinho, who is desperate to get the Czech star back for the Premiership run-in.

Cech said: “Last week I spent a whole day with the surgeon in Oxford for some consultations and some tests.

“We are still waiting for the report from that but, as far as I am concerned, we are looking very positive and very well.

“The brain especially is working very well and I haven’t lost anything I had. So, for the moment, it is looking very good.

“There is still time to wait with the skull fracture because it has not healed and I have to be patient with that.

“But hopefully that will go quickly as well.

“It is looking like I will be able to start training in goal about the middle of January.

“So I will just try to enjoy this time with my family, enjoy the time with the lads at the training ground. I have plenty of time to work.”

Cech is playing tennis, lifting weights, swimming, running and has even done some gentle ball work as he bids to regain full fitness.

The former Sparta Prague keeper is also beginning to shake off the effects of tiredness related to the injury.

He added: “I feel better — I’m improving every day. I can start training a little bit in the gym and the swimming pool so it makes me feel a lot better.

“It has been a great week because I could start working, I could even start to play tennis.

“I can be at the training ground and see the people I like to see. That is better for my confidence and better for my feelings.

“I hope this way I can make it back earlier than expected.

“Of course I am tired when I do the training session because my body is still a little bit tired.

“But this has improved massively because I can work twice a day.

“At the end of the day, I am tired. But I am tired because of the work, not from walking around like before. So it has been great to discover this.”