Ancelotti reveals Champions League target
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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Carlo Ancelotti has made winning the UEFA Champions League his top priority after being appointed Chelsea FC manager yesterday. "For me it's the best competition in the world," said the 49-year-old four-time winner.
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Carlo Ancelotti has made winning the UEFA Champions League his priority after being named manager of Chelsea FC on Monday.
'The best competition'
The 49-year-old Italian, Chelsea's fifth manager in two years, knows he will be judged on whether he can land the big European prize that remained tantalisingly out of reach for his predecessors at the London club. "The Champions League for me is the best competition in the world," Ancelotti, who won the trophy twice as a player with Milan and twice as coach, said in an interview in English on Chelsea TV on Monday. "Chelsea has a great record, five semi-finals in six years is a beautiful score, so great, but now we need to win it and I hope this will happen."
Falling short
Chelsea lost the 2008 final and were knocked out on away goals in the semi-final this year by eventual winners FC Barcelona. Temporary manager Guus Hiddink ended his short spell in charge by winning the FA Cup on Saturday and the Dutchman will be a tough act to follow for Ancelotti. However, he said he was used to the pressure of competing for the game's top prizes after eight years in charge of Milan.
More physical
"There will be the same pressure because Chelsea and Milan are great teams in Europe and they want to win all the competitions," said Ancelotti, who announced his departure from Milan on Sunday and officially begins his new job on 1 July. Ancelotti said he was looking forward to the demands of the Premier League, where the football is typically more physical and frenetic than what he has been used to in Serie A.
Third Italian
"I watch all the matches on television," he said. "I like the Premier League because I think there are great teams and they play good football. Less tactical matches, very speedy and I like this football. In Italy the matches are very tactical. The teams come to defend well and only after that to attack, the matches were about control and not so speedy." Ancelotti is the third Italian to manage Chelsea, following Gianluca Vialli (1998 to 2000) and Claudio Ranieri (2000 to 2004).
