Chelsea News

Eidur Gudjohnsen is set to end his six years era at Chelsea today and move to the Spanish and European champions Barcelona.

The midfielder/striker had become increasingly frustrated towards the end of the season when opportunities to play were few, and set his mind on a move away. After talks with the club, it was reluctantly decided to allow him a transfer.

The arrival this summer of Andrey Shevchenko, Salamon Kalou, Michael Ballack and John Obi Mikel, who all play in positions that he has filled, made that decision easier.

Chelsea Football Club thanks Eidur for the wonderful service he has given us over the past six years, and the part he has played in our winning of trophies.

He joined Chelsea in 2000 for £4m. He has played 263 games. In our history, only Gianfranco Zola amongst overseas players has played more. He has started 177 games and been a playing substitute in a further 86. He has scored 78 goals.

On his debut at Wembley he won the Charity Shield, and has since won two Premierships, a Carling Cup and a Community Shield. In the Carling Cup Final he was a half-time substitute. He has also won an FA Cup runners-up medal.

While with Chelsea he has won 36 of his 40 Iceland caps and scored 15 of his 16 international goals. He is Iceland’s captain.

Last season he made 25+12 appearances and scored three goals.

Previously Chelsea have signed Albert Ferrer, Winston Bogarde, Emmanuel Petit and Boudewijn Zenden from Barcelona. Gudjohnsen is the first player they have bought from us.

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Chelsea Football Club is delighted to confirm that Joe Cole has signed a new four year contract.

The deal was finalised while Cole was with the England team at the World Cup.

Joe said: “I am delighted that we have got everything agreed so quickly and that I will be staying at Chelsea for the next four years.

“I would like to thank Roman, Peter Kenyon and the manager for the new deal. Most of all I would like to thank the Chelsea fans who have been fantastic to me ever since I joined.

“Chelsea is a great club with great fans and, when the World Cup is over, I am looking forward to the new season when we will challenge again for the Champions League and all the other trophies as well as hopefully win a third consecutive Premiership.

“The team spirit at the club is fantastic and there was never any doubt in my mind that we would agree a new contract.”

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon added: “The club is naturally very pleased that we have agreed a new deal with Joe. In our two Premiership winning seasons he has been one of our best players.

“Last summer, when contract talks first started, he said he wanted to put those on hold for a year because he was confident he would prove to us through his performances that he was worth a new deal.

“Joe has done that. Not only is he important to Chelsea but he is also a first choice for England and showed just why with his display against Paraguay.

“Everyone at Chelsea would like to wish him, John Terry, Frank Lampard, Wayne Bridge and all the other England players the best of luck in Germany.”

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Goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley has joined Millwall on a three year contract. He had one year left on his Chelsea contract. The move is a free transfer with a percentage of any sell-on clause.

Twenty-two year old Lenny kept goal in Chelsea’s last game of last season at Newcastle, but that was only his second appearance in the first team. The first was for ten minutes the previous season,

“I’ve been there since I was ten, a long time, and I will miss it,” he told Chelsea Website after signing today.

“I’ve loved my time there, I wanted to be at Chelsea but I wanted to go somewhere else and play. With Nigel Spackman being here, and having gone here last season and played a game and enjoyed it, it could work out a good move for me.

“We’re looking to go straight up to the Championship having just got relegated last season. I’m sorry to leave but I have to start playing, and this is a good London club.”

Lenny made 16 appearances for the reserves last season, and one on-loan appearance for Millwall in the Carling Cup. In all he made 62 reserve team appearances and played 45 youth team games. He was capped by England at every level from Under 16s to Under 20s.

Chelsea Football Club wish him the best of luck at Millwall where, not only is Nigel Spackman manager but, old boys Ray Wilkins is consultant and Jody Morris is in midfield although currently recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

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Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has agreed an undisclosed fee with Middlesbrough for Robert Huth.

The 21 year old central defender is currently out at the World Cup with Germany. He has been with Chelsea for five years. Last season he played 21 games, starting 11 and coming on in 10 as substitute. He started seven and was a substitute in six in the Premiership.

In all he has started 32 games and been a substitute in 30 more. He’s scored twice. For Germany he has 16 caps and two goals.

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03 June 2006, Jon Obi Mikel has joined the Chelsea football club.

New signing John Obi Mikel and manager José Mourinho have been talking to Chelsea TV about each other.

Mikel trained with Chelsea for a week when Mourinho was first manager. He was quickly pulled into the first team squad.

“I had the opportunity to train with him and he really liked me,” John Obi recalled. “I had a chat with him before I left and he made mention he was going to get me back into the first team.”

José confirmed his appreciation. “Everybody was in love, not just me but the players who were amazed at such a young boy coming from nowhere and training with us with such quality.

“You saw him in the African Cup playing like a giant in the middle of players like Okocha, Yobo, Drogba, Eto’o, at an absolutely unbelievable level. We know the level he can be.”

Since that first visit to Chelsea, John has grown dramatically. He is pleased with his development. “I’m still a young kid, I still need to grow. I’m still growing. I’m nearly 1.9 (6 feet 3 inches).

“Everybody’s got his style of play. I’m a midfielder player who just wants to go in there and do my stuff. I’m not a defensive player, I like making the team play, get into the game, keep moving around, keeping looking for the ball and make sure the team plays well.”

José felt he needs to add to his game now to move up to the next stage. “He’s a midfield player, we can teach him to be more complete, to defend better, and to get more intensity in the game. He’s bright in the way he thinks football, technically he’s fantastic, and it’s just a point to get the intensity of the English game.”

He will start training with the other non-World Cup players on July 17th. “My next target is to start playing again. I’ve not been playing for a long time but I’ve been doing my thing to keep fit. I think I’m pretty fit but we’ll have to see in a match situation.

“It’s been a really, really difficult time for me, but I’m really happy the way everything is going now.”

José knows John needs to build back to the level he was at, but believes he can become one of the next generation of Chelsea stars now collecting at the club very quickly.

“Diarra, John Obi, Kalou, we are speaking about the best young players in the world. We are having great, great boys for the future.

“He was without playing and training for a long, long time, it’s not easy, but we look forward to helping him. The boy is fantastic and I hope to be proud of him in the way I am with Diarra for the way he has been playing.”

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Chelsea Football Club has reached an agreement with Portuguese goalkeeper Hilario to join the club.

The 30 year-old will soon be out of contract at Portuguese top-flight club Nacional so is available on a free-transfer. He has agreed to become a Chelsea FC player for the new season.

The former Under 21 international played two spells at Porto where he was a part of domestic league and cup wins. The second spell was under José Mourinho.

Hilario left for Nacional to gain more first team games.

Mourinho has explained he wishes to add Hilario to the squad to allow 22 year-old keeper Lenny Pidgeley the chance of a loan move.

The Chelsea manager said: “Lenny Pidgeley played 100 minutes in two years. He needs to go to a lower division team and play, evolve and later come back to Chelsea.

“Hilario is everything we need. He is experienced and every week since leaving Porto, he was playing regularly in the top division. He has qualified for the UEFA Cup twice so has European experience.

“I know him and I know he will be a very good player to have in our squad.”

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Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Andriy Shevchenko has signed from AC Milan for a club record fee.
Shevchenko completed a medical and agreed personal terms at Stamford Bridge today (Wednesday). He has signed a four year contract.

The former European Footballer of the Year said: “I am here for the challenge and the excitement of playing in the Premier League. I am going from one big club to another and joining a team of champions.

“There is a right moment to join a football club and I think I have arrived here at the perfect time. The Champions League has to be a realistic target for next season but it is not just about the Champions League. Chelsea is going for their third Premiership as well and I like the club's mentality of wanting to win every game they play.

“I have followed Mr. Mourinho's career carefully for the last few years and have been hugely impressed with the way he manages. He puts team ethic before individual expression which is the way I believe great teams are created. Had money been my motivation for coming, I would probably have stayed in Milan.

“I am pleased that Chelsea managed to conclude everything before the World Cup - I can go to Germany with a clear mind and proud to be a Chelsea player.”

Chelsea manager and first team coach, José Mourinho, said: “Today is a day when the dream became reality. Andriy has always been my first choice for Chelsea since I arrived. Before it was not possible, now it is for real. He has great qualities, ambition, discipline, tactical awareness and of course he is a great goalscorer.

“I did not need to meet with him to convince him about Chelsea, in the same way we did not need to talk a lot about why I wanted him. Everybody knows him as a player, tactically he can play in the Chelsea system no doubt.

“Milan is a big club, a great club, but for him to leave Milan for Chelsea is a big statement about where Chelsea is. He is a champion and he is joining a team of champions. I have already spoken to some of our players and they are looking forward to playing with him. Great players want to play with other great players.”

Chief Executive Peter Kenyon added: “This is another proud day for Chelsea. The signing of Andriy, following on from Michael Ballack and Solomon Kalou shows the ambition of Chelsea. The deal is a new club transfer record and is a straight cash deal. We are delighted to have signed one of Europe's greatest goalscorers.

“Andriy has an unparalleled record in the Champions League, international matches and Serie A.”

Chelsea will formally present Shevchenko at a media conference after the World Cup. Shevchenko is due to meet up with the Ukrainian World Cup squad tomorrow (Thursday).

Shevchenko began his professional career at Dynamo Kiev in his Ukraine homeland, winning five league titles and two national cups in five seasons between 1994 and 1999.

He came to prominence across Europe when scoring a first-half hat-trick in a Champions League win against Barcelona at Camp Nou in the 1997-98 season. The season after, he spearheaded Kiev into the semi-finals of the competition. The giants of AC Milan came calling, paying a transfer fee of $26 million.

Shevchenko's debut Serie A season ended with the player topscorer, having found the net 24 times in 32 appearances. He was the first non-Italian to achieve such a feat in his first Serie A season. His Champions League debut for Milan came at Stamford Bridge in a 0-0 draw.

The Champions League would eventually provide a major career highlight, the striker scoring the winning penalty in a shoot-out in the Final. That was against Juventus at Old Trafford in 2003. He followed this up by scoring the winning goal in the UEFA Super Cup - the opposition, José Mourinho's Porto.

He finished top of the scoring chart in Serie A for the second time in 2003-4, with same total as four years earlier - 24 goals in 32 matches - helping Milan to end a wait of four years for the league title.

In December 2004, Shevchenko was named the European Footballer of the Year.
In total with Milan he won one Serie A title, one Champions League, one European Super Cup, one Italian Cup and one Italian Super Cup.

There was disappointment in the Champions League Final against Liverpool two years ago when a penalty shoot-out brought defeat, Shevchenko this time missing the decisive kick.

The season just gone saw milestones passed. He became Milan's second all-time topscorer after netting against Treviso in February and a goal against Lyon in the Champions League quarter-finals made it 52 goals in 90 games in that competition, a record including qualification games. His nine goals in the tournament this season was bettered by no-one.

He scored 173 times for Milan in 296 games.

This summer Shevchenko will captain Ukraine in their first World Cup Finals. He scored six times during qualification and his overall international record stands at 28 goals in 63 matches.

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The second signing of the summer has been completed. Salomon Kalou has joined Chelsea Football Club following a successful medical and an agreement on personal terms.
An undisclosed transfer fee will be paid to Feyenoord for the 20 year-old striker who has signed a three-year contract.

A regular scorer, Kalou has performed in the Dutch league for three seasons. In 2003/4 the speedy striker made two appearances for Feyenoord but played the bulk of the season on loan at another Rotterdam club, second division Excelsior, where he scored four times in 11 appearances.

In the past two seasons back at Feyenoord he found the net 35 times in 60 top flight starts plus seven sub appearances. He has also scored four goals in 6+1 UEFA Cup games.

The 20 goals he scored in 2004/5 was the second best total in the Dutch top division that season and he was selected as the winner of the 2005 Johan Cruyff Award for Young Talent playing in Holland.

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In a statement posted on the AC Milan official website on Sunday, the Italian club has discussed the imminent departure of striker Andriy Shevchenko.

The statement reads:

“Andriy Shevchenko has finally ended his Milan adventure and it has never been club policy to stand in the way of a player if they decide that they want to move on.

“The negotiations been Milan and Chelsea will not be easy as we are talking about the best striker in the world, the top scorer in the 2005-06 Champions League, with nine goals, and second all-time in Rossoneri history on 173.

“Sheva has done a lot for the club in the last seven years and although Chelsea will be reinforced, the forward still has three years of his current contract to run so there is still some way to go around the bargaining table.”

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Claude Makelele has been talking about his pleasure in playing for what he describes as the best team in the world.

Chelsea’s senior professional has just completed his third season at the club and has added two Premiership titles to the two championships he won in Spain with Real Madrid and the one French title with Nantes.

“It was difficult for me to settle in England at first because the style of play was very different to what I had been used,” said the 33 year-old.

“In Spain there is no fighting, just good professional play. In England it is 90 minutes of physical contact, a real battle. For the first two or three months it was difficult.

“But I have since adapted well and got used to English football. The other players at Chelsea helped me and I am happy.

“Every experience I have had here has been very special. I am at the biggest club in the world and that is very good for me. I want to stay here. I want to win even more.”

Makelele spent three years at the Bernabéu and believes Chelsea currently rate higher than his former club.

“Chelsea are the best team in the world now, better than Real Madrid. We give the best demonstration of football. We have everything.

“People used to just speak of Roman Abramovich and his money but after our success domestically they now talk about our football all over Europe.

“People used to think we played for Chelsea only for the money but now people can see our great team spirit and what winning trophies means to us.”

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The Asian Community Cup, which was won a fortnight ago when the Final was staged at Stamford Bridge for the fourth year running, was formally presented to the winners on Monday.

The London Tigers from Westminster, who beat London Apsa form east London on penalties received the cup from Chelsea operations director Simon Arthur.

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Chelsea’s recent recruit Michael Ballack believes his nation would welcome a World Cup battle against an England side set to contain several new club colleagues.

“In Germany there is always great respect for England, comparable with Brazil, Italy and Argentina,” reckons the German captain.

“The strengths of the English midfield are well-known but even given that, people would look forward to Germany playing England. In Germany that is always a big game — a duel — and they would look forward to renewing that duel.”

As he contemplates the possibility of a new episode in one of international football’s most famous rivalries, Ballack is pleased he can lead the host country into the World Cup, free from concerns about next season.

“It is good for me that the speculation is over. That was the thing that got on my nerves the most. I’ve known for some time that I’ve wanted to come to Chelsea and I am happy it is settled before the World Cup.

“I am 29 now and I have a three-year contract initially. If things work out well and we are successful in those three years, the possibility will exist to extend that contract. It is my vision at the moment to finish my career at Chelsea.”

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In common with anyone with a passion for football in Europe, José Mourinho watched Wednesday’s Champions League Final. His thoughts afterwards were with the defeated team.

“I was watching the game normally, waiting for anyone to be the winner and not enthusiastic about it like I was supporting somebody,” he recounts.

“I was just wishing a good game but at the end I felt sorry for Arsenal people. I felt sorry because they had a fantastic game in difficult circumstances. In the big occasions I never enjoy to see the faces of the losers.

“I think Arsenal played very well. It is very difficult to do better than they did with ten men. I think English football can be proud of what they did in Paris.

“Maybe people don’t believe me in what I am saying but I feel that with the career Wenger has behind him, he deserves to win the Champions League one day. You look at the first line of coaches in Europe and almost everybody has had the luck to be European Champion once — Lippi, Capello, Ancelotti, myself, Rijkaard, Ferguson, Benitez, Del Bosque.

“You go around and almost everybody has got it. I think he deserves it and I feel sorry for him.”

While Arsenal lick their wounds from the defeat by Barcelona, they have been able to console themselves with the news Thierry Henry has agreed a new contract. Despite the intense rivalry between London’s two leading clubs, it’s a development Mourinho welcomes.

“English football should be proud to have Ballack playing in this country and we must all be very proud to have Thierry Henry playing in English football also. So I am happy. Of course Arsenal will be stronger with him, no doubt about it, but that he stays in English football is fantastic for all of us.”

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Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has thanked Maniche for his contribution after it was confirmed the Portuguese international midfielder has left the club.

Maniche signed on loan from Dynamo Moscow in January.

“The signing was about cover,” explained Kenyon. “Generally we don’t want to bring players in during January because it is difficult for them to integrate. But we had players going off to the African Cup of Nations and the manager felt we needed more cover, particularly with the potential of Michael Essien going away.”

Maniche’s chance to play was unfortunately interrupted by a red card against West Ham in April that resulted in a three-match ban. However he returned to take part in the final three games of the season and in total, made five starts and three sub appearances.

Kenyon added: “He certainly contributed to the team while he was here. We make a big thank you for that and wish him all the best with his future.

“It is never easy for anybody coming into a team halfway through the year and he had some getting fit to do. He was eager to prove his worth and what he contributed to the squad is not always just about what you do on the pitch.”

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José Mourinho has dismissed a suggestion that Benfica winger Simao Sabrosa is a summer transfer target.

A story circulating in some parts of the media reports Mourinho as saying one of his existing wide men will leave with the Portuguese player in the frame as a replacement.

In reality, the Chelsea manager’s words on the subject when asked by a reporter in Portugal were:

“Chelsea have four great quality wingers and as long as we keep them, I'm not thinking of Simao.”

“If one of them were to leave, then it could be hypothetical.”

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Michael Ballack has moved to Chelsea on a free transfer. The German international captain this morning signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder will be giving his thoughts on the move at a lunchtime press conference.
Michael Ballack factfile

Born: 26/09/76 in Gorlitz (former East Germany)Height: 6ft 2in (189 cm) Weight: 12 stone 8lbs (80 kg/176.3 pounds)
Michael and partner Simone have three children - Louis (b. August 16, 2001), Emilio (b. September 19, 2002) and Jordi (b. March 17, 2005)

CAREER HISTORY:
Chelsea Football Club 2006 -
Bayern Munich FC, 2002-2006:44 league goals; 107 league games. 2006 Bundesliga Champion 2006 German FA Cup winner 2005 Bundesliga Champion2005 German FA Cup winner 2004 German League Cup winner2003 Bundesliga Champion2003 German FA Cup winner
Bayer Leverkusen, 1999-2002:27 league goals; 79 league games. 2002 Champions League Finalist
FC Kaiserslautern, 1997-1999:4 league goals; 46 league games. 1998 Bundesliga Champions
Chemnitz FC, 1995-1997:10 league goals; 49 league games.
Bundesliga Debut: September 19, 1997, v Karlsruhe First Bundesliga Goal: October 30, 1998, v Hansa Rostock
German Footballer of the Year three times (2005, 2003, 2002)
UEFA best midfield player in Europe (2002)

INTERNATIONAL CAREER: International Debut: April 28, 1999, v Scotland
First International Goal: March 28, 2001, v Greece International Appearances: 63International Goals: 30
World Cup runner-up (2002)

Michael has been captain of Germany since 2004

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Peter Kenyon has re-emphasised Chelsea’s desire to retain the services of William Gallas for at least one more season.

The Chelsea chief executive said: “William is under contract for another 12 months, clearly we want to keep him, we made what we think is a very good offer to him but if he wants to further his career we have to respect that but that is only at the end of the contract. We don't want to sell him and he has a year to go on his contract.”

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Post-Premiership activity at Stamford Bridge has continued this week with two cups contested. The annual Asian Community Cup Final was played on Monday evening in front of 1000 spectators. The traditional end-of-season Chelsea Football Club Estate Cup has also taken place.

It is the fourth consecutive year Asian Community Cup Final has taken place at the Bridge. This year’s contest between London Tigers from Westminster and London Apsa based in east London, was won by Tigers (pictured), on penalties after the scores were 1-1 after full-time.

The Cup is a nationwide tournament involving hundreds of footballers from Asian communities and uses the power of football to help strengthen bonds between communities.

“It is a great feeling to see Asian mums and dads with family members who attended to see their son playing at the home of the champions,” says Mesba Founder, director of London Tigers. “The atmosphere was unbelievable with all the shouting and cheering from the Tigers and Apsa fans, it was a fantastic multicultural day with people of all nationalities coming to watch this exciting final.

“Some of the players were very overwhelmed by just getting onto the pitch, for most of them it was a day they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Michael Cole, London football development manager for Chelsea’s Football in the Community programme, added: “Chelsea Football Club is fully committed to bringing the game to everyone, regardless of race, gender or ability and we are delighted to be able to host the Asian Community Cup here at Stamford Bridge again. The Cup is just part of the wide-ranging community scheme that we undertake here at Chelsea, which is now engaging thousands of young people throughout the area in football related-activities.”

The Chelsea Football Club Estate Cup saw each of the four London boroughs that Football in the Community is involved in send along an under-16 and under-18 squad.

Teams were selected not on ability but on enthusiasm, attendance and a desire to become an active member of their community. Kensington and Chelsea, in partnership with Connexions, were winners in the under-18 competition. Wandsworth, in partnership with Positive Futures, won the under-16 title.

Other teams to enter the competition were Hammersmith and Fulham in partnership with the Football Foundation and Westminster in conjunction with CitiWest Homes.

Michael Cole said: “The Estates Cup is a great way for everyone involved with our London Community Schemes to celebrate the end of the season. There was a real party atmosphere at the Bridge with everyone giving their all to win the competition. Our congratulations go to everyone concerned for making this season a great success both on and off the pitch.”

However, as the season ends the work doesn’t stop. Chelsea is continuing with a summer programme of community activities, summer schools and sports programmes for players of all backgrounds and abilities.

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José Mourinho has today (Monday) been named the Barclays Premier League Manager of the Season. It is the second season running he has won the award.

Despite leading Chelsea to consecutive Premiership titles, its an accolade the Chelsea manager wasn’t necessarily expecting as he explained in an exclusive interview to Chelsea TV.

“It is a big honour,” he said. “It’s the consequence of Chelsea being champions for the second consecutive year but it is a surprise for me because during the season I couldn’t win one single Manager of the Month.

“We had a start where we won nine consecutive victories but I could not win in August or September.

“We had a lot of consecutive wins also in December and January but I could not get the trophy. So I was surprised by getting it at the end of the season.”

Naturally Mourinho wished to share the achievement.

“It is an individual award but it is collective. It is about the manager and the team achieving the target. I did it with Chelsea.

“At the same time I don’t forget the other people who also had very positive work and one of them could have been the winner.

“Mark Hughes did it with Blackburn by reaching the UEFA Cup. Pardew and Jewell did it at West Ham and Wigan by having a very stable season.

“Of course Man United, Liverpool and Arsenal wanted to be champions and they weren’t. Tottenham wanted to go to Champions League and is not going. Birmingham, West Bromwich and Sunderland wanted to stay in division but they were relegated so some did it and some didn’t.

“It is an honour for me and it is an honour for Chelsea because it is about the club and the players.”

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Football at Stamford Bridge continues beyond the end of the Premiership season when on Monday the stadium hosts the Asian Community Cup Final. Entry is free to the public.

It is the fourth consecutive year that the match, run in partnership with The London Asian Tigers, will take place at the Bridge. Kick-off on Monday May 8th is 8.15pm.

Preliminary games will take place this weekend at Warren Farm in Southall, kick-off 10am.

Mesba Ahmed, London Tigers sports director, said: “Once again I’m overjoyed that Chelsea Football Club and their Football in the Community Programme have invited us to host the Final.

“This kind gesture will be a wonderful tool in helping us to raise the aspirations and aid the progression of Asian players and further confirm Chelsea’s support of Asian football.”

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For the second season running, John Terry has come second in the Football Writers' Association voting for Footballer of the Year.

The Chelsea captain was beaten to the longest-running of all such awards by his Arsenal equivalent Thierry Henry. Inaugurated in 1948, there have been two Chelsea winners — Gianfranco Zola in 1997 and Frank Lampard last year.

On Sunday, Lampard was announced second in the Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year voting behind Steven Gerrard who has come fourth in the football writers’ equivalent. Wayne Rooney is third.

Lampard was second in 2004 with Ruud Gullit and Peter Bonetti runners-up in 1996 and 1970 respectively.

The writers’ awards will be handed out at a dinner on May 11th.

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Chelsea have signed a groundbreaking deal to work with the Asian Football Confederation on their grassroots development programme in China.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon today agreed an exclusive "memoranda of understanding" with AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam in the Chinese city of Qingdao, which will see the club support the AFC's 'Vision China' development project.

The deal is the first part of Chelsea's plan to build long-term relationships with key football bodies in Asia, particularly China. Two weeks ago the club held talks with the Chinese Football Association and have invited the Chinese Olympic team to train at Cobham as preparation for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Kenyon said: "We are not in this to get players cheap or just to come on tours. In all our discussions we have made it clear that Chelsea's philosophy in our target markets is not to take the money and run. This is a long-term project for us, it's a critical part of the world for football, and as well as developing Chelsea we want to help develop programmes that are beneficial to all parties and help promote football in these regions. It's really important for global football that Asian football is developing and then there's a benefit for everyone. I am delighted that the AFC believe Chelsea can play an important role for them in developing grass roots and youth football in China."

The deal is not financially led. Although final details are yet to be clarified, Chelsea would primarily be looking to help out in marketing, media, training, coaching, education and sports medicine.

Hammam, whose organisation is the equivalent of UEFA in Asia and who has been critical of big European clubs coming on lucrative tours to Asia and leaving nothing behind, agreed it was a unique partnership.

"This is the first time ever a club from Europe has introduced itself to Asia as a developer of football in Asia and to help out Asian football along with our coaches, leagues and referees. I'm very proud today to have signed with Chelsea a memorandum of understanding and Chelsea is going to support Vision Asia," he said.

The project is due to be expanded from two to 15 cities across China in the near future. Vision China is part of a broader Vision Asia programme, under which AFC teams go into cities and provide training and advice to build up local leagues. Leagues in the cities of Qingdao and Wuhan have just completed one season and the project will now be extended to others including Beijing and Shanghai.

The news comes after Chelsea announced a major strategic alliance in the United States with AEG, the operators of four teams in Major League Soccer, and also confirmed last week that Jose Mourinho's team will play the showpiece fixture of the MLS season, against the league's All Star team, in Chicago this summer on August 5.

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Chelsea Football Club met today (Wednesday) with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) and their worldwide strategic partner Infront to discuss a possible long-term co-operation arrangement.

The three-and-a-half-hour meeting took place in Beijing where Chelsea was helping to promote London as part of the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone's, delegation visiting the Chinese capital and Shanghai.

The first stage of the arrangement will be an invitation to the Chinese Olympic team to train at Chelsea's academy and first team training centre at Cobham before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

That offer was revealed in Beijing on yesterday by Chelsea and the Mayor of London as part of the spirit of Olympic co-operation between the two cities who will host the next two Games in 2008 and 2012.

The offer to use Cobham was confirmed and discussed at the meeting with leading members of the CFA.

Further details and logistics of the team's visit, as well as other potential aspects of the relationship will be discussed in more talks between Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon and business affairs director Paul Smith with the CFA's representatives, Infront.

Kenyon said: "We had an excellent meeting with the CFA in which it was clear there was a mutual aim of assisting Chinese football through help to their Olympic team in the short-term, and to explore the possibilities of developing a longer relationship that would benefit both parties.

"Chelsea has always made it clear that the three key markets for the development of the club world wide are London, China and North America. This trip has been a great opportunity to further the first two of those and we recently announced a major strategic alliance in the United States with AEG.

"The philosophy on all of these is that Chelsea wants to establish long-term partnerships which not only benefits Chelsea and the English Premier League but also the development of grass roots and top-flight football in these areas.

"In China, for example, 13 major European teams toured last summer, with few seeking to leave a deeper lasting market legacy. That will not be Chelsea's approach and we look forward to further positive dialogue with the CFA."

Chelsea was named an official "Ambassador for London" as a result of being invited by the Mayor on the trip to China.

Amongst several other delegates was Lord Sebastian Coe, a lifelong Chelsea fan and chairman of the London 2012 organising committee. Also present on the trip were several figures from key London agencies such as Think London, the inward investment body and Visit London which promotes tourism.

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Chelsea Football Club has been named as an official ambassador for London by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.

The prestigious honour came as it was announced that Chelsea FC chief executive Peter Kenyon will be part of a high level Mayoral delegation to China next week.

Lifelong Chelsea fan Lord Sebastian Coe, who led the capital’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics, is also one of the ambassadors on the trip.

Kenyon said: "It is a great honour for the club to represent London in this way. Chelsea's roots and heritage are set in our location in the capital, and if this can assist in promoting London in China then we are delighted to do that. We are also excited by the opportunity to help promote Chinese football and the English Premier League on this visit."

The delegation’s trip is designed to promote co-operation between London and China, in particular the cities of Beijing, which will host the 2008 Olympics, and Shanghai.

The Mayors of London, Beijing and Shanghai will sign agreements to that effect while London will open offices in the two Chinese cities to promote the capital as a destination for Chinese business people, tourists and students.

Chelsea are building substantial football relationships in Asia. Kenyon recently held talks with the Asian Football Confederation, (the region’s equivalent of UEFA), the first time a major European club had been in direct dialogue with the AFC. Those talks focussed around the AFC’s grass roots development programme, Vision Asia, with a specific interest in Vision China, and how Chelsea could help these programmes.

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José Mourinho, a man not used to second places, has been named runner-up in a new poll, although he can rest assured neither Alex Ferguson nor Arsène Wenger has pipped him. The Chelsea manager has been named second Best Dressed Man of 2006.

Man United boss Alex Ferguson didn’t miss out altogether — he was 19th in the Top 20 Worst Dressed Men which also featured David Beckham at 16th.

Admittedly the England captain was also sixth in the Top 20 Best Dressed but he still couldn’t match up to José who was rated higher than the likes of actor Jude Law, new James Bond Daniel Craig, David Bowie, Prince Charles and Elton John in an eclectic selection.

The poll in GQ magazine was voted for by celebrities including Charlotte Church, Little Britain star David Walliams, Gordon Ramsay, Elton John, Claudia
Schiffer, together with staff at the magazine.

Hollywood actor Clive Owen was named Best Dressed Man.

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John Terry is one of four players vying to be named Player of the Round for the FA Cup quarter-finals. The winner will be decided by a fans’ vote.

The Chelsea skipper not only scored the solitary goal of the game, he was instrumental in a clean sheet defensive performance that ensured safe passage to the semis. His determined clearance to deny Alan Shearer when Carlo Cudicini had pushed away a shot was a particular standout moment.

Terry is up against Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard, West Ham’s Dean Ashton and Middlesbrough’s Ugo Ehiogu.

Votes can be cast until 9am on Friday March 31st via the poll box on the FA website homepage.

If Terry receives the most votes, in addition to being crowned FA Cup ‘Player of the Round’, he will win £1,000 worth of Umbro football kit for a local school, club or organisation of his choice.

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Chelsea can confirm that the club has denied an FA charge of failing to ensure that our players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion in the recent Premiership game at West Bromwich Albion.

The charge relates to an incident in the first-half of the game on March 4th following a foul by West Brom’s Ronnie Wallwork on Claude Makelele.

Referee Mark Halsey reported to the FA that a number of Chelsea players pressurised him at this time.

The club has requested a personal hearing to answer the charge.

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Chelsea Football Club has become the first top European club to enter into direct talks with the Asian Football Confederation, the equivalent of UEFA in Asia.

Chelsea FC chief executive Peter Kenyon met the AFC President, Mohamed bin Hammam at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, March 1, where discussions took place concerning the future development of the Asian football market.

Chelsea has always maintained that Asia, and specifically China, is a key target market from a football and business point of view.

Top of the agenda was the AFC’s development programme Vision Asia, with a specific focus on China. Vision China has already achieved great success in the two pilot cities, Qingdao and Wuhan, and AFC’s plans to expand this to fifteen additional cities will have a huge and lasting impact on the future of Chinese football.

Kenyon said: "We have been watching the development of Asian football from afar, and fully understand the future of this area. Our clear objective and vision is to develop Chelsea as an international club. This would not be possible without taking Asia very seriously."

"Chelsea’s mission is to build success, not buy success. This is directly compatible with the AFC’s plans. From what I’ve seen today with AFC’s development programme, Vision Asia, it will not be long before Asian football is on a par with European football. More importantly, they are very targeted, and committed to delivering logical, quality programmes that provide long-term benefits. This is definitely where Chelsea wants to be positioned also."

AFC President bin Hammam added: "We are delighted to share our plans with Chelsea Football Club as our belief in what we have achieved to date, and what we will be able to achieve in the future, is total. I welcome the opportunity to seek mutual ground, and to demonstrate what can be achieved through bringing the right stakeholders on board.

"Vision China has proven that Vision Asia works. In order for it to be sustainable over the long-term, we are now looking to engage the commercial sector in order for us to reach the grassroots level on a wider scale, to increase participation through the school leagues, achieve development both on and off the pitch with the city leagues, and ultimately provide a platform for greater success in China as a whole. Speaking in commercial terms, this programme provides a route to market that is not comparable with any other football product that currently exists."

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Jose Mourinho has added his tribute to Peter Osgood, who died tragically and suddenly earlier today (Wednesday).

The Chelsea manager and first team coach said: "I have only been at Chelsea a short time but of course I know Peter Osgood was a legend at Stamford Bridge. I met him maybe 20 times, either before or after matches in the tunnel, or at the training ground where he was always welcome and was always very nice. He was one of the greats of Chelsea and will be missed."

There are so many reasons why Peter Osgood became the King of Stamford Bridge.

The swagger, the goals both in quality and number, the devastating skill from a man of six feet two inches, the arrogance, the cheek, the humour… he was unique.

There were goals of outrageous skill, Southampton at home, Burnley away, the hat-tricks, four goals at Crystal Palace in dreadful conditions, five goals at home to Jeunesse Hautcharage in the European Cup Winners’ Cup, stunning volleys against top European teams and Arsenal in the FA Cup, and of course that diving header against Leeds in the FA Cup Final replay.

There was the occasion against Everton in 1973 when he scored his 100th League goal and once the game had finished celebrated in ‘Ossie’ fashion with a lap of honour throwing kisses to the crowd.

There was the anger, petulance, moments of lost desire and laziness, the non-football headlines, drunkenness, women, actress Raquel Welch waving at him and blowing kisses from the touchline during a game. He seemed to live the life of every fan as well as the King.

In an age when the tackle from behind was allowed, he was the complete centre-forward. He had more skill than anyone then and probably anyone now, he was brave, hard, could beat people, get away from them, he was great in the air, he was a breathtaking passer who constantly set up goals for others, he had vision and innovation.

And Ossie was ours, Chelsea’s. He came from the youth ranks, although he’d escaped the scouting net and had become a bricklayer in his home town Windsor. He came for a trial and was withdrawn at half-time of a game in case the opposition spotted him, and was signed immediately.

In recent years he’d become the settled family man with wife Linda. He visited the training ground with his youngest son Darren to watch José Mourinho at work, and the manager came over and greeted them with real affection.

Ossie had aura, both on the pitch and off. Last year he held a testimonial dinner in Central London on the day of the PFA seasonal awards. Captain John Terry, on his way to collecting the Player of the Year award, dropped in to pay his respects and meet the people who had turned out for the King.

At the end, we have to remember him most as a great footballer, as someone who seemed born to the big occasion. Why else, 25 years on, when we cemented our position at the top of the Premiership against Liverpool as recently as February 6th, would he have enjoyed the ground singing: “Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, Osgood, born is the King of Stamford Bridge,” as he walked round the pitch at half-time in honour of the club’s centenary.

He was the King, he is the King, he will always be the King.

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Petr Cech has been named Czech Footballer of the Year for 2005.

The Chelsea goalkeeper, who enjoyed a momentous year that included the Championship win, a new Premier League record for minutes without conceding and helping his country to the World Cup Finals, collected the most votes in a poll of Czech players and managers.

Cech, who has won the honour for the first time, beat second place Tomas Rosicky, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder and last year’s winner Pavel Nedved of Juventus who was third.

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Chelsea vice-captain Frank Lampard has struck a defiant note in the face of the 2-1 deficit Chelsea take to Barcelona in two weeks’ time.

“We are not out of the tie,” Lampard insists. “We're going to keep our heads up and try and put it right at the Nou Camp.

“We're prepared to go there and give it a good go. We played 10 against 11 for 60 minutes in the first leg. We'll go there and play 11 against 11 and with a bit of luck and a bit of hard work there's no reason why we can't get a result.”

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Joe Cole has been voted PFA Player of the Month for the first time since joining Chelsea.

A statement from the PFA read: “Joe Cole has made massive progress since becoming a regular in coach Jose Mourinho’s side, and his increasing contribution to the Chelsea cause has certainly not gone unnoticed by the supporters who have voted him Fans’ Player of the Month for January.

“After a series of match-winning performances around the turn of the year, Mourinho said Cole was ‘untouchable’ and added: ‘I think Cole is playing magnificently in every game and he is perhaps our best attacking player at this time. When I came here nobody knew Joe Cole’s best position - not even him! We only knew that he was a creative player.’

“But Cole has come to learn that whilst you can be the Special One’s favourite one week, you can expect a verbal volley the next - and a place on the bench. These days though, the former West Ham midfielder starts more games than he misses and is an integral part of the Chelsea midfield alongside his England pal Frank Lampard.

“Cole has certainly added consistency to the undoubted class which also makes him an England starter, and he says: ‘I have been a regular in the Chelsea side for the last 12 months or so and shown my worth to the team. Yet football is a fickle game and I know things can change quickly. People want to see you do the business every week.

“’The whole team needs to keep on top of things and we want to keep a nice cushion at the top of the table. You can never rest on your laurels because the standards are so high at Chelsea and you need to be at your best every game you play in.

“’One of the areas I would like to improve is my goalscoring. I scored between five and seven goals a season when I was at West Ham. Okay, I'm not like Frank Lampard who can shoot from 30 yards. I need to get the ball a bit closer to goal. Even so, I'll be working my hardest to get that goal ratio up.’

“Whether he gets the chance to do it in tomorrow’s FA Cup replay against Everton remains to be seen - but he'd love to be leading the revenge mission from the front. He added: ‘Everton pushed us all way up there and because they have also taken points off us in the League, we feel as though we owe them one.’

“Looking at the bigger picture and the Chelsea ambitions for the remainder of the campaign, Cole said: ‘Last season was a cracking one for Chelsea Football Club, but we want this one to be even better. It's great for me to be part of such a success story and to be playing for a fantastic club like Chelsea.’”

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Rhys Evans has won the League One award with Swindon. The other divisional winners are Reading’s Kevin Doyle, and Srewsbury’s Joe Hart.

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As Frank Lampard prepares to take on Liverpool for the ninth time in just 16 months, he expects the visitors to come to Stamford Bridge on Sunday with the aim of taking all three points.

On the last two occasions Rafael Benitez’s team came calling, both Champions League matches, the result was a goalless draw. Currently 18 points behind Chelsea in the Premiership with two games in hand, it is difficult to see how a team seriously wishing to mount a title challenge would be happy with a repeat this time round.

“It is hard to call how it is going to go,” reckons Lampard as he looks ahead to the weekend’s top game.

“When Liverpool came to our place before, they played very tight. They get balls up to Peter Crouch and play off a lot of the second balls he can give them. I am sure they will come with a confidence and a will to win but we have the same.

“I think Liverpool will probably take that attitude they have to win it. There have been statements coming out of their end the last few weeks saying the championship race was virtually over. We certainly don’t see it that way. We need to make sure it is over and we won’t stop until we do that. But with the points gap as it is, they have more of a necessity to win it than we do.”

The Chelsea vice-captain was quick to point out that the game will be business as usual for his side.

“Priority will always be for us to win games - but there is more of a necessity for them to win the game, for us there isn’t as much. But we will play to win the game from the start.”

The Chelsea-Liverpool Champions League battles have seen just one goal scored in four matches. That is a stark contrast to Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Anfield in October.

Lampard, who is set to play his 250th Chelsea game on Sunday, believes Liverpool’s strength in reaching the Champions League Final last year was not conceding away from home. He harbours hopes that their need for three points may help Chelsea return to winning ways after three consecutive draws.

“They defended very deep and very well in the two Champions League games. Maybe in the League they have tried to come out a little bit more and we have managed to get more success that way.

“The only reason our recent draws seem so unusual is we have set our standards and the standard in the Premier league so high in the last 18 months.

“The last few games we have not been as good as we can be and I think the same goes for myself,” he admitted. “I am looking forward to the games ahead to push on and keep the standards high.”

Didier Drogba and Gérémi remain unavailable as they contest an African Cup of Nations quarter-final on Saturday. Drogba, with a hand in three goals was a key player in the 4-1 Anfield win.

“You miss Didier in the squad because him and Hernán Crespo were rotating and using the different strengths that they have,” states Lampard.

“Didier’s strengths are his pace, power and physical presence along with scoring goals. Hernán is a more an around-the-box goalscorer but with very good movement. They are two different types of players that we need at different times in games or in different games altogether. Although Carlton Cole made a difference with that type of physical presence at Everton.”

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José Mourinho attended a ceremony on Monday evening at the Portuguese Ambassador's Residence in London where he received one of the highest awards his nation can bestow.

The honour of Grand Officer of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique was conferred on Mourinho for his services to Portuguese sport. The announcement that the Chelsea manager would be honoured was made last June to coincided with Portugal’s national day. Monday was the presentation ceremony, performed by the Portuguese Ambassador.

Amongst Mourinho’s guests at the ceremony were his family, his coaches Baltemar Brito, Silvino Louro, Rui Faria, Andre Villas and completing Chelsea’s Portuguese contingent, Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira and Maniche.

As well as adding the Premiership title to consecutive national championships in Portugal, with Porto’s UEFA Cup and Champions League triumphs Mourinho became the first manager to bring European silverware to Portuguese shores for 16 years.

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Carlo Cudicini has signed an extension to his contract, adding a year to his existing deal, and that will keep him Chelsea until 2009, ten years after he first signed for the club.

He went to Stamford Bridge this afternoon to put pen to paper, committing himself to Chelsea even though he is still coming out second in the battle with Petr Cech for the goalkeeper’s place.

José Mourinho told Chelsea TV tonight that Petr Cech’s award as the world’s best goalkeeper from the International Football Federation of Statistics and History was something that, “is also very much about Carlo,” because of the work that they do together.

Carlo joined Chelsea in 1999 on loan from Castel Di Sangro, and the move became permanent a year later for a mere £160,000. He has since played 175 games and saved an extraordinary six of 12 penalties faced. He kept goal in the 2002 FA Cup Final.

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José Mourinho has been voted the best club coach in the world for the second year running by the prestigious International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

The manager told Chelsea TV tonight: “It is an award for everyone at the club. It stays at my home, but it is an award for everybody, the coaches and the players.”

José led the voting from Rafael Benitez and Frank Rijkaard. PSV Eindhoven’s Guud Hiddink was fourth and Fabio Capello fifth.

The rest of the top 13 went: 6th Valery Gassaev, CSKA Moscow; 7th Paulo Autuori, Sao Paulo; 8th Carlo Ancelotti, Milan; 9th Manuel Pellegrini, Villarreal; 10th Anghel Iordansecu, Al Ittihad Jeddah; 11th Arsène Wenger, Arsenal; 12th Felix Magath, Bayern Munich, and Roberto Mancini, Inter Milan.

The winners over the last decade have been: 1996 Marcello Lippi, Juventus; 1997 Ottmar Hitzfeld, Borussia Dortmund; 1998 Marcello Lippi, Juventus; 1999 Alex Ferguson, Man Utd; 2000 Carlos Bianchi, Boca Juniors; 2001 Ottmar Hitzfeld, Bayern Munich; 2002 Vicente Del Bosque, Real Madrid; 2003 Carlos Bianchi, Boca Juniors; 2004 José Mourinho, Porto and Chelsea; 2005 José Mourinho, Chelsea.

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Wayne Bridge has gone on loan to Fulham for the remainder of the season.

The England international left-back made his comeback from a broken ankle, suffered at Newcastle in February 2005, when he returned to first team action against Charlton in the Carling Cup in October.

Since then, his chances to build match fitness have been limited to just one FA Cup and one international appearance. Bridge will be looking for increased activity at Craven Cottage, particularly considering his ambition for the summer.

He said: “The next few months is an incredibly important period for me to be playing regular football, as I would obviously love to be part of the manager’s plans for the World Cup competition.”

He cannot play when Chelsea visit Fulham in March.

Fulham’s next match is away to West Ham on Monday night.

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Hernán Crespo has spoken for the first time since newspaper stories suggesting he desires a return to Italy. Misrepresentation of his thoughts, he has revealed, has been a career-long irritation.

“It is normal,” he shrugged when asked about the latest reports. “When I spoke in Argentina, in Italy they take and change the interview. When I speak in Italy they do the same, and in England it's the same.

“When I speak in Italy, everybody says Crespo wants to leave Chelsea and to come here. When I speak with English newspapers, in Italy they say he wants to stay there.

“I am a football player and I play at a big club. It is normal the newspapers want to know what is happening with me. But I don’t want to speak [to the newspapers] anymore like this because everybody wants to change it to something to their country.”

“I don’t like this. I think I am a professional and I play with my heart at Chelsea. I want to win a lot of trophies.”

Crespo, in a rich vein of form having scored in seven of his last nine Chelsea appearances added:

“In June I don’t know what will happen because in the last four years I have always changed club. I want to stay here. But I don’t know what is happening.”

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José Mourinho has explained his thinking behind letting Wayne Bridge go on loan to Fulham for the rest of the season.

The England international left-back, who is battling back from a broken ankle suffered 11 months ago, was last week allowed to move to Chelsea’s nearest neighbours until the end of the season.

“Sometimes you cannot be selfish, you cannot think just about you and the club,” explained Mourinho on Chelsea TV. “You have to think also about the player.

“He had a big injury, he needs a lot to play regularly. At Chelsea of course he would get one game here and one game there but at this moment he couldn’t be having consecutive matches.

“We have only Del Horno as a natural player to play there,” admitted the Chelsea boss on the current left-back situation. “But we have William Gallas, Paulo Ferreira and we have even Glen Johnson and Gérémi who can play there, or Duff if we want an attacking left-back - so we have protection.”

“For Wayne’s future in relation to the World Cup and in relation to his returning to Chelsea, it [the loan] was a good option for him.”

Mourinho has discounted the possibility of any other players going out on loan.

“We have to stay with this number of players and I have said from the beginning, the door is open for one, but no more.”

Bridge played the full 90 minutes for Fulham’s game at West Ham on Monday night.

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The Football Association have confirmed they will take no further action against Nigel Reo-Coker for his tackle on Michael Essien.

The incident forced Essien to be stretchered off early in the first half of yesterday's 3-1 victory at West Ham with a damaged ankle. It is still too early to have a clear indication of the seriousness of the injurEssien was suspended for the forthcoming Champions League matches against Barcelona following his tackle on Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann in December. Then the referee claimed not to have seen the incident and UEFA decreed on that basis that Chelsea's Ghanian international could be banned retrospectively.

Jose Mourinho talked about the two incidents after the game yesterday, and also questioned why Liverpool's Steven Gerrard was not facing a trial by television for his involvement in the fracas with Newcastle players on Boxing Day as Essien had done following the Hamann incident.
Mourinho said: "Essien cannot walk and his foot and ankle are both very swollen. I'm not complaining about Reo-Coker but I can imagine if it was the opposite and Essien had made the tackle. I can imagine if a Chelsea player did what Steven Gerrard did against Newcastle. Nobody speaks or asks for suspensions when Gerrard does it."

"But Essien was on the TV for 15 days and I only saw Gerrard twice. Essien is suspended for the Champions League. He can't tackle now or it's a yellow card. Today there is a foul on him and he can't walk to the team coach but tomorrow everybody will treat is as if it's no big deal. They (Sky TV) want to chase Essien but treat others differently even though everyone is the same on the football pitch. There are not many places where everyone is the same and they should treat everyone the same way."y and how long Essien might be out for.

The FA confirmed that because referee Howard Webb saw the incident, and gave a foul, no further action could be taken.

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A draw at Manchester City, José Mourinho believed, would have been a positive result. To gain a win left the Chelsea manager highly satisfied, especially as it was achieved without the talismanic Frank Lampard.

“Frank was feeling bad during the day and the doctor was with him,” revealed Mourinho after the game. “He wanted to try to play in the warm-up but it was completely impossible to do it.”

Lampard’s illness, that saw him withdraw from the game during the on-pitch team warm-up, brought an end to his landmark 164 consecutive Premiership game run.

“It was a big test from the mental point of view to play without Frank because we play all those games with him and ten minutes before you realise he is not playing.”

Mourinho challenged his team to prove they were not reliant on one player, however good he is.

“The answer of the team was magnificent,” was his assessment of the response. “Eidur Gudjohnsen individually played a very good game in the Lampard role. We had players like Gérémi who is a great example. He doesn’t play a lot but when he plays he is unbelievable for the team.

“These are the matches you know one point is a result. It is important for the players not to panic, keep control of the game and don’t make defensive mistakes. If we don’t score a goal, a point in these circumstances would be a positive point but I think we deserved the win because defensively the team was amazing, the answer in midfield without Lampard was fantastic and we always looked like we could score.

“There were not many chances but now and again we threatened. So when we scored with ten minutes to go, it is time to control the game and go home with three points.”

Man City manager Stuart Pearce thought the game had 0-0 written all over it.

“It was a tactical game of chess with few chances,” he said, ruing the late winner. “If Joey [Barton] had taken his chance early on it might have been different. Chelsea took their chance when it fell to them.”

Pearce had followed Chelsea’s two previous opponents, Fulham and Arsenal, in changing from his normal formation to counter the Champions. He opted to switch from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1.

“Tactically we maybe got it right throughout the team,” he decided after seeing his side restrict Chelsea’s openings for most of the game. “When you put as much into your job and don’t get anything from it is disappointing. I can’t fault a single one of my players from a team ethic point of view.”

As Mourinho reviewed his players sitting 11 points clear at the top of the Premiership having dropped points in only two games so far, the team ethic was at the forefront of his thoughts as well.

“We are very strong and have more points than at this stage last season. Around the world you can’t see many teams fighting like my team did tonight. You don’t see big stars fighting like this. This is not the power of the money, this is the power of the group. This is the power of a group of friends working together.”

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The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ruled against Adrian Mutu in an appeal regarding his dismissal by Chelsea. This removes the final obstacle in the way of Chelsea pursuing a compensation claim against the player.

The appeal was against the FA Premier League Appeals Committee’s decision that Chelsea was entitled to end Mutu’s contract for gross misconduct after the player admitted taking cocaine. The Premier League Committee further decided that Chelsea was entitled to seek compensation and sporting sanctions from the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber. This too formed part of the appeal.

The Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed the appeal and ordered Mutu to pay Chelsea costs of 20,000 swiss francs.

Chelsea will now apply to FIFA for compensation.

Mutu, who was sacked in October 2004, is currently playing in Italy for Juventus.

A CAS statement said:
"The player's admitted use of cocaine constitutes the 'unilateral breach without just cause' provided by the FIFA regulations and triggers the consequences deriving thereof, no matter whether this breach causes the club to give notice of termination or whether the club continues to hold on to and insist upon performance of the contract despite the player's breach.

"This CAS decision solves the dispute related to the possibility for Chelsea FC to proceed further to seek compensation and sporting sanctions from the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber in this case, with another possible appeal before CAS at a later stage."

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José Mourinho has won the BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year award. He was presented with the trophy live on BBC last night, Sunday, by Sven-Göran Eriksson.

Other coaches shortlisted were Liverpool’s Rafael Benitez, England cricket’s Duncan Fletcher, and Wales rugby’s Mike Ruddock.

José said: “Of the other three contenders they also deserve it. I think the success of this last year belongs to my two families - the family I have at home and the family I have at Stamford Bridge.”

The Chelsea boss also presented, for the BBC, the Lifetime Achievement Award to Pelé.

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Following UEFA placing a statement regarding Michael Essien on its website, Chelsea has given the following response: “Chelsea has seen the statement from UEFA but has yet to receive official notification of the charge. There will be no further comment on this issue.”

UEFA’s own statement read as follows.

“UEFA has today instigated disciplinary proceedings against Michael Essien, charging the Chelsea FC midfielder with gross unsporting conduct following the English club's UEFA Champions League game against Liverpool FC on Tuesday.

”The charge relates to Essien's tackle on Liverpool's Dietmar Hamann, which occurred out of the sight of both the referee and his assistants during the 0-0 Group G draw at Stamford Bridge. Any statement about the above, as well as any evidence, can be submitted to UEFA by 14 December 2005. The UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body will decide on the matter at its next meeting on 15 December.”

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José Mourinho has re-iterated that winning the Champions League Group is not of major importance, he has distanced himself from any talk linking him with the manager’s job at Real Madrid, and he has said he has only 18 fit players for tomorrow night’s game with Liverpool.

Talking at the pre-match press conference, he said: “We want to win. We always want to win. But I don’t think the consequences of the result are very important.

“I prefer to beat Wigan to Liverpool. To be first or second has no consequences, to beat Wigan is three more points to win the Premiership.” Wigan, of course, are the visitors on Saturday.

He expanded on why he is not passionate about being first.

“We cannot play against an English team in the next stage, so Arsenal is out of our future until the quarter-final. Juventus or Bayern Munich, I don’t feel a big difference, and we don’t know who will be first or second in that group.

“Lyon first, Real Madrid second. Would you prefer to play against Real Madrid or Lyon?

“If you are first the first game will be away from home, and if you are second the first game will be at home. I don’t see anything big in that either.

“Unless you meet a team without experience, Artmedia Bratislava for example if they qualify, if you are lucky to meet them, then maybe it can help.”

He rejected the idea that he would experiment if winning wasn’t important. “I have a lot of injured players. I have exactly 18 players tomorrow. I have no Crespo, no Joe Cole, no Glen Johnson, no Makelele. My selection is decided.

“We always play 4-3-3. We change sometimes in a game if it is needed, but we always play 4-3-3.”

Liverpool, however, have changed recently to two up front. He is not certain that is what Chelsea will face tomorrow.

“Sometimes they play 4-4-2, but when they play against us they always play three in the centre of midfield to defend against us.”

It will be the seventh time the teams meet in 2005, the eighth since Mourinho became manager. He has not significantly changed his preparation. “There are always little details to work at, but our record is positive. Seven matches so far and we lose once. We cannot complain.”

Asked about media stories linking him with the vacant manager’s job at Real Madrid, he shrugged. “For me this is speculation, stories. I know nothing. I like Vanderlei very much, so I’m not happy, but that is football.”

Pushed on whether he could fulfil his ambitions at Chelsea, he replied strongly: “Yes.” Asked what they are, he offered: “Win tomorrow.” Asked what they are after that, he smiled and barked: “Win against Wigan.”

And, finally, asked if he would change his squad for any other European club’s, he laughed and announced: “I wouldn’t change the squad and I wouldn’t change the journalists in the press room.”

And with that he bounded off to training.

Rafael Benitez, Liverpool manager, faced the press an hour later, and agreed about the importance of the match.

“It’s an important game because it’s a Champions League game, but it is not the most important game. I think about Middlesbrough, I want to have all my players fit.

“If you are a player you want to do your best and win every game. If you are a manager you want to win every game but you must think about the future. So, for instance, Xabi Alonso is not here. He wants to play, but it is important I think about the future.”

Dietmar Hamann was with him and dismissed Chelsea’s 4-1 win at Anfield in our last meeting. “If you saw the game I don’t think it was one-sided. We were on top in the first-half, gave a penalty away, got back in the game with a good goal by Stevie (Gerrard), then they scored just before half-time and they got two breakaway goals in the second-half. But I don’t think it was one-sided. It was a shock to Liverpool, we hadn’t been beaten like that at home for some time.

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Against a background of reports suggesting a top level player has been offered to Chelsea as a potential new signing, José Mourinho has insisted there will be no changes to his squad during the January transfer window.

Barring an exceptional collection of injuries to players of similar position, the Chelsea manager is totally happy with his pool of largely young players.

It is the destination of German international Michael Ballack, soon to be out of contract at Bayern Munich, that has sparked the talk.

On the Ballack question Mourinho stated: “I don’t even think about it! I don’t want players in the open market in January.”

He confirmed no short-term cover will be sought for any player who attends the African Cup of Nations early in the new year, and that the lack of planned dealing stretches to players leaving too.

“No transfer moves,” was the clear message.

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Frank Lampard, second in the European Player of the Year vote announced on Monday, is guaranteed a top three place in FIFA’s world equivalent.

A final three-man shortlist for the prestigious World Player of the Year award has been revealed and Lampard makes the cut alongside Barcelona pair Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o. Ronaldinho was last year’s winner as well as the man who beat our vice-captain to this week’s Ballon d’Or.

An original list of 30 players, also containing Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Arjen Robben, has been voted on by the national coaches and captains from each of FIFA's member associations. The three who gained the most votes is now known and the winner will be named in Zurich on December 19th.

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Hot on the back of his new Premiership appearance record, Frank Lampard’s memorable week continues with the news that he has been named runner-up in the 2005 European Footballer of the Year award.

The result of the vote to decide the award, properly titled the Ballon d’Or, was announced on Monday evening with Barcelona’s Ronaldinho the winner and Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard behind Lampard in third.

Of the seven Chelsea players in the original 50 nominations, four others have also made the top 20. John Terry is tenth equal, Claude Makelele is 13th with Petr Cech and Didier Drogba joint 14th.

The remaining Chelsea representation in the 50-man shortlist was Michael Essien and Arjen Robben.

Lampard’s second place is a Chelsea all-time best. The club has not made the top three before although Ruud Gullit and George Weah were both named Europe’s number one player at earlier stages in their careers.

The prestigious and long-established honour, which is organised by the magazine France Football, was established in 1956 with Stanley Matthews the first winner. The ranking is decided by a panel of European journalists.

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José Mourinho is the Tissot League for Managers’ Performance Award winner for the first quarter of the season.

Now in its third year as a competition, the award was devised with the help of the League Managers Association to allow managers from every level of League football to test themselves against one another.

Every competitive game counts towards a manager's individual score in the Tissot League. Points are awarded for victories and draws, with results away from home scoring higher.

There are points for clean sheets and goals scored, whilst a team's winning margin also counts towards the total, and managers are also rewarded for maintaining an unbeaten run.

The current table places Mourinho ahead of Steve Coppell of Reading and Neil Warnock of Sheffield United.

It is the Chelsea manager’s third award in this competition. Last season he was top in the third quarter and then won the overall season award.

Commenting on his latest win, Mourinho said: “This is a very objective trophy because it is made on victories, on goals, on clean sheets and victories away.

“I have won one for a third time but I still have space because it is a beautiful trophy. I am very pleased.”

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Frank Lampard has been named Barclays Player of the Month for October.

Our star midfielder made a convincing case for himself by scoring in each of Chelsea’s four Premiership games last month. In total he found the net six times: once in the 4-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield; twice in the 5-1 win against Bolton; another in the 1-1 draw at Goodison Park and two in the 4-2 win against Blackburn.

The goals took Lampard to the top of the Premiership goalscorers’ list (no midfielder has ever topped that ranking come the end of the season) and helped Chelsea cement our place at the summit of the league table with ten points taken out of twelve.

He also continued his unbroken run of Premiership appearances which currently stands at 158 games.

Frank last won the monthly Barclays award in April. He was named Barclays Player of the Year for last season.

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José Mourinho believes that Chelsea’s recent blip — one clean sheet in six games, one win in four — has been talked through and that there will be a better team on display at Manchester United on Sunday.

Following the draws at Everton and at home to Charlton, the latter being followed by defeat in a penalty shoot-out, plus the 1-0 reverse at Real Betis, he promised he would talk with his players. He has done.

“We had a meeting,” he said at the pre-match press conference. “We spoke about reasons that may contribute for such a bad performance. It was a good conversation. We have a good relation, nobody is afraid to express feelings and a point of view. We had different points of view, but I think we got some good conclusions.

“To lose is not a drama, we can lose matches, especially on points competition. We still can be first of our Group, and more easier we can qualify in the second position. But we were not happy with the defeat and not with the performance. I think the meeting was good for us, important for us and I think we are ready for the future.”

He feels the remarkable scoring feats of his team — 28 Premiership goals is the same as Manchester United (15) and Arsenal (13) added together — has taken something from their game as well as adding something.

“I think at this moment we deserve two recognitions. The recognition of scoring and the recognition of conceding stupid goals.

“So I am not always chasing the credit for the good things. And I don’t run away from criticism. We are conceding too many goals, and goals where instead of giving credit to the opponents because they score an unstoppable goal, we are conceding goals we shouldn’t.

“We made a positional mistake against Bolton, we made a naïve tackle at Everton, we made an individual mistake against Charlton, we made an incredible bad back pass to the keeper and create a difficult situation for the keeper against Blackburn, we don’t cover well the space inside against Betis.

“So from a defensive point of view we are making mistakes. So I think, yes, nobody can say we don’t score goals, we don’t play attacking football, we don’t entertain people, we don’t score a lot of great goals — but you also can say we are making some mistakes in defensive terms.”

He is certain the Thursday morning meeting when the talks took place will have a positive effect.

“The right result you never know, the right response, that’s for sure. We feel that a few things gave a contribution that our attitude change a little bit. Such as, for example, until now not enough pressure in the Premiership, not afraid to lose, not afraid to concede a goal and be behind.

“One thing is to be in a situation where you know you can’t lose points, and another is to have ten or 12 points difference and feel no adrenaline. A lot of people are better without pressure, other people are better under pressure. In Chelsea our dressing room is full of top characters, people used to play for big things and big responsibilities, and we need this kind of adrenaline.

“The game against Betis was not involved in this situation of the Premier League, but we beat them four-zero at home, and despite I told them before the game this is a points competition, this is not knock-out, the game starts zero-zero, not 4-zero... But that feeling of we will do it was there.

“Last season we were not scoring many goals, so we know if we concede we are in trouble. This season that’s not the point, we are coming from behind in many, many matches, from behind against Aston Villa, from behind against Bolton, from behind against Everton, 2-2 at half-time against Blackburn. This season we are turning around every result.

“It looks like it doesn’t matter if the opponent score before us, it doesn’t matter if at half-time we are not winning, and last season we were feeling both things, the pressure we cannot lose points and by the other way a little bit of pressure because we know we are not producing enough attacking football to score goals.

“We think altogether we must go back to our levels of concentration, our levels of starting the game properly with the correct level of adrenaline because it’s the right way. We have to cope in the proper way with the fact we are not under pressure — not in the negative way.”

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Frank Lampard’s stunning free kick, his second goal against Blackburn, was his 100th League goal, his 60th for Chelsea. It brings his tally to 11 for the season and with 10 in the League, makes him the Premiership’s top scorer. Not a bad return for a midfielder after only 11 League games.

The Blackburn match also marked his 157th consecutive Premiership game, a record only surpassed by keeper David James, who has notched up two more.

Post-match, his manager lavished the utmost praise on the current Footballer of the Year but was curious why Frank’s reputation is unrecognised outside of this country.

“Only in England people recognise what this player is. He was the best player of the year for the Premiership. These people who give the big international awards, I don’t know what they’re doing at weekends. The player is the best player in the world.

“He plays every game. Some great players play only one game a month, or one day they’re Man of the Match but the next day they don’t touch the ball. This player is top every game. I would not change him for another one.

“He does everything,” enthused Mourinho. “His defensive work is incredible.”

Referring to the victory over Blackburn, José continued: “He was pressing 30 metres in front of his natural position. He does a lateral movement to press on the wings. He recovers a lot of balls. He passes long distance, passes short, keeps possession, scores goals from long distance and from set plays. How can he improve?

“I just hope he carries on because he deserves to beat this incredible record of David James.”

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Chelsea is about to become the star of its own television show when the talent search series 'Football Icon' hits our screens later this month.

Developed by Football Icon Ltd, in association with Chelsea Football Club, Football Icon documents Chelsea's search for the best young player in the country who has either been passed over by professional clubs, or not yet been spotted.

Over five thousand hopefuls from around England were given the opportunity to try out in front of Chelsea's judges, which included Academy Director Neil Bath and former Blues skipper Ray Wilkins.

The twelve most promising players were selected to attend Chelsea's Academy for assessment. Each week, candidates are eliminated until only three remain. Ultimately, José Mourinho and his staff will decide the winner of Football Icon. The prize - one of the greatest prizes ever offered on British television - is a professional contract with Chelsea.
Sky One has commissioned eight one-hour episodes of the show for broadcast on Sunday evenings at 7pm from October 23rd.

The series is being produced by North One Television. Neil Duncanson of North One said: "Chelsea is an extraordinarily powerful brand which has enormous appeal, and Football Icon is a fascinating show that gives a genuine insight into what it takes to make it as a professional football player with one of the world's greatest teams".

Chelsea's Group Business Affairs Director, Paul Smith, added: "The club wanted to show that any boy can play for Chelsea as long as they are good enough. Football Icon demonstrates that being signed by Chelsea is truly aspirational for a whole generation of kids, whatever part of the country they are from. In a very engaging way, the series accurately portrays what it takes to make it to the top."

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Chelsea’s unbeaten record is better on goals than Arsenal’s at the same stage of their 49 game unbeaten run, said Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler on Chelsea TV tonight (Wednesday).

Since losing to Manchester City almost a year ago, Chelsea have gone 37 Premiership games undefeated. In that time we have scored 82 goals and conceded 15.

Arsenal, after 37 games of their run, had scored three goals less — just 79. And they had conceded ten more, 25.

“No-one’s talking about boring anymore,” he said, dismissing the debates of last week.

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Chelsea have added to our trophy cabinet by winning a Prince's Trust award for helping more than 190 young people get their lives back on track.

The Prince's Trust Celebrate Success Awards highlights the achievements of young people supported by The Trust in overcoming the barriers they face and transforming their lives.

Chelsea FC scooped the Delivery Partner Award for London at a ceremony yesterday, (Thursday 29 September) for our exemplary support in enabling young people to get on in life. Chelsea director of communications Simon Greenberg is pictured collecting the award.

We beat Arsenal and Tottenham onto the shortlist, and as a result of winning now go through to the national awards.

Chelsea is one of 63 professional football clubs in the UK, including all of the Premier League clubs, working with The Prince's Trust to support young people in the local community. The youth charity's long term partnership with the FA Premier League, the Football Foundation and the PFA has helped almost 10,000 young people transform their lives over the last eight years.

Chelsea has used our multi-million pound brand to attract 16-25 year olds, the majority unemployed, to complete The Prince's Trust Team programme, designed to improve their skills and employment prospects.

The club has provided behind the scenes tours, motivational talks, signed merchandise and player appearances such as Prince's Trust Ambassador Frank Lampard to inspire young people. Four former Prince Trust programme participants are now employed by the club in a part-time capacity as coaches with Football in the Community.

Football-mad Moe Gentle is one of the young people Chelsea FC has helped and is now a football coach thanks to the club.

She said: "I've always wanted to work with children and now because of The Prince's Trust and Chelsea FC, I'm able to use my football coaching qualification to make that dream come true. The course has really boosted my confidence, motivation and communication skills. I don't know what I would be doing if I hadn't done the programme."

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UMBRO, the official Chelsea kit partner, today proudly reveals the club’s new away kit. The kit, featuring Chelsea’s newly designed club crest , goes on sale Sep 8th and will worn by the team for the first time when they take on Everton at Goodison Park on 22nd October.

Once again UMBRO have created a kit that uses the most up to date design and state of the art technology to give the players every advantage on the pitch as they look for another successful season. The new kit is sterling blue, with black detail prominent throughout. On the jersey itself, black fabric inserts appear on the shoulders, hem and cuffs as well as on the back of the neck line. To complete the look, the new jersey is complemented by sterling blue and black shorts and sterling blue socks, giving the new kit a modern look that players and fans will be proud of.

Using the latest fabric technology, UMBRO has created a kit to ensure the highest levels of comfort and performance. The fabric of the jersey has been developed to mimic the feel of the players’ skin, with ‘Zonal Pods’ placed in key hot spots around the upper body to help increase levels of ventilation. The use of hi-tech X-Static ® silver fibres helps to regulate body temperature and aid moisture transfer, ensuring players remain comfortable and cool in the heat of the game.

Martin Prothero, Senior Vice President of Football at UMBRO International:"We always strive to produce the most innovative and modern product for our club partners. The new Chelsea away strip combines a very distinctive design with leading kit technologies which I am sure the players and fans will be delighted with."

Ron Gourlay, Commercial Director of Chelsea Football Club:"This is an extremely exciting time for Chelsea Football Club as we look to build on the successes of last season. It’s crucial that the players have kit that helps them perform to the highest possible standards on the pitch, while looking good and upholding the traditions of the club. I’m delighted to say that Umbro’s new away kit has definitely delivered in all these areas."

John Terry, Captain of Chelsea Football Club:"Having a kit that looks and feels great is very important for the players. I’m really pleased with the new away kit from UMBRO and I’m looking forward to the opportunity of leading the team out in it this season."

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Frank Arnesen (pictured), recruited to shape Chelsea’s development and scouting, started work today, Thursday, by going to Stamford Bridge this morning.

Over the next few days he will be getting to know the people he will be working alongside in his new job.

Also starting today were Dr Alex Nieper who will be responsible for the reserve team players and assist Bryan English who heads the medical department.

A new masseur, Pedro Phillipou, came on board and will join the masseur team of Mauro Doimi, Billy McCulloch and Stewart Sullivan.

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The 10 million euros transfer of Tiago to Lyon has finally been fully agreed this afternoon, and now the clubs and player just await international clearance.

Tiago started 31 games for Chelsea and came on as a substitute in a further 21. He scored four goals. His last appearance was as a substitute in the Community Shield against Arsenal for which he earned a winner’s medal.

There were also winner’s medals for the Premiership and the Carling Cup where he was an unused substitute.

Tiago arrived last summer from Benfica where he had been a Portuguese Cup winner. He was popular with the fans, not least because his name fitted in with a widely sung chant. He was also popular with the players who all signed a poster of him for Paulo Ferreira to take to him.

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With the transfer of Tiago to France imminent, José Mourinho has talked about the manner in which the move has come about and the sadness the loss of the Portuguese midfielder has brought.

“He wants to go,” Mourinho made perfectly clear, “and he did it in a very professional way.”

He said: “Boss, I feel very sorry to go. I love it here but I am a professional and I want to play more times. I have a good proposal from Olympique Lyon. I would like to go, it is World Cup year and the French League is a good one.”

Mourinho also explained the financial offer from Lyon to Chelsea was favourable and that Tiago was impressed by his conversations with Gerard Houllier, the new Lyon coach, and influenced by the fact his likely new club play a similar system to Chelsea.

A classic José phrase was used to illustrate that in those circumstances, it would be hard for Chelsea to block the move. “The boy wants to go and we cannot break the legs of such a good boy for us.”

With Tiago's move in the process of being finalised, Mourinho denied that the loss of a midfielder at this early stage of the season had unexpectedly upset his plans.

“It [the transfer] was already in hand. It was a process when Tiago understood that he is not a first choice at the moment and Essien arrives. I can use Eidur or Joe Cole in midfield and he was feeling that since the pre-season.

“A lot of clubs were interested in him. From England, from Spain, from Portugal and Olympique Lyon. He has made a decision but it is something we have worked out.

“We have the same amount of players as we had last season - 21 plus three goal keepers and I think that is a good number to face the season. It also gives a chance to a young player like Diarra. He now knows his chance is real and he will just have to work and wait for it because there is no more Tiago in front of him.

“Tiago yesterday provoked a lot of tears in our group because he is a wonderful boy and he was a very good player for us and we know we will miss him,” summed up the Chelsea boss.

“We will miss the player and we will miss the person. Yesterday when he was going to Lyon he was saying to us probably I don’t come back. It was very emotional for everybody because everybody was very disappointed.”

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Chelsea FC has signed a sponsorship contract making Tourism Malaysia one of the Platinum Partners of the Club. Malaysia will become the official travel destination partner of Chelsea FC in a deal set to further increase the club's standing in South East Asia.

The partnership underlines the growing popularity of the club, and the Premiership, in Asia and follows the club's successful visit to the region earlier in the summer.

"The move forms part of our international development strategy," said Paul Smith, Group Business Affairs Director. "Chelsea has become a global brand and we are delighted with the interest the club receives from this region. Agreeing a Platinum Partnership with Tourism Malaysia underlines how important the area is to us."

Datuk Dr Leo Michael Toyad, Minister of Tourism Malaysia, added: "This is a tremendous opportunity for Malaysian tourism and we are delighted to be working with Chelsea; they are a massive club and one set to continue to grow over the next 10 years.
"Chelsea's matches are viewed by some 350 million viewers in over 150 countries. Being a Platinum Partner will give us regular international exposure covering Europe as well as the UK, both of which are prime markets for Malaysia to attract leisure travellers."

Chelsea's other Platinum partners are Sky, Orange, Budweiser and Lucozade.

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José Mourinho collected an award on Friday afternoon recognising his achievement in finishing top of the Tissot Managers’ Performance League for the 2004/5 season.

The Tissot table compares the performance of all 92 managers working in league football, with points awarded for a range of criteria placing special emphasis on consecutively games unbeaten, clean sheets and away wins.

During last season Mourinho also collected an award for the highest score in the third quarter of the campaign (pictured). In the end of season final table he finished clear of Arsène Wenger who was second, Mike Newell of Luton, Alex Ferguson, Sunderland’s Mick McCarthy with Paul Jewell, manager of Sunday’s opponents Wigan, in sixth place.

Mourinho was presented with the award and a special watch by the president of Tissot, Francois Thiebaud, and John Duncan from the League Managers’ Asssociation who organise the awards.

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Charity/Community Shield winners 1955, 2000, 2005.
Runners-up 1970, 1997.

Champions 1955, 2005.
Runners-up 2004.

UEFA Super Cup winners 1998.

European Cup Winners’ Cup winners 1971, 1998.

FA Cup winners 1970, 1997, 2000.
Runners-up 1915, 1967, 1994, 2002.

League Cup winners 1965, 1998, 2005.
Runners-up 1972.

Second Division champions 1984, 1989.
Runners-up 1906, 1912, 1930, 1963, 1977.

FA Youth Cup winners 1960, 1961.
Runners-up 1958.

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José Mourinho revealed no pressure as he spoke to journalists from the daily newspapers at the Cobham training ground yesterday.

“You have to win trophies every season. Despite we are in a top country and when you lose you lose to big teams, so that should not be a drama. But it is a motivation for us, it must be a habit to win, and this season we must win again.

“We have four competitions plus the Charity Shield, and we have to win trophies.”

Time and again he was invited to comment on Arsène Wenger, Arsenal’s manager, in an attempt to inflate the cut and thrust ‘media’ dialogue between them. Time and again he refused.

“I have admiration for the manager. They have already a scouting department well organised for sure, they spend money on the kids and they produce the talent. Of course I respect that.”

So why, the journalists asked, did he have a better relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson?

“I don’t know the Wenger type. I cannot criticise people I don’t know. I spoke with Wenger once in Geneva, and I shake hands before and after Arsenal games. Nothing else. I cannot judge a man by his professional comments.

“We (José and Sir Alex) just had better chances to know each other. We were together three times in Geneva, we flew on the same plane, we meet before games, we play more games, with Porto, in the Carling Cup, and the fact that Carlos (Queiroz) is the assistant we meet before and after the games, and I admire the man.

“We just need respect, try to concentrate on ourselves, in our jobs, and try to ignore comments of other people. If you have a special relationship it’s better, but that’s a private thing.”

But what about various comments? Like Wenger’s on overpriced Chelsea players and Peter Kenyon’s on the League champions coming from a group of one?

On the former he spoke of £21m Shaun Wright-Phillips: “He’s even better than I thought. He’s a better player that I thought, more intelligent, not just intuitive, he also thinks the game. He understands what we teach, he understands where he is, he’s improving a lot to adapt to our tactical situation. He’s ready to play, he knows where to be, he knows what to do.

“If he was a player from a Spanish team, Portuguese team or a Belgian team, he is expensive. But when he comes from an English team he is not expensive. That is your market.”

On the latter, he said: “I don’t see this as arrogance. For years people call me this, and I don’t see it as arrogance, even out of context as it was. He says what he feels in his heart. I read in the summer how many Manchester United players saying they will kill Chelsea, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, and for me this is normal. All their life they win trophies and last season they won nothing. It is normal.”

As to the improvements he is looking to make this season, he was deliberately coy. “It’s a question I don’t want to answer because we work on tactical things. In spite of great results last season we felt we had to improve in certain tactical aspects, bring something else to our game, and we are working on that.”

However great the desire to sign Michael Essien, he has declared no desire to sign Michael Owen. Why? the journalists asked.

“We play with one striker normally, one striker and two wingers. So a big investment in Drogba and a player that I love; big investment in Crespo and a player that I love; Carlton Cole is a personal bet that I want to win, maybe not immediately but I want to win; and Gudjohnsen is a player that I want because he is different.”

So no Owen, but on Sunday four wingers. “For sure against Arsenal because of the six changes I will use all four.” The Charity Shield allows a bench of seven from which you can use six.

Finally, Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror, somewhat sheepishly, asked for a comment on the return of Stamford, the mascot. José thought carefully, and then said: “I will give you an answer but only if you use it as intended, as a joke.” The press agreed. He told them: “The mascot was very important because against Bayern Munich I was the mascot.”

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José Mourinho is going to give 20 year old Lassana Diarra at least 45 minutes at DC Washington tonight on Chelsea’s second pre-season friendly of the USA tour.

Paris born Diarra joined two weeks ago following a week on trial. “Gwyn Williams saw him playing in the Toulon tournament and said we must try him, so we spoke to Le Havre and they let him come for a week and he could be a solution in the future when Maka is coming to the end,” said the manager.

“He has an open mind, he is willing to learn, he is willing to work.”

The defensive midfielder spent time as a schoolboy with Nantes and Le Mans before joining Le Havre where he was Young Player of the Year in 2004. Last season he was in the first team which finished 16th in the Second Division, and played every game of the Toulon Under 20s Tournament including the Final when France beat Portugal 4-1.

Lassana, who speaks no English yet, said through the translator: “I want to work, to improve. Maka is a great player who I am already learning a lot from him.”

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Following continued media reports that Chelsea are making major bids to purchase the AC Milan and Ukraine striker Andriy Schevchenko, Chelsea has made the following statement.

“It is club policy not to comment on speculation linking Chelsea to players. However there are continuing, and totally incorrect, reports regarding Andriy Shevchenko that only serve to destabilise unnecessarily those players already at Chelsea.

“The club has made it quite clear that we are seeking to bring in one more player, and we have also made it clear that this will be a midfield player, if it happens. We are not seeking to sign a forward and we have total confidence in those we have.”

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Chelsea and 21 year old attacking midfielder Filipe Oliveira have amicably agreed to cancel his contract so that he can return to Portugal to find a new club.

Filipe had made eight appearances for the first team, all as substitute, the last of which was in the last game of last season at Newcastle. But that was his only appearance last season.

He has scored regularly for Portugal Under 21s over the last year and after a successful graduation from Chelsea’s youth team to the reserve side will now seek to find first team football in his own country.

Everyone at Chelsea wishes him all the best.

Scottish youngster Kevin McKinlay who has been on loan at Ross County for over a year will spend yet another year on loan to them. Chelsea will be monitoring his progress.

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Shaun Wright-Phillips became a Chelsea player this lunchtime after signing a five year contract.
Arriving at Chelsea today with father Ian Wright and agent Mitchell Thomas, he completed his medical and is now due to fly out with the rest of the team to the USA tomorrow, Tuesday.
With a pre-season game and training already under his belt for Manchester City, he is ready to be involved straight away. Chelsea’s next game is against Milan in Boston next Sunday.
He has asked to play in the Number 24 shirt. “It’s the date my son was born,” he explained. “He loves football.”

He knows plenty of the Chelsea team from England, England Under 21s, his kit sponsor and his youth — he was playing against and becoming friends with Joe Cole when they were still at school.

He knows he is going to be competing for places with Cole, Arjen Robben and Damien Duff. “That’s fine by me,” he says, “I never expected to be in anywhere and walk into any team to be honest with you. Competition is just healthy really and will help make me a better player. I just want to try and get some medals and be a regular part of the team. I want to play well for myself and for the fans, and for the coaching staff.”

Chief executive Peter Kenyon added: “We’re delighted that Shaun has joined us. He’ll be a fantastic asset to the team and squad. This carries on the Chelsea policy of investing in young, top English talent.”

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Hernán Crespo believes that given a chance and the right support he can be a success at Chelsea, and José Mourinho believes that will happen. They both recognised his problems but stayed optimistic on his returning to training on Monday.

The problems lie around his wife whom he recently married and their young child. His wife does not really want to return to England.

“I played ten years in Italy and my family live there,” Hernán said, “but I feel that every thing has changed here, it is better and I want to stay. But if I don’t stay here I want to say thank you to the Chelsea fans, Roman Abramovich and the players because the problem would not be football.

“I want to stay, I want to do great things for the fans, but I don’t know what will happen in the future. I want to stay here, because I get along well here.”

He was warmly greeted by the players on his return and José Mourinho was pleased to have him in the squad.

“I am very happy that he is coming back, and in sporting terms he is very happy to come back. He understands that the club is different, the facilities are different, the manager is different, the players are different, everything is different and he is very happy to come.

“The only problem is in relation to his family because his family is in Italy and he has to solve that problem, but when he solves that problem he will be a very important player for us. We cannot have a better player around the world, and we did not have to spend money on him so I am very, very happy.

Crespo took a full part in the morning and afternoon session, but laughed off suggestions from fans on Chelsea TV last Friday that they expect him to be top scorer this season.

”Well, we need to work slowly, but I want to score many goals and I need to work for this. And at the end of the season we will talk again!”

Mourinho, however, was not saying anything to suggest that might not be the case.

“He knows that I like the way he plays football, he is very intelligent in his movement, he has a lot of experience, he’s good in the box and he is a good character. He knows that because we kept contact over these months and I also know that he was happy when he played for us last season and he is looking forward to working with us again.

“We will help solve his problems, we want him to be happy here and we have to understand that family is important and we have to help him solve the problem.”

José, speaking on Chelsea TV, said that Asier Del Horno had filled a vacant space, Crespo and Carlton Cole were replacing Kezman, and he still wanted a midfielder to strengthen the squad.

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Following comments from Liverpool Chief Executive Rick Parry this morning, Chelsea can confirm that the club has made an offer to Liverpool for the transfer of Steven Gerrard. The terms of that offer are confidential.

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Mateja Kezman has been sold to Atlético Madrid for a fee of eight million euros.

Kezman joins the Primera Liga club on a three year deal and will be introduced at the Vicente Calderòn Stadium in Madrid this afternoon, Wednesday.

The Serbian international has spent one year at Chelsea during which time he won Premier League champion and Carling Cup winner medals. But after a bright pre-season he was unable to establish himself in the side and started only 14 games while being a substitute in 27 others.

He scored seven goals including the third in the Carling Cup Final. Despite his lack of goals his determined spirit resulted in loud support from the fans whenever he took to the pitch, and a much enjoyed moment in the last minute at home to Newcastle when he converted a penalty with an audacious chip at the Matthew Harding end.

His finest 90 minutes was undoubtedly the home UEFA Champions League game with Barcelona when he led the line in the suspended absence of Didier Drogba and with Eidur Gudjohnsen being used as an attacking midfielder. Although he didn’t score he was crucial in the build-up to the first and third goals.

Partly because of the form of his colleagues he never managed to start more than two games in a row and was unable to build a level of form to compete for a place in the starting line-up, but his involvement in Chelsea’s double trophy season is much respected by everyone at the club and he leaves with thanks and best wishes for his future.

At Atlético Madrid he will join the former Chelsea winger Jesper Grønkjær.

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Chelsea on Tuesday night completed the signing of Spanish international defender Asier del Horno for a fee of 12 million euros (approximately £8 million).

Del Horno joins Chelsea from Athletic Club Bilbao on a 3-year deal from 1st July 2005.

Chelsea manager and first team coach José Mourinho said: "Asier is an outstanding international player who will add quality to the squad in a position we needed to strengthen. I'm sure he will be a key player as Chelsea continues with its goal to achieve greater success both in England and in the Champions League."

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon added: “José identified his target to fill the left-back position and we’re delighted that Asier has chosen to come to Chelsea. The arrival of Asier signifies Chelsea’s desire to strengthen the squad in key positions following a hugely successful season and we all look forward to seeing Asier in the blue of Chelsea in July.”

The 24 year-old, who recently helped Spain remain in top spot in their World Cup qualifying group after matches against Lithuania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, has seven senior international caps in total and represented Spain at youth level from the age of 17. Del Horno had been at Athletic Bilbao since the age of 11.

He signed the deal at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening and will be formally introduced when he joins up with the Chelsea squad when pre-season training begins from July 6th.

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Scott Parker became the second sale of the summer when he joined Newcastle on Wednesday afternoon. He has signed a five year contract; Chelsea will receive a fee of £6.5 million.

The 24 year-old midfielder was the last arrival during Claudio Ranieri’s time as Chelsea manager with £10 million paid to Charlton in January last year. Parker made his debut away at Blackburn and scored his first and only Chelsea goal in his second game, at Fratton Park.

For much of the second-half of last season Ranieri opted to play him on the right-side of midfield, a game away at Tottenham in that position arguably his finest in a Chelsea shirt. At the end of the season he won the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, recognising his Charlton form as well as his three months at Chelsea.

The season just gone however, José Mourinho made in plain that he saw Parker as a central midfielder, capable of fulfilling a similar role to the one performed by Claude Makelele. Although he came on as a sub in the opening game, the outstanding form of Makelele meant chances were limited until late October when Parker began a run of seven starts and three appearances in two months.

A broken foot suffered against Norwich just before Christmas unfortunately brought an end to that spell of activity and indeed to his season. During the last year, Parker who has two caps, fell out of the England international reckoning and at the end of May, Mourinho said about his player:

“The only thing I can say is the conversation I had with him. Like always he’s top boy and I always had a very open relationship with him.

“The last one was about his future, and the conversation was about the qualities he has, no doubts, the ambition he has because he’s not one of the players who enjoy not to be a first choice, and the third point of the conversation was something that we both agree, that we have in Makelele an unbeatable player.

“So it’s a situation that you have to analyse, and we have to communicate and we have to decide. The reality in this moment is that in a two-persons race for one place, what Makelele did this season looks like unbeatable for that race.”

“A young player like him with ambition that he has, it’s normal that he wants to play regular. He wants to be in the national team, he only can be in the national team if he plays regular. He wants to improve, and improvements are not just with good training but also with good competition.

“He loves the club, he loves the players, he loves everything around him in Chelsea. He wants to play more. As I was saying to him, he’s a great player but in this moment Makelele looks unbeatable.

“He is ready to wait or he’s not ready to wait. If he’s ready to wait it’s fantastic for Chelsea because he’s a fantastic boy and a very good player. If he’s not ready to wait and he just wants to play and play and play and play, we have to think about it. We have to think about a loan, we have to think about sell, but he’s a very, very good player. I want to keep him but I understand players.”

On Tyneside, Scott Parker will be reunited with Celestine Babayaro who moved to St James’ Park in January. In total he started 19 games for Chelsea and made a further nine substitute appearances.

Following the transfer Mourinho said: "I would like to thank Scott Parker for his fantastic efforts during my time at Chelsea and before I arrived. He is a great boy and I understand his situation very well that he wants to play all the time, that is natural in players like him. I would like to wish him the best of luck at Newcastle."Chief executive Peter Kenyon added: "I think all of us at Chelsea would like to thank Scott for his great service to the club and hope he can have a great five years with his new team."

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Chelsea is about to become the star of its own television show when the talent search series 'Football Icon' hits our screens later this month.

Developed by Football Icon Ltd, in association with Chelsea Football Club, Football Icon documents Chelsea's search for the best young player in the country who has either been passed over by professional clubs, or not yet been spotted.

Over five thousand hopefuls from around England were given the opportunity to try out in front of Chelsea's judges, which included Academy Director Neil Bath and former Blues skipper Ray Wilkins.

The twelve most promising players were selected to attend Chelsea's Academy for assessment. Each week, candidates are eliminated until only three remain. Ultimately, José Mourinho and his staff will decide the winner of Football Icon. The prize - one of the greatest prizes ever offered on British television - is a professional contract with Chelsea.
Sky One has commissioned eight one-hour episodes of the show for broadcast on Sunday evenings at 7pm from October 23rd.

The series is being produced by North One Television. Neil Duncanson of North One said: "Chelsea is an extraordinarily powerful brand which has enormous appeal, and Football Icon is a fascinating show that gives a genuine insight into what it takes to make it as a professional football player with one of the world's greatest teams".

Chelsea's Group Business Affairs Director, Paul Smith, added: "The club wanted to show that any boy can play for Chelsea as long as they are good enough. Football Icon demonstrates that being signed by Chelsea is truly aspirational for a whole generation of kids, whatever part of the country they are from. In a very engaging way, the series accurately portrays what it takes to make it to the top."

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Chelsea can confirm it has now reached an agreement with Lyon for the transfer of Michael Essien. Michael has also agreed personal terms and passed a medical. The transfer is a club record for Chelsea and we would all like to welcome Michael to the club.

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Chelsea have been fined £300,000 and had a suspended 3 point deduction imposed for their part in the Ashley Cole affair. Jose Mourinho has been fined £200,000. Ashley Cole was fined £100,000.

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Mikael Forssell has been sold to Birmingham City for £3 million.

The 24 year-old Finnish international completed a medical this morning and will be rejoining the club with whom he spent just over a season on loan.

Forssell came to Chelsea as a 17 year-old in 1998, making his debut as a substitute against Arsenal at Highbury in January 1999. His full debut followed soon after against Oxford in the FA Cup when he scored two stunning goals.

There followed a stop-start career at Chelsea with lengthy spells out through injury and three loan periods to aid his development. He spent successful time at Crystal Palace, with Borussia Moenchengladbach in Germany and at Birmingham who have wished to sign him permanently for some time.

His most prolific season at Chelsea was 2001/2 when he scored nine goals, all after rising from the bench.

Last season, an intended second year at Birmingham was brought to an early end by a knee injury, Forssell returning to Chelsea for his recovery from an operation, and he ended the season with sub appearances against Bayern Munich and Charlton.

In total he started 12 games, made 41 sub appearances and scored 12 goals.

Throughout his career at Stamford Bridge, all his coaches have praised his enthusiasm and dedication and Chelsea would like to thank Mikael for his service and wish him well for the future.

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In response to the suspension of Frank Arnesen by Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea Ltd, the parent company of Chelsea Football Club, has put out the following statement.

“Chelsea Ltd made an official approach to Tottenham Hotspur for permission to speak to Frank Arnesen two weeks ago.
”Chelsea Ltd has been in direct discussions with Tottenham for the last two weeks on this subject.”

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Defender Steven Watt and goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley, Academy products who made their first team debuts in the season just finished, have both been offered new contracts. But four young professionals have been released.

Watt, 20 years old, made his debut in the FA Cup at home to Scunthorpe, playing the whole game and helping set up the third goal. He was also a stoppage time substitute in the last match away to Newcastle.

Pidgeley, 21, played the last ten minutes of the home 1-0 victory over Charlton. The previous season he spent on a successful loan at Watford.

For the reserves this season Watt played 25 games and scored once, Pidgeley played 17 games. Both are coming to the end of their current contracts.

Four players have been released at their end of their contracts. Two are left-backs, Ben Hudell and Sam Tillen, and the others are forwards, Sebastian Kneissl and Danny Woodards.

All have worked hard in the pursuance of a professional football career, and Chelsea wish them good luck in carrying on elsewhere.

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Appearances this season 59:

Lampard 53+5, Terry 53, Makelele 50, Cech 48, Gallas 46, Gudjohnsen 42+15, Duff 42+6, Ferreira 40+2, Carvalho 36+3, J Cole 34+12, Tiago 31+20, Drogba 30+11, Johnson 22+7, Bridge 22+3, Robben 19+10, Smertin 19+6, Kezman 14+27, Cudicini 11, Gérémi 10+10, Huth 8+7, Parker 7+4, Jarošik 6+14, Babayaro 4+1, N Morais 1+3, Watt 1+1, Forssell 0+2, Mutu 0+2, Grant 0+1, Oliveira 0+1, Pidgeley 0+1.

Goals 108:

Lampard 19, Drogba 16, Gudjohnsen 16, Duff 10, J Cole 9, Robben 9, Terry 8, Kezman 7, Tiago 4, og 4, Gallas 2, Carvalho 1, Huth 1, Makelele 1, Smertin 1.

League Appearances this season 38:

Lampard 38, Makelele 36, Terry 36, Cech 35, Gudjohnsen 30+7, Ferreira 29, Duff 28+2, Gallas 28, Carvalho 22+3, Tiago 21+13, J Cole 19+9, Drogba 18+8, Robben 14+4, Johnson 13+4, Bridge 12+3, Smertin 11+5, Kezman 6+19, Gérémi 6+7, Huth 6+4, Jarošik 3+11, Babayaro 3+1, Cudicini 3, Parker 1+3, Mutu 0+2, N Morais 0+2, Forssell 0+1, Grant 0+1, Oliveira 0+1, Pidgeley 0+1, Watt 0+1.

League Goals 72:

Lampard 13, Gudjohnsen 12, Drogba 10, J Cole 8, Robben 7, Duff 6, Kezman 4, Tiago 4, Terry 3, Gallas 2, Carvalho 1, Makelele 1, og 1.

League Cup Appearances this season 6:

Duff 5+1, Ferreira 5, Gallas 5, Terry 5, J Cole 4+2, Bridge 4, Cudicini 4, Makelele 4, Tiago 4, Lampard 3+3, Drogba 3+1, Robben 3+1, Carvalho 3, Parker 3, Kezman 2+2, Johnson 2+1, Cech 2, Gudjohnsen 1+5, Jarošik 1+2, Babayaro 1, Gérémi 1, Smertin 1.

League Cup Goals 10:

Duff 2, Kezman 2, Lampard 2, Drogba 1, Gudjohnsen 1, Robben 1, og 1.

UEFA Champions League Appearances this season 12:

Gallas 12, Lampard 12, Cech 11, Terry 11, Carvalho 10, Makelele 10, Gudjohnsen 9+2, Duff 8+2, J Cole 8+1, Drogba 8+1, Ferreira 6+1, Tiago 4+7, Johnson 4+2, Smertin 4+1, Bridge 4, Kezman 3+6, Parker 3+1, Robben 2+3, Gérémi 1+3, Huth 1+3, Cudicini 1, Forssell 0+1, N Morais 0+1.

UEFA Champions League Goals 21:

Drogba 5, Lampard 4, Terry 4, Duff 2, Gudjohnsen 2, J Cole 1, Robben 1, Smertin 1, og 1.

FA Cup Appearances this season 3:

J Cole 3, Cudicini 3, Johnson 3, Kezman 3, Smertin 3, Gudjohnsen 2+1, Jarošik 2+1, Bridge 2, Gérémi 2, Tiago 2, Drogba 1+1, Duff 1+1, Carvalho 1, Gallas 1, Huth 1, N Morais 1, Terry 1, Watt 1, Lampard 0+2, Robben 0+2, Ferreira 0+1.

FA Cup Goals 5:

Gudjohnsen 1, Huth 1, Kezman 1, Terry 1, og 1.

Penalties scored 5:

Lampard 3, Gudjohnsen 1, Kezman 1.

Penalties won 7:

Gudjohnsen 2, Duff 1, Lampard 1, Robben 1, Smertin 1. General (handball) 1.

Penalties missed 2:

Lampard 1, Makelele 1.

Penalties conceded 5:

Ferreira 3, Carvalho 1, Johnson 1.

Penalties saved 1:

Cech 1.

Assists 99:

Assists are judged not for last touch but by the subjective view of our editor for a crucial part played in the goal Lampard 31, Duff 13, Gudjohnsen 13, Robben 9, J Cole 8, Drogba 7, Johnson 3, Tiago 3, Gallas 2, Kezman 2, Makelele 2, Babayaro 1, Ferreira 1, Huth 1, Smertin 1, Terry 1, Watt 1.

Aids 68:

Aids are for important but not crucial parts played in the goal Lampard 8, Robben 7, Drogba 6, Cole 5, Duff 5, Gudjohnsen 5, Makelele 5, Carvalho 4, Ferreira 4, Jarošik 3, Kezman 3, Terry 3, Tiago 3, Cech 1, Forssell 1, Gallas 1, Gérémi 1, Johnson 1, Mutu 1, Parker 1.

Woodwork 20:

Drogba 4, Cole 3, Kezman 3, Gudjohnsen 2, own strikes 2, Duff 1, Gallas 1, Huth 1, Lampard 1, Robben 1, Terry 1. Most in one game: Charlton (h) 2.

Opposition woodwork 11:

Most in one game: Bayern Munich (a), Fulham (CC) 2.

Efforts cleared off the line 12:

Lampard 3, Duff 2, Gudjohnsen 2, J Cole 1, Gallas 1, Jarošik 1, Robben 1, Tiago 1. Most in one game: Man Utd (CC h), Southampton (h) 2.

Clearances off the line 7:

Bridge 2, Carvalho 1, Gérémi 1, Gudjohnsen 1, Huth 1, Terry 1. Most in one game: Man Utd (CC a) 2.

Sent off 2:

Cudicini 1, Drogba 1.

Opponents sent off 1:

Beattie (Everton a).

Abused 72:

Incidents suffered leading to an opponent being booked or sent off. Drogba 10, Lampard 10, Robben 9, Makelele 7, Cole 5, Duff 5, Ferreira 3, Gallas 3, Gudjohnsen 3, Terry 2, Tiago 2, Bridge 1, Carvalho 1, Gérémi 1, Kezman 1. General 11. Most in one game: Liverpool (CCF), Newcastle (a PL), Southampton (h) 4. Fewest: Aston Villa (a), Barcelona (a), Birmingham (a), Bolton (h), Charlton (a&h), CSKA Moscow (h), Crystal Palace (h), Fulham (a & CC), Man Utd (h PL), Middlesbrough (a), Newcastle (FAC a), Norwich (h), Portsmouth (h), Scunthorpe, Southampton (a) 0.

Booked 80:

Kezman 8, Lampard 8, Makelele 8, Cole 7, Terry 7, Tiago 7, Carvalho 5, Johnson 5, Robben 5, Drogba 4, Smertin 4, Ferreira 3, Gallas 3, Duff 2, Gérémi 2, Gudjohnsen 2, Babayaro 1, Jarošik 1, Parker 1. Most in one game: Bayern Munich (h), Liverpool (CCF), Newcastle (a PL), Tottenham (a) 4. Fewest: Aston Villa (a), Birmingham (a & FAC), Charlton (h), Fulham (CC), Liverpool (h PL & a UCL), Man Utd (h PL), Norwich (h), Paris SG (h), Portsmouth (h), Southampton (h), WBA (h&a), West Ham 0.

Suspended 8:

Cudicini 1, Drogba 1, Huth 1, Kezman 1, Lampard 1, Mutu 1, Robben 1, Terry 1.

Shots on target 319:

Lampard 73, Drogba 39, Robben 37, Gudjohnsen 34, Cole 31, Duff 25, Kezman 22, Terry 12, Tiago 12, Smertin 7, Jarošik 6, Gallas 4, Carvalho 3, Makelele 3, Mutu 3, Gérémi 2, Huth 2, Johnson 2, Bridge 1, Ferreira 1. Most in one game: Crystal Palace (h) 12. Fewest: Barcelona (a) 0.

Opponents shots on target 189

Most in one game: Barcelona (a) 14. Fewest: Crystal Palace (a), Middlesbrough (a), Norwich (h), West Ham 0.

Corners 347
Most in one game: Everton (h) 16. Fewest: Man Utd (a PL) 0.

Opponents’ corners 241:

Most in one game: CSKA Moscow (h) 13. Fewest: Man City (a), Southampton (h) 0.

Total appearances including subs:

Gudjohnsen 226, Terry 222, Lampard 217, Gallas 180, Cudicini 170, J Cole 96, Makelele 96, Duff 85, Bridge 73, Johnson 61, Gérémi 59, Forssell 53, Tiago 51, Cech 48, Ferreira 42, Drogba 41, Huth 41, Kezman 41, Carvalho 39, Crespo 31, Robben 29, Parker 28, Smertin 25, Jarošik 20, C Cole 19, Veròn 14, Oliveira 8, N Morais 4, Keenan 3, Watt 2, Grant 1, Pidgeley 1.

Current goalscorers:

Gudjohnsen 75, Lampard 49, Terry 23, Drogba 16, Duff 16, J Cole 12, Crespo 12, Forssell 12, Gallas 9, Robben 9, C Cole 7, Kezman 7, Johnson 4, Tiago 4, Bridge 3, Huth 2, Carvalho 1, Gérémi 1, Makelele 1, Parker 1, Smertin 1, Veròn 1.

International appearances this season at Full, ‘B’ and Under 21s levels while with Chelsea:

Duff 9, Gallas 9, Lampard 9, Ferreira 8, Cech 7, Carvalho 6+1, C Cole 6, Smertin 6, Terry 6, Johnson 5+1, Gérémi 5, Gudjohnsen 5, Huth 4+1, Oliveira 4, N Morais 3+1, Bridge 3, Drogba 3, Mutu 3, Kezman 2+3, J Cole 2+2, Crespo 2, Forssell 2, Robben 2, Tiago 1+2, Jarošik 1+1, Makelele 1, Watt 1, Nicolas 0+1.

International goals this season at Full and Under 21s levels while with Chelsea:

C Cole 4, Gudjohnsen 4 (1 pen), Crespo 3 (1 pen), Drogba 3 (2 pens), Lampard 3, Gérémi 2, Mutu 2, Oliveira 2, J Cole 1, Forssell 1, Kezman 1, Robben 1.

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Chelsea’s Premiership title win has been reflected by the seasonal Barclays awards with José Mourinho, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech all winners.

Mourinho has been named Manager of the Year with Frank Lampard the Player of the Year. Petr Cech has received the Golden Gloves trophy, presented to the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets over the course of the season.

Mourinho said of his award: “This is a fantastic honour for me in my first season in English football. The Barclays Premiership is the best league in the world for passion and exciting football. The football culture in England is amazing, fair, honest and full of emotion.

“But this award is not mine, it is a team award for all my assistants and my players. They have done the hard work of winning Chelsea's first Premiership for 50 years.”

He had previously won the Barclays Manager of the Month for both November and January. Lampard was the player equivalent for April. Petr Cech won a special merit award in January.

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Frank Lampard has won his second individual award in one day. He is Barclays Premiership Player of the Month for April.

The honour will surprise no-one, coming as it does in a month when the player scored the two goals that sealed the Premiership for Chelsea as well as finding the net in two of the other five Premiership games.

Lampard is the fourth Chelsea Player of the Month this season, following on from Arjen Robben in November, John Terry in January and Joe Cole for March.

On Friday morning he was also named Footballer of the Year.

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José Mourinho has agreed the terms of a new five year contract with Chelsea as manager and first team coach.

The new deal will start at the beginning of the 2005/6 season, which is the club's Centenary season, and will supersede the last two years on his current contract.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon said: "This is great news for everybody concerned. Both the club and José share a long-term vision for the future, that was clear from the moment we first met.

"We talked then about a 10 year plan for Chelsea and José wanted to be an integral part of building that. The outstanding success of the team this season is a great platform for that building process. As soon as the Carling Cup was won talks over a new deal began as it was apparent to all sides that a longer commitment was the way forward.

"This deal demonstrates José's commitment to Chelsea and also our certainty that he is the best manager to take the club into a new, exciting and successful era."

José Mourinho said: "I am delighted to be signing this new contract. My heart is with Chelsea and the fantastic group of players I have. They have done a great job this season.

"But the vision of the owner and the board for the future of Chelsea is also one I want to be part of. I am totally behind this project and their support in achieving it means Chelsea is the place where I will be happiest in my work. I cannot imagine another club or situation where I would be happier."

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José Mourinho told a packed Anfield press conference that he expects Chelsea to go through to the UEFA Champions League Final here against Liverpool.

He dismissed ideas that preparing for the game might have been difficult following winning the Championship on Saturday.

“Easy. It’s a big game, it’s easy to concentrate on it. It’s the best way to forget the Premiership and celebrations, to have such a big game to prepare for.

“They (the players) are very confident, not just because we won the Premiership but because of what we are doing all over the season. The result at home was a good result. It’s not a result where you can come tomorrow and sit back defending a 2 or 3-0 victory, but it’s a result where you can come and play a game, try and get the victory or a draw.

“I think the group deserved to celebrate the Premiership in a different way to how we did because it was one hour’s celebrations and that’s it, no wives, no families, no kids, and it was three days in a hotel preparing for this game.”

He dismissed the idea too that Chelsea are under pressure.

“I think the pressure is on them. I think we go back to London heroes. My players independent of the result tomorrow will go to Stamford Bridge next Saturday for the celebration as heroes. And I can imagine Anfield Road tomorrow if they lose, so I think the pressure is on them.

“It’s about ambition. The players want to win and want to keep winning. They have the Carling Cup, they have the Premiership, but they want more for their career and that’s why the future is good.”

He accepted that Anfield could produce a special and intimidating atmosphere, but believed that his players would thrive on it.

“I have to agree that in my first year in England I saw some fantastic atmospheres, but for me Portsmouth, Anfield and Old Trafford are special places to play football. It’s good to come here and play, enjoy the atmosphere. Of course the atmosphere is against you, in favour of the home team, but you have to forget and play. I think it’s positive.”

On Damien Duff and Arjen Robben he was tentative about both their fitness. He expanded his thoughts on Robben.

“It’s a very difficult moment for him because he wants to help, he wants to play, he wants to help the team arrive into an important moment, and now in the moment of decisions he was never involved. He did not play the Carling Cup Final, he did not play at Bolton, and now maybe doesn’t play tomorrow. But he is ready to risk a little bit, and may play below top quality to help. He is always in my plans.”

He felt the game itself will not be dissimilar to the one at Stamford Bridge.

“I think Rafa is a great manager and will try to win the game but knows too much offensive will be a problem, so it will be a game with balance.”

Asked whether a defeat would ruin the Championship win or mean Chelsea would go home depressed when the team should be going home triumphant, he countered: "I think it’s a better feeling than Chelsea have had in the last 49 years. When we left London to go north we left with two objectives, to win the Premiership and to go to the Champions League Final. We did one, and now we are trying to do the other.”

And on the question of what progressing to his third successive European final would mean to him, he again countered the direction of the question.

“I am not the man the press think I am. I think only the players know who I am. I would love to do it more for them than for myself. Winning the Champions League is special, and because my group is special, my players are special, I would love to see them do that. I would rather do it for them than for me.”

Petr Cech also addressed the press conference and was delighted with the return to clean sheets, three in the last gour games after one in the previous 11.

“Another clean sheet will be very important for us, and then we need to score just one goal to go through,” said the goalkeeper. “We have enough quality in the squad to score goals and it’s not going to be going to penalties tomorrow. I think it’s probably going to be the same game as one week ago because we know each other very well. You cannot really surprise the opponent.”

He admitted it is more difficult to keep clean sheets in Europe than in the Premier League.

“In the previous game against Bayern Munich we played well but couldn’t stop conceding goals, and now in the recent games we’ve been keeping clean sheets again, but that’s no surprise, we’ve been doing it all season.

“With the English referee you can play more aggressive, in Europe we have been conceding more fouls, and you cannot tackle the same and your opponent can have one or two metres more to control the ball.”

He was not concerned that there could be a hangover from the Premiership triumph on Saturday. He believed there is no lack of focus.

“It was a pleasure to win the game against Bolton, we’ve been working for the title so now we can play without pressure of the Championship and be ready for the game tomorrow.

“I think we’ve kept going all the season and will be 100 per cent for tomorrow.

“Because we all know what we are playing for tomorrow, it was not a problem, we celebrated the title in the dressing room and then prepared for the game. Some players remember the feeling of last season against Monaco and are concentrated on getting ready for tomorrow. It just a normal dinner when we came back to the hotel and yesterday was just a normal day.

“I was very disappointed when we lost against Greece in the semi-final of the European Championship. I want to win the game tomorrow because I don’t want to feel the same again. For me it’s going to be one of the most important matches of my career because I’ve never been in the semi-final of the Champions League and I really want to go to the Final.”

The players trained in the rain at Anfield. Robben played a low-key part, Duff started strongly but finished early.

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A 2-0 win at Bolton has given Chelsea their first title in 50 years. Two goals from Lampard together with another clean sheet sealed the win and the championship.

Having protected his players from the media glare all season, José Mourinho now slipped quickly and quietly away to the team hotel saying, “It’s all about the players.”

In his place, skipper John Terry, his face bruised badly above the eye, spoke for the team, as he has on the pitch throughout the campaign.

“This is best feeling ever,” he grinned. “We’ve worked so hard for this all season. And to finish it now a few games early mean we can relax a little before Tuesday.”

His eye, he said, unconvincingly (but we know he feels no pain) is “perfectly fine now.”

Bolton caused Chelsea, problems in a difficult first half, he admitted. “We always seem to struggle up here,” he mused. “[Kevin] Davies was causing problems up front. To be truthful we got a bit of telling off from the gaffer at half time. He said, You’re 45 minutes from winning the Premiership. He wanted each of us to liven up.”

A revitalised second half display was the outcome. Two goals from JT’s great mate Frank Lampard sealed a momentous victory.

Lampard himself was as cool as when taking his chances in front of goal. “Today is the day that we’ve done it and we can really approach the Liverpool game with confidence,” said the midfielder. “We’ll have to save our energy, relax and rest a little.”

“He [Lampard] was only saying last night how great it would be to score the goal that won Chelsea the Premiership. I’m made up for him. I’ve run out of words how good he is.”

Though he conceded it would soon be time for the players “to let our hair down” he revealed that the manager had allowed his players just one glass of champagne ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final at Anfield.

As a celebration tonight the players and staff are off to share “a nice meal together”.

After Tuesday, he admitted, the players might have “a few beers”. From the noise outside the Reebok, the supporters are already doing just that.

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Frank Lampard has been voted Player of the Year by fans on the PFA website.

Midfielder Frank won the vote ahead of a host of top names including John Terry and Arjen Robben. Others in the running were Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Cristiano Ronaldo and José Reyes.

Frank was Chelsea Player of the Year and England Player of the Year for 2004, and runner-up in PFA Player of the Year in both 2004 and 2005 as well as runner-up for Footballer of the Year in 2004.

He has played 142 consecutive Premiership games

“This is the top Player of the Year award for the season, JT feels a bit muggy with his Player of the Year award now from the players. Hopefully he can get this one next year.

“Seriously, I’m delighted to have been voted this by the fans. It was a proud moment to get the Chelsea award last year from the fans, and now to get this from a wider group of fans makes me very proud.

“And it’s great that Chelsea players are sharing awards. JT fully deserved his, now me… I hope big Pete and Maka, Willie, Duffa and more get some next.”

Preston’s Paul McKenna won the Championship award. One of those who ran him close was Chelsea youth product Leon Knight, now at Brighton.

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José Mourinho is keeping his cards close to his chest as he aims to guide Chelsea one stage further than last season in the Champions League.

In the days leading up to earlier European games this season, the Chelsea manager has chosen to reveal some of his thinking on team selection, from the odd detail right up to naming the entire line-up. Ahead of the visit of Liverpool however he made it clear the starting selection would remain a secret.

He did confirm that Arjen Robben will play some part in the game although he is not yet ready for 90 minutes. Mourinho would not divulge whether the player will start or be introduced later in the game.

William Gallas, who missed the game at the weekend with a back problem and Joe Cole, who was withdrawn at half-time with a slight injury were both fit to take part in Tuesday evening’s training session. They had also trained on Monday.

Mikael Forssell put another 45 minutes of football under his belt in the reserves on Monday and will be on the bench. With Robben rejoining the battle for places with the players who have been successfully carrying Chelsea’s attack in his absence, Mourinho emphasised:

“I have no problems [making my selection]. I have to make decisions not emotionally, just to try to get the best for my team. Maybe people outside think I have a problem and it is not easy from the emotional point of view to make a decision but I have to do it.

“We have played without Arjen Robben for consecutive weeks and we got results,” he pointed out. “Of course he is a special talent and of course we need him a lot but our team is much more than Arjen Robben.

“He wants to help. It is frustrating for a top player like him to be on the sidelines. He played a great game in Moscow, gave us three points that put us into the knockout stages. He has two matches to play against Liverpool and hopefully he has a third game to play in the competition.”

Mourinho has outlined the way he wishes the team to deal with the first leg.

The keywords are: “No panic. And don’t play the first game at home thinking we have to win at home to get to the Final.

“If we don’t win, we don’t win. We can win the second game. That is the most important factor. I have had good experience on that, playing the first game at home. We cannot be crazy to change the result at home. We can win in Liverpool.”

“It doesn’t surprise me Liverpool are in the semi-final. I think a team with one of the best managers in the world and some of the best players in this country, a team with a glorious past that everyone respects all over the world, it is normal that they reach the semi-final of this competition. What surprises me is that they aren’t doing so well in the Premiership.”

The Chelsea boss has been impressed with the way Liverpool have gone about their business in Europe but he is anticipating Wednesday will not be too dissimilar from a normal Premiership game, even with a foreign referee. He is Alain Sars from France.

Mourinho said: “I believe the Premiership is a very good competition but I have been saying since the beginning that we English teams need to adapt to European football in certain aspects.

“English managers are very good but maybe my mentality and Rafa Benitez’s mentality to play ties in this competition in a more tactical way gives a little bit of help. The way Liverpool played in Juventus shows clearly how a team can be organised to get the result they need. The same way we went to Munich and showed you can defend a lead of two goals by being ambitious to score.

“The referee must understand the culture of the teams. He is not English but he knows for sure the philosophy of English football. I don’t think he can lose his own idea of being a referee but he can adapt a bit.

“It will be an emotional game because it is a European Cup semi-final but I still believe Mr. Sars will have an easy job because English players are brave and aggressive but in a good way. They are honest and correct and have a lot of fair play.”

Mourinho is quite happy the Premiership title has not yet been wrapped up as the semi-final tie begins. The players have been able to remain focussed on the job in hand with no celebratory thoughts in their heads.

He points out that although he will have to select a strong side midway through the tie when Chelsea visit Bolton on Saturday, Liverpool are in similar position as they battle for the important fourth place in the Premiership.

“I have never lost a semi-final,” he added, “but one day I have to lose. Last season I said I had never lost a final and I lost the Portuguese Cup Final.

“But at this moment I don’t think about myself. At this moment I think about my players, especially those who lost in the semi-final last season.

“It is very, very difficult to reach the semi-final. I used to say to players when you reach one you have to win it because maybe you don’t have another chance.

“Some of my players lost a semi last season and now they play another one this season. At this moment I am with them. I would love to do it more for them and more for the club because the club never did it.

“I am not speaking so much of myself. I have been very lucky in my career and won a lot of trophies. Of course I want to win but I would like to give my little help, my contribution to bring my players to Istanbul.”

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Following the Football Association Premier League Appeals Committee decision today [Wednesday], that “the conduct of Adrian Mutu in taking banned drugs was gross misconduct which entitled the club to treat the player’s contract as at an end and amounted to a unilateral breach without just cause or sporting just cause”, the club has issued the following statement:

Chelsea Football Club is obviously pleased that the Appeals Committee has vindicated the club’s position and opened the door for a compensation claim and sporting sanctions before FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber. Chelsea will continue to pursue the case vigorously as the principle is an important one.

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A defiant Steve Clarke has insisted that Chelsea are feeling no pressure to wrap the Barclays Premiership title up in the next two home games.

Wins over Arsenal on Wednesday night and Fulham next Saturday will guarantee the championship trophy is on its way to Stamford Bridge for the first time in 50 years. The first of those victories, over last season’s top side, would be Chelsea’s first league win over Arsenal since September 1995.

Assistant manager Steve Clarke is adamant that the team is thinking about the game as just three more potential points on route to the finishing line.

Clarke said: “We are not going to be putting ourselves under any pressure to win the league in the next couple of games. If we were told at the start of the season that we would have to wait for the last game of the season to win it in the last minute, we would all be happy with that.

“If people are trying to put pressure on us, there is no pressure on us at all. There is no fear in our squad. There has been no fear in our squad all season. The results show that and the way the players perform show that.

“Obviously if we win it in the next couple of games it would be great because then we can be fully focussed on the Champions League. It would be nicer to win it at home than to win it away but it would be great to win it wherever. It has been a long time.”

Chelsea overcame Arsenal in the final one of five meetings between the two teams last season, winning the Champions League quarter-final tie. In December we secured a hard-earned point at Highbury. Clarke believes the long gap since a Premiership win over our north London rivals means little to the current squad.

“We haven’t even contemplated losing the match [against Arsenal]. It is a home game for us and we are very strong at home. We think it will be a tough test, Arsenal are a good team and we are looking forward very much to the match.

“We had a great record against Man City and lost this season. Blackburn had a great record at Stamford Bridge and they lost.

“This current team is different from the teams that played Arsenal previously. It is a different match.

“We think we are the top side in London at the moment. We have to say that because we are top of the League. We are 11 points clear, we are in the semi-final of the Champions League and we beat Bayern Munich who Arsenal couldn’t beat. So I think it is fair to say at the moment we are the top side.”

Reports out of Highbury suggest that both Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg will be missing for Arsenal on Wednesday night.

“John Terry is fit and available,” Clarke confirmed on the Chelsea injury front, the Chelsea captain having recovered from a dead leg. “Arjen Robben won’t be involved in the game. Within a couple of weeks he could be back in the squad and pushing for a place in the team. He is coming on.

“They’ve missed players and we’ve missed players over the course of the season. We don’t talk about the players we are missing. We just get on with what we’ve got and so far we have made a very good job of it.”

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Chelsea today reiterated the club's position following more speculation linking it with Rio Ferdinand.

"As far as Chelsea is concerned our position is completely unchanged. We have made it absolutely clear to Manchester United, on more than one occasion now, that we have no interest in signing Rio Ferdinand and, regardless of where this encounter took place, there is absolutely no significance in Peter Kenyon seeing Rio. As already stated, their meeting was purely by chance in a very public place."

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Chelsea FC plc can confirm that Ken Bates has agreed to settle his outstanding litigation against the club. He has also agreed there will be no further claims brought following this settlement.

The litigation claim was for breach of contract and the case was dueto be heard in the High Court in June 2005.

A Chelsea statement said: “This settlement has been agreed by Chelsea to avoid wasting more management time and to avoid incurring ever increasing legal fees as a result of the forthcoming trial.

"In reaching this settlement, Chelsea has not admitted any liability.

"We are pleased of course that this litigation is now concluded and we wish Mr. Bates well in the future.”

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Striker Mikael Forssell, who spent six months at Borussia Mönchengladbach in 2003, disagreed with Bayern Munich coach Felix Magarth and spoke of the similarities in German and English football this afternoon, Tuesday.

At the Bayern Munich pre-match press conference Magarth had cited the physical differences of the German and English leagues as a reason for his side’s inability to deal with Didier Drogba and for the way that Michael Ballack went down to claim his last minute penalty.

But Forssell, the player taking the Chelsea pre-match press conference, urged everyone to expect a physical game from the Germans.

“The two Leagues are very similar. Germany and England are very physical, and the football is very quick. Both have benefitted from foreign players. Both have got the great spirit, they go into tackles, and they have the technical benefit of foreign players. The football is great and very similar.”

He also warned that with the possibility of both Roy Makaay and Claudio Pizarro being back in attack for Munich, that Chelsea could face some of the route one football which cracked open Munich’s defence at Stamford Bridge.

“Look at the goals they scored against Ajax. They got the ball forward, up to the front, very aerially. Then they took one or two touches and tried to shoot. They scored a great goal against Arsenal like that.

“They play the ball very quickly up the pitch and we have to acknowledge that.”

Back in the Chelsea squad, the Finnish striker who first joined Chelsea in 1998 said of José Mourinho: “His tactical ability is unbelievable. He loves the players, he treats them very well, he believes in them.

“He made everybody believe that we can win everything there is. Not only he believed it, but he made everybody else believe it.

“Mourinho has seen me in training and saw I was ready to play again, not for 90 minutes yet obviously, but to be involved, so that’s great for me.”

The management representative in the press conference was fitness coach Rui Faria. He kept angrily redirecting questions about his hat and whether or not he had been talking to José Mourinho — which he denied — in the first leg to demanding why journalists weren’t asking how come Mourinho won’t be on the bench when what Chelsea had complained about at Barcelona had now been backed up by evidence.

Showing an excellent command of English and strong presence, Faria took the conference by the neck and left everyone realising that José Mourinho is not the only strong personality in the management team.

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Joe Cole has been named the Barclays Premiership Player of the Month for March.

Cole, in the best form of career, started all three of Chelsea’s league games during last month, scoring the opening goal at Norwich and the vital second that re-established the lead at home to Crystal Palace.

He becomes the third Chelsea player to pick up the award this season, following on from Arjen Robben and John Terry.

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John Terry is the PFA Player of the Month for March, voted on their website by fans.

He is the third Chelsea player to win the award this season. Arjen Robben was the November winner and Frank Lampard the January one. All three have also been Barclays Player of the Month, this fans and experts are in agreement.

Chelsea were undefeated in March, and the month included the 4-2 win over Barcelona when he got the winner.

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Robert Huth has re-iterated his intention of staying at Chelsea and going neither to Bayern Munich or anywhere else.

Ahead of today’s quarter-final Champions League home first leg with Bayern Munich, the centre-half told yesterday’s packed press conference at Cobham: “I've heard about their interest and as far as I know their officials have made contact with Chelsea.

“But as far as I am concerned, I want to stay at Chelsea. I love the club and I love the city.

“Unless the club want to get rid of me, then I want to stay here.

“Of course it is frustrating not playing, but I've improved as a player since José Mourinho took over and since I've been fit from the last injury, I've been playing and that gives me hope.

“It's always been the case for me of showing the new manager what I can do. I think I've done well enough to show him that he can trust me. Hopefully I'll get more games.”

Since coming on for the last five minutes of the home win over Barcelona and thumping three headers away from the Chelsea penalty area, he has started two of the three games Chelsea has played — the clean sheet home 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion and last Saturday’s 3-1 victory at Southampton. In between Ricardo Carvalho played in the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace.

Huth has started three games and come on in four this season, and has scored one goal

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Mikael Forssell’s seven months out-of-action through injury will come to an end on Wednesday evening with a place on the bench for the Champions League game against Bayern Munich.

The Finnish international striker was hit by a knee problem back in September near the start of a second season on loan at Birmingham. He underwent surgery and returned to Chelsea for his rehabilitation with the loan formally terminated in January.

However it was long thought that Forssell might recover quickly enough to play again this season and two days before the visit of Bayern, José Mourinho has revealed those hopes to be well-founded.

Speaking to Chelsea TV, the manager said: “Mikael will be on the bench. We don’t have Robben who is injured or Kezman who is suspended so we need a striker for the game and his [Forssell’s] work is absolutely fantastic.

“I think him, the medical department and the fitness coach did great work and they have given him the chance to give something for the team because Mikael very much wants to do this.

“Full credit to them and especially him because his mentality is fantastic. I always say that a player’s mentality can make the medical department better or worse and Mikael made them better.”

Forssell, 24 last month, has not played a competitive game for Chelsea since our Champions League qualifier against Zilina in Slovakia in August 2003. The previous season he spent four months on loan in Germany at Borussia Moenchengladbach but did not face Bayern Munich. He did however score his first two international goals past Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn. His total for Chelsea stands at 12 goals in 12 starts plus 39 sub appearances.

Mourinho is happy the rest of his squad will be fully prepared to meet the challenge from the German Bundesliga leaders on Wednesday night despite the enforced distance he must keep from them before and during the game.

He claims: “The team is ready. We know the way we want play, we study the opponents’ style and good quality and one or another weak points that you can explore.

“In the same way the players are ready I think the staff is ready. We went through all the things we had to study for the game. Of course I cannot communicate with them [during the game] but because of the time we work together, they understand the way I think.

“It will be two big games. I don’t like the players to feel pressure on the first leg result because you never know what is a good result. You only know if the result is good when in the second leg you either go through or stay behind.

“So we don’t have the sort of pressure that says - we have to win, we have to win without conceding goals. This kind of thing is something I have cleaned from the dressing room already. The players have very good enthusiasm, confidence and they also know the way I feel, the way I think, the way I communicate with them so we are together for the game.”

After Wednesday’s first leg, Mourinho will turn his attention back to tying-up the Premiership title, with one wish for the supporters.

“When the game on Wednesday finishes I will think about Birmingham. We still need eight or nine points to be Champions and we have to do it ourselves. We cannot wait for the opponents to lose points. They will keep winning matches and we have to make sure we get these eight or nine points.

“We have four matches at home. Of course we want points away from home but thinking just for the fans, only at home can we win the Premiership.”

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Chelsea can confirm that, following the receipt of the detailed reasons from UEFA, we will not be appealing any of the penalties imposed on the club or any individual.

As indicated on Friday, we are not happy with that verdict but we accept it. In our view an appeal would interrupt crucial preparations for the Bayern matches and, under the rules, could lead to an increased ban for José Mourinho. This decision has been taken with that in mind.

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Chelsea killed the curse of post-international matches after the last midweek internationals with a fierce 1-0 victory at Everton, but Claude Makelele believes the same intense focus will be needed to gain a result at Southampton tomorrow, Saturday.

“I think it’s a difficult moment for the game,” the retired French international admits. “When players come back from selection (his term for playing for his country), some guys are really tired. Robben has come back injured. It is difficult physically.

“Southampton have some guys who are very, very strong and guys who do not go to the selection.”

He knows that other clubs will be hoping this is a point where Chelsea can slip up, but he insists it is more important than ever not to.

“Some teams prefer us for the League to lose. But we need the points more now than before. The Championship is better finished now. Arsenal and Manchester are still there.”

He feels that manager José Mourinho is the expert to prepare their game. “The manager knows that when players come back to play for Chelsea it is sometimes difficult to change mentality. But he will make sure they do. Every player here is so professional.

“Chelsea is a club who gives every player the possibility to go for selection, so every player has it put in his head that it is very, very important to come back for the Championship.”

He knows that Chelsea can expect a physical game, especially up against in-form Peter Crouch, a Chelsea supporter and former season ticket holder. Physical opposition is something that has been forced on us several times lately.

Claude shrugs. “It’s very difficult for the physical contact. When Chelsea plays football, the movement, the pass and pass, this is better. But we can play against direct for goal, this more typically English way. Chelsea can respond as against Blackburn. Chelsea now has two characteristics. When we have to, we can play football English, direct; and when we can, we can play football passing. Two skills and Chelsea has them.”

While winning the Championship remains the only important Premiership target — and five wins remain needed to ensure that — a record points tally and record low for goals conceded in the top flight both remain possibilities.

Eleven goals have been conceded in 30 games. There are eight left. The record low is 16, set by Liverpool in 1978/9.

Again, Makelele gives Mourinho credit for the defensive record. “From the start of the pre-season the manager put in a mentality different. Strikers, midfielders, defenders were much more compact. Every player has his job. It’s very important to play as a team.”

One person who has received a lot of credit for the defensive record is Makelele himself, both from fans and the football world as a whole. He is pleased.

“Every person tell me so,” he smiles, almost blushing. “But for me when I come to Chelsea every person tell me I give more than people say, and it was the same still at Madrid.

“In Chelsea I think my job is defensive. It is my life. I give.”

He gives to those who can attack, most notably his midfield partner Frank Lampard. “I swear for him!” he announces. “He is a great player, he has great mentality, and he is young enough to have a good, good future for the Ballon D’Or. I swear for him. The same as John Terry.

“Since I came here two years ago I have seen the progression in them and it has been very good.”

It has been very good, too he says, in Joe Cole over the last six months. “Joe Cole was not playing every game, but he worked in the head, he improved mentally, and now he can play every game. He is different to Arjen Robben, but he is like him too.”

The one player Claude misses is Scott Parker. When Scott was fit he may have had competition for his place, but he also had rests. Now he doesn’t tend to get them — except in international breaks.

“When Scott Parker plays, he plays good for the team,” Claude says. “When he is injured now, I have to play every game. When he is back fit, the team will be happy. The team is together for him.”

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UEFA have handed a two match suspension to José Mourinho and a fine to Chelsea over the charges relating to the game at Barcelona, but there is a right of appeal.

José Mourinho will have to sit in the stands home and away against Bayern Munich and pay a 20,000 Swiss francs fine — about £9,000 — unless the appeal is made and is successful. The appeal must be made within three days of Chelsea receiving written information from UEFA of the decision.

Chelsea has been fined 75,000 Swiss francs for the charges — about £33,000. Steve Clarke and security official Les Miles have been reprimanded.

UEFA made it clear that the suspension meant that the manager can watch from the stands but may have no contact with the team before or during the game when they are in the stadium.

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Chelsea fans who love to chant: “Boring, boring Chelsea,” at the end of substantial wins have had eight games with four goal performances from the team this season.

The ‘boring’ tag was tied at the beginning of the season when two 1-0 wins with strong defensive performances brought six points in the first two games. There have been ten 1-0 wins since.

But the four goal performances have made this a team capable of entertaining with the best. It took until October 23rd for the first one to come, so the eight have come in five months.

Chelsea 4 Blackburn 0
October 23rd

WBA 1 Chelsea 4
October 30th

Fulham 1 Chelsea 4
November 13th

Charlton 0 Chelsea 4
November 27th

Chelsea 4 Newcastle 0
December 4th

Chelsea 4 Norwich 0
December 18th

Chelsea 4 Barcelona 2
March 8th

Chelsea 4 Crystal Palace 1
March 19th

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Chelsea released a statement tonight, Wednesday, in response to the Premier League charges against the club, José Mourinho and Ashley Cole.

Chelsea said: “Chelsea acknowledges receipt of the Premier League charges and will continue to co-operate fully with the commission process.”

The Premier League statement earlier in the evening said: “On Sunday 6 February the Board of the FA Premier League launched a formal inquiry following allegations that Chelsea FC may have acted in breach of Premier League Rule K3 regarding approaches to players already contracted to another club.

“As a result of that inquiry, the Board of the FA Premier League has today issued the following charges:

“1. Chelsea FC has been charged with a breach of Rule K3, governing approaches to players.
“2. José Mourinho (the manager of Chelsea FC) has been charged with a breach of Rule Q, governing managers’ conduct.

“3. Ashley Cole has been charged with a breach of Rule K5, governing approaches by players to Clubs.

“Consequently, the Board will be asking for a formal response to these charges within 14 days and has begun the process of appointing a three-person independent commission, in accordance with its disciplinary procedures, to determine this matter.

“The Board wishes to state that it has so far received co-operation from Chelsea FC, Mr Mourinho and Mr Cole and expects this to continue.

“As licensed agents, Mr Jonathan Barnett and Mr Pini Zahavi do not fall within the jurisdiction of the FA Premier League for the purposes of this matter.

The Board will be forwarding information gathered during the inquiry to the Football Association with a view to considering whether further steps should be taken in relation to their actions.”

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