☆ UEFA Champions League 2014-15 ☆

[XabiAlonso]

Mourinho wary of 'sharks in the ocean' ahead of Champions League knockout stages

By Gill Clark
Dec 10, 2014 23:41:00

The Blues boss says his side are playing at a high level after beating Sporting and can "dream a bit" but feels there are still plenty of top teams left in the tournament

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he is wary of the knockout stages of the Champions League after the Blues finished their group campaign unbeaten with a 3-1 victory over Sporting at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Cesc Fabregas, Andre Schurrle and John Obi Mikel gave the Blues victory, sending Sporting out of the tournament with Schalke joining Mourinho's men in the last 16.

Mourinho has already won the tournament twice, with Porto and Inter, and when asked if he could win it for a third time, he downplayed his side's chances.

"Let's see. We were close and we didn't have the team playing such a high level as we have this season, so we can dream a bit, but lets see if the sharks let us do that, because there are a few sharks in the ocean," he told Sky Sports.

The Chelsea boss also paid tribute to Schurrle who made a rare start and scored the second goal but Mourinho says the Germany international needs to improve.

"He's in my plans when he's in top form," he added. "We had a problem when he went to the national team the last time. He came back very very ill, he was in trouble for quite a long time and then I had to give him time to recover, but he came on and did well against Newcastle and before he also played a few minutes. Now today he had 75 minutes to play and to improve his form.

"He needs to adapt better to the Premier League but he is also a player with bull on his boots. He is a player that if he has three shots he normally scores one goal and that is an important quality."

 

[XabiAlonso]

Chelsea would rather avoid Atletico Madrid - Filipe Luis

By Tony Kelshaw
Dec 12, 2014 20:10:00

The full-back was part of the side who lost the Champions League final to rivals Real Madrid last season and is keen to avoid a reunion in the competition with his new side

Filipe Luis insists former club Atletico Madrid remain one of the most feared teams in this season's Champions League.

The full-back was part of the team that claimed a surprise La Liga title last term and reached the final of Europe's elite club competition before losing out to city rivals Real.

The Brazilian has since moved from the Vicente Calderon to Chelsea, along with striker Diego Costa, but rates his old side as strong contenders to lift the trophy ahead of the draw for the last 16 on Monday.

He told Marca: "Nobody wants to face Atletico. They are a solid team that don't let in goals easily.

"They may have lost a lot of players but have kept their form. They would be a very difficult rival.

"I'd rather not come up against Atletico, because it isn't easy to beat them, not even scrape a draw. But if we do, we'll have to be well prepared if we hope to win."

Both Chelsea and Atletico topped their respective groups to progress into the knockout stages.

 

[RubbingWarmPusi]

Tomorrow is the draw so see how the British clubs are drawn. Arsenal is usually ass luck and get the stronger teams like Barca .

Chelsea would rather avoid Atletico Madrid - Filipe Luis

 

[XabiAlonso]

Immobile targeting Juve semi-final meeting

13 December 2014

Borussia Dortmund forward Ciro Immobile wants to eliminate former club Juventus in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

The Italy international began his career at Juve, but failed to break into the first team with any regularity and was frequently loaned out.

Moves to Genoa and then Torino followed, and it was at Juve's city rivals that Immobile began to shine.

The off-season saw him transfer to Dortmund as the Bundesliga outfit attempted to replace Robert Lewandowski, and Immobile's four goals in the Champions League helped Jurgen Klopp's side top Group D.

Juventus and Dortmund could be paired in Monday's draw for the last 16, after the former finished second behind Atletico Madrid in Group A, but Immobile would prefer to meet his former employers at a later stage.

"Could we pick Juventus in the draw for the round of 16? I'd prefer not, as I hope we'll meet further along the line," he told Tuttosport.

"We do not fear anyone, but having grown up at Juve I hope the Bianconeri go as far as possible. It would also be important for Italian football.

"In all honesty, I'd hope to meet [Gianluigi] Buffon and the others later in the competition, not right away in the second round.

"It would be wonderful for Torino to go as far in the Europa League as possible. I am a Granata at heart and therefore hope it is my Borussia Dortmund that eliminates Juve from the Champions League.

"The ultimate would be to face them in the semi-final. I also hope the Bianconeri don't come up against Bayern Munich in the next round.

"As for Borussia, we don't fear anyone, but just for the environment we'd prefer to avoid a trip to Ukraine against Shakhtar Donetsk."

 

[XabiAlonso]

PSG fans stabbed in Barcelona, police confirm

Dec 11, 2014 14:49:00

In two seperate incidents, two fans were admitted to hospital after being attacked after the Champions League clash at Camp Nou on Wednesday

Paris Saint-Germain fans were stabbed in two separate incidents in Barcelona on Wednesday, Catalan police have confirmed.

The Ligue 1 champions were beaten 3-1 at Camp Nou as Barca sealed top spot in Group F at the expense of their opponents, who qualified for the last 16 as runners-up.

On Thursday, Catalan police announced that some PSG supporters had been attacked close to the stadium and had been admitted to hospital.

A statement released by the police confirmed that the first incident occurred at around 23:00 local time on Carrer de Felipe de Paz, close to Camp Nou.

According to the release, "a French citizen" was stabbed "by two individuals dressed in dark and with a balaclava".

A short time later, a group of three supporters were attacked, one of whom had to be transported to hospital after being stabbed.

"The police are working to clarify the exact circumstances of the incident and arrest those responsible," the statement concluded.

The incidents come hot on the heels of Spanish authorities looking to clamp down on football-related violence after a Deportivo La Coruna fan was killed ahead of their fixture at Atletico Madrid last month.

However, one of those assaulted in the vicinity of the stadium said the attackers were not wearing colours of Barca or gave any indication that they supported them, suggesting the attack had no motives coming from football.

 

[XabiAlonso]

Silva: Manchester City must avoid Barcelona, Real Madrid & Atletico in Champions League

By Alex Young
Dec 12, 2014 07:36:00

The Spain international feels Liga teams are the biggest threat to the Premier League champions' hopes of European glory this season

David Silva is hoping Manchester City steer clear of La Liga sides in Monday's Champions League draw, arguing that "the later you play a Spanish team, the better".

An impressive 2-0 win at Roma on Wednesday saw the English titleholders avoid a third group-stage elimination in four years, as they finished second behind Bayern Munich in Group E, but they will now be drawn against a seeded team in the round of 16.

City have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League just once, being eliminated by Barcelona last season, and Silva is keen to avoid facing the Catalan side again or 2014 winners Real Madrid and beaten finalists Atletico Madrid.

"Well, I prefer anyone else. I don’t want any one of them. The later you play a Spanish team, the better, no?" Silva told reporters.

"They’re all that good that, if you get one, you may as well get one of the others. It’d be a difficult draw. Every team that gets through now, they’re difficult. No matter who we get, we have to be 100%, and have to get a little luck too."

Silva admits City have struggled in Europe since qualifying for the Champions League on a regular basis but is confident the squad's gradual improvement will see them win the competition at some stage in the future.

He added: "Well, we have to keep getting better. We’ve come through a very difficult group, a very difficult game and I believe in the team. The last few weeks, after the win over Bayern, I think that match gave us a lot of life.

"The team got a lot better, got a lot of confidence and we’ve got to keep getting better. Any team left can win the Champions League. That’s why they’re here. It’s a long and difficult road."

 

[XabiAlonso]

Juventus missing a Messi or Ronaldo figure, says Buffon

By Miles Chambers
Dec 12, 2014 08:47:00

The Italian shot-stopper believes that La Liga's goalscoring superstars essentially give Barca and Real Madrid a one-goal headstart

Juventus are not in the top tier of European clubs because they lack a rampant goalscorer like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, claims veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

The Bianconeri have won three successive Serie A titles but they have failed to impress in Europe during this spell of domestic dominance.

Juve qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday courtesy a goalless stalemate at home to Atletico Madrid, meaning they will face either Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Monaco or Porto in the last 16.

However, despite the impressive form of Carlos Tevez this season, Buffon believes that Massimiliano Allegri's need a player capable of scoring at the same incredibly high rate if they are to establish themselves as a major European power.

"Juventus are lacking the same thing as all of the teams who don't win the Champions League: we don't have Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi," he told AS.

"They mean a lot to their teams because with the certainty of having two players that, even when things come to the worst, score at least one goal.

"You're essentially starting games off from a 1-0 score. It's a good advantage."

Juventus are top of Serie A after 14 matches and face fourth-placed Sampdoria on Sunday as they look to maintain or extend their three-point lead over second-placed Roma, who face third-placed Genoa this weekend.

 

[XabiAlonso]

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[XabiAlonso]

'The system of Italian football works badly' - Romeo Agresti's Champions League Q & A

Dec 15, 2014 16:00:00

Our Juventus correspondent reacted to today's draw in Nyon and commented on the Serie A champions' outcome, and also of the overall position of Italy among Europe's elite nations

QUESTION:

Are Juventus in a better position this season to go deep in the Champions League?

ROMEO AGRESTI:

I think that Juventus is on a good track to become once again a top European club. This draw, although is not completely easy, may help this growth process. Some teams are still out of reach for Juventus - like Bayern and Real Madrid, but the quarter-finals are a reasonable target for the Bianconeri.

QUESTION:

Should drawing Borussia Dortmund be treated as a good result for Juventus?

ROMEO AGRESTI:

In my opinion, this can't be defined as a good draw for Juventus. Borussia Dortmund played a Champions League final two years ago, and put Real Madrid in serious trouble a few months ago. It's a team with a solid mentality, they play entertaining football although they yearly lose their key players. (And they don't complain about that). Of course in the Bundesliga they're facing a difficult moment, but when you play a UCL game you can find unexpected energies. Juventus must pay attention to that, regardless of their shape in the domestic league.

QUESTION:

How depressing is the current situation in Italian football, with just one team in the Round of 16?

ROMEO AGRESTI:

It’s extremely depressing. But when the system works badly – I mean, the whole of Italian football - to think that they can be competitive and successful is simply crazy. Italian clubs lack money and strategy, they spend money in a unreasonable way, and when you act like that it’s easier to be bad in Europe. We can and we have to change this trend. At least, Juventus can reach the quarter-finals.

QUESTION:

How depressing is the current situation in Italian football, with just one team in the Round of 16?

ROMEO AGRESTI:

First of all, let’s hope that the Italian clubs will stop snubbing this competition. And I take advantage from this fact to give credit to Juventus, who last year did their best to go as far as possible, being eliminated only in the semi-final. I agree, who’s struggling in the championship can take EL as a big opportunity to get a UCL spot. For a few teams, this is already the only way to clinch it!

 

[XabiAlonso]

Hamann: Manchester City, Arsenal & Chelsea should all progress in Champions League

Dec 15, 2014 17:00:00

The former Bayern Munich midfielder believes utilising Yaya Toure in a more advanced role will give Manuel Pellegrini's side a better chance of seeing off Barcelona in round two

If Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini gets it right all three English clubs will make it through to the last eight of the UEFA Champions League, says Dietmar Hamann.

The former City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich star believes finding the right position for Yaya Toure will be key when the Premier League champions face Barcelona. “City won’t win with Yaya Toure in a midfield two, but if he’s playing off the front man I’m sure they’ll do it,” he said.

Hamann, a Goal ambassador for the Champions League, has criticised Pellegrini for failing to find Toure’s best position in previous games. Toure was suspended for the last two group matches, both of which City won, and will miss the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

“I don’t think it works with him in a two, whether it’s with Fernando or Fernandinho,” said Hamann. “He should be further forward, with two behind him from James Milner, Fernando and Fernandinho. Sergio Aguero should be fit again by February and with Toure playing off him City will be very strong.”

Barcelona have not quite hit top form so far under Luis Enrique, giving Hamann the impression that “something’s not quite right”. City lost to the Catalan club in the last 16 last year, but in the 2-1 defeat at Camp Nou they played well.

“They matched Barcelona and should take confidence from that,” said Hamann. “If they want to go to the next stage among Europe’s big clubs they have to win this tie, and they can do it.

“Luis Suarez hasn’t scored in the league for Barcelona and something is not right. City look a different team to the one that struggled in the early part of the season and every group winner will have wanted to avoid them. This is City’s big chance, and if they get it right with Yaya Toure they will go through.”

Chelsea can beat Paris Saint-Germain, said Hamann, who does not rate the French side as genuine contenders, while Arsenal will count themselves fortunate to be facing Monaco despite failing to win their group.

“Arsenal had the best draw of the three Premier League teams,” Hamann added. “If they could have picked their opponents they would have picked Monaco. It should be three out of three for England.”

 

[MarceloVieira]

PSG must learn from mistakes to beat Chelsea - Marquinhos

Dec 15, 2014 23:25:00

The French side threw away a 3-1 lead from the first leg to go crashing out at the hands of the Blues in the competition last term and the defender hopes they can learn from it

Marquinhos is keen for Paris Saint-Germain to avoid the errors of last season when they meet Chelsea in the Champions League last 16.

PSG exited the 2013-14 Champions League at the hands of Chelsea in the quarter-finals, throwing away a 3-1 first-leg lead as the London club progressed on away goals.

Monday's draw threw up a repeat of that tie, and Brazilian defender Marquinhos is eager to ensure that the Ligue 1 champions get revenge on the Premier League leaders.

"At this level, there are only great teams," Marquinhos told PSG TV. "We will train and work hard to prepare for the two games.

"Chelsea have already won the Champions League and is at the top of their championship. They will give everything to qualify.

"The elimination suffered last season was painful. We will build on this to avoid repeating the same mistakes."

And club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi expects PSG to atone for last year's disappointment.

"Chelsea is a good draw for us," Al-Khelaifi said. "I am very confident. I trust my coach and my players to show the best of Paris Saint-Germain.

"We learned a lot from the experience of last season, and we will work to have a different ending this year."

 

[MarceloVieira]

Dortmund face a huge challenge against Juventus - Klopp

By Alex Fisher
Dec 15, 2014 16:22:00

The coach is looking forward to "a beautiful tie" against the Italian champions but is eager not to become distracted by looking ahead to February just yet

Jurgen Klopp feels Borussia Dortmund face a "huge challenge" after being drawn against Juventus in the Champions League last 16.

The first knockout round tie will see Dortmund and Juve meet for the first time since 1997, when the German club won their sole Champions League title with victory over the Italians in the final.

Both clubs progressed from this season's group stages with relative ease, although their domestic fortunes could hardly be more contrasting.

Dortmund lie 16th in the Bundesliga having won just four games all season, whereas Serie A champions Juve sit top of their table.

Klopp is well aware of what a stern test Massimiliano Allegri's team will pose when they meet in February and March, but insists he is focusing solely on domestic matters for now.

"It is a beautiful tie, but it will be a huge challenge," he said. "They're the best team in Italy and very experienced.

"[But] I find it very hard to even think about the Champions League right now.

"It feels much further away than February."

 

[MarceloVieira]

Real Madrid are beatable - Howedes

By Joe Wright
Dec 15, 2014 13:44:00

The Schalke defender and team-mates Joel Matip and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting are determined to prove they have learned from their thrashing last season

Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes insists Real Madrid are "beatable" after their Bundesliga side were paired with the holders in the Champions League last 16.

The Bundesliga side were dispatched 9-2 on aggregate by eventual winners Madrid at the same stage last season, but Howedes is determined to prove that his side have learned their lesson.

"We know how we lost badly last year. Real are one of the best teams in the world. But even these teams are beatable," he said after the draw. "We will do our best to challenge the holders."

Team-mate Joel Matip added: "Real are an awesome team. Those are two matches over 90 minutes and, in football, anything can happen. We are looking forward to it and we want to show that we learned from last year."

Striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who has impressed since joining from Mainz during the summer, is particularly keen to show his qualities against one of the continent's best teams.

"Faith wanted Schalke and Real Madrid to meet again," said the Cameroon international. "Personally, I am really looking forward to it, since they are one of the best teams in the world and I did not play against them last year. I think we will do better than last year."

 

[MarceloVieira]

Mourinho wanted Chelsea to draw PSG and he is right to, says David Barnard

By Gill Clark
Dec 15, 2014 11:45:00

The Blues beat the French titleholders at the quarter-final stage last season and their Portuguese coach had claimed it would be an ideal tie this term

Chelsea secretary David Barnard claimed manager Jose Mourinho was right to want to draw Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League after the two clubs were paired together in the round of 16.

The tie is a rematch of last season when Chelsea knocked Laurent Blanc's men out in the quarter-finals on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

"First reaction is no matter who we draw they are all there by merit, PSG are no exception," he told Sky Sports.

"Obviously they are known to us as we played them last year and the added ingredient of David Luiz playing for them

"I know Jose said before the draw he would have liked them because of the logistics and he's right.

"I think when we played them last year both teams now have totally different teams we have an advantaged by being away first so we know what we have to do the second leg

"I think that’s basically the past, each match that comes along is a totally different scenario so we will take it from the start

"I think Jose is quite right we have to keep our feet on the group and deal with it as we play those games."

 

[scommetix]

Who will Qualify for the UEFA Champions League 2014/2015 Quarterfinals?
17 February 2015 - 25 February 2015

PSG vs. Chelsea - Chelsea to Qualify
Bayer Leverkusen vs. Atlético Madrid - Atlético Madrid to Qualify
Basel vs. Porto - Porto to Qualify
Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund - Juventus to Qualify
Manchester City vs. Barcelona - Barcelona to Qualify
Schalke 04 vs. Real Madrid - Real Madrid to Qualify
Shakhtar Donetsk vs. Bayern München - Bayern München to Qualify
Arsenal vs. Monaco - Arsenal to Qualify

 

[XabiAlonso]

'Born winner Mancini will take Inter back to Champions League'

By Miles Chambers
Dec 17, 2014 12:20:00

The club's CEO, Michael Bolingbroke, is convinced that the coach he watched succeed with Manchester City will be able to restore pride at San Siro

Roberto Mancini is a born winner who will guide Inter back to the Champions League, according to club CEO Michael Bolingbroke.

Following Walter Mazzarri's sacking as San Siro coach in November, Mancini was brought back to the club he won numerous trophies for prior to his stint with Manchester City.

The Nerazzurri bagged their first Serie A win since Mancini's return on Monday, triumphing 2-0 at Chievo, however they remain 11th in the table with 15 games played.

But Bolingbroke, who has been Inter's CEO since this summer, is convinced that a top-three finish is a realistic aim with the coach he worked opposite during his years in charge at Manchester United when Mancini was at the Etihad Stadium.

"Why can't we return to the Champions League this year?" he said when asked if that was a goal for Inter by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "There are two paths: we can finish third in Serie A or win the Europa League.

"Mancini is a born winner. I'm not talking just about his Inter past, but also about the things he did with Manchester City.

"I was at Manchester United and I was able to witness how he transformed the mentality of that team. City were a like mid-table club and he led them to victory."

Bolingbroke explained why he ditched Manchester United to join Erick Thohir's Nerazzurri boardroom ranks, explaining the appeal of the prestigious club and his ambitions to see it return to the upper European echelons.

"For me Inter are a Champions League club, even if they haven't been playing there for a few years, because like all football brands they have an appeal which permeates time," he added.

"When you think about Inter, you still think of them as a great club. And what I want is for this club to return to the Champions League - not just for a year but for a long time, with stability."

Inter face one final Serie A clash in 2014 - a home clash with third-placed Lazio - before a winter break which will see them rest from competitive football until January 6.

 

[XabiAlonso]

'I refuse to play mind games with Mourinho'

By Miles Chambers
Dec 17, 2014 07:31:00

After PSG were pitted against Chelsea in the Champions League, Laurent Blanc ruled out wading into psychological warfare with the Portuguese coach

Laurent Blanc is refusing to get involved with Jose Mourinho's "mind games" after Paris Saint-Germain were drawn against Chelsea in Europe.

Monday's last 16 Champions League draw pitted the English table-toppers with France's reigning champions - a repeat of last season's quarter-final - and the media latched on to Mourinho's pre-draw comments that he'd be happy to face PSG.

Blanc, who has been in charge at Parc des Prince for a year and a half, was prickly when asked about his retort to the former Real Madrid and Inter boss.

"Did Mourinho win the psychological battle? If he wins a point, it is because he's playing a game. I have no game to play mind games with Jose," the Frenchman told reporters.

"We know him. We know him very well. [The media] like that, you like his quotes. That's it. He's very strong in this aspect but not only that.

"He had done the math as we did, I'm sure, and he knew the teams he could meet. He knows PSG was one of them and he thought: 'I will come with my little quote.'"

"At the end of both games, we will be able to know if it was a good or a bad draw. The sure thing is that they are a great team, that's for sure. We know them well.

"We still have memories of last year. We remember that game. I think they are stronger this year. It's going to be very interesting. We have to get ready. We still have time to prepare."

PSG were knocked out of Europe by Chelsea last year on the away-goal rule after drawing winning 3-1 at Parc des Princes then losing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

 

[XabiAlonso]

Why Champions League glory was just the start for Chelsea

Dec 17, 2014 09:48:00

ANALYSIS: Over the course of five transfer windows the Blues have transformed an unbalanced and ageing squad into one of the deepest, most youthful and talented in Europe

By Liam Twomey

At the time, Chelsea's miraculous Champions League final triumph in May 2012 felt like the end of a chapter.

A tortuous eight-year journey had finally led to the trophy that Roman Abramovich craved above all others. Didier Drogba, a club legend with one foot out of the door, had scored the decisive penalty in a dramatic shootout, while the average age of the 13 players fielded by Roberto Di Matteo at the Allianz Arena was a grizzled 28 years, five months and four days.

Two-and-a-half years on, it's clear that what actually happened in the wake of Munich was more akin to the start of a whole new book. Just four men of the 18 in the matchday squad at the Allianz Arena – Petr Cech, Gary Cahill, John Obi Mikel and Drogba – are current Chelsea players, and only Cahill is a regular starter under Jose Mourinho this season.

The revolution has been comprehensive and brutal. Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are gone. Drogba left and returned only after accepting a role primarily on the substitutes' bench, where he regularly sits alongside Cech. AC Milan have acquired Fernando Torres on a two-year loan that doubles as a glorified free transfer, while Juan Mata and David Luiz were first ostracised and then sold when it became clear that neither fitted into Mourinho's footballing vision.

Yet it has also been elegant and highly effective. Over the course of five transfer windows Chelsea have transformed an unbalanced and ageing squad into one widely regarded as among the deepest, most youthful and talented in Europe. Even more impressively, they have done so while refining an innovative financial model that, if adhered to, should ensure that they never fall foul of Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations in the manner of fellow nouveau riche giants Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.

In November, Chelsea announced a profit of €23 million for the financial year ending June 2014. It coincided with the club's smallest net transfer spend for three seasons, highlighting that the January sales of Mata and Kevin De Bruyne had done much more than cover the cost of signing Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah; they had helped tip the Blues into the black.

This season, with Mourinho insisting there will be no further arrivals or departures at Stamford Bridge in January, Chelsea's net spend is just €11m. For the second successive window, the money gained by selling two fringe first-teamers – Luiz and Romelu Lukaku – outweighed the cost of the two marquee arrivals, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. With other revenue streams increasing year-on-year, it would not be a surprise if the Blues announce another healthy profit in 12 months' time.

TURNING A PROFIT | Cesc Fabregas, No.7 on the Goal Transfer List, was funded by shrewd sales

Graeme Le Saux, the most expensive defender in England when Chelsea signed him for £5m from Blackburn in the summer of 1997, is impressed with how his former club has adapted to football's new reality. "Financial Fair Play has created a totally different environment to the one that existed a few years ago," Le Saux told Goal.

"Chelsea seemed to do their business very early in the transfer window - the players they went after they got very quickly. For any club playing in European competitions, the structure you need to comply with FFP is quite complicated. Chelsea's structure works very well and the club runs with a focus on complying, so in terms of what's expected of them from Uefa, it's all looking very good."

Player trading is an inexact science that no club can ever fully master but Chelsea have resolved both halves of the equation more satisfyingly than most in 2014. It was obvious well before they left Stamford Bridge that Mata and Luiz were not in Mourinho's plans, yet maximum value was still extracted from a desperate Manchester United and a Paris Saint-Germain happy to overlook the flaws of one of the world's most marketable Brazilian footballers.

And while Chelsea continue to be significant spenders, the days of Abramovich's worst excesses appear to be over. No arrival has cost more than €45m – a relatively modest price for a world-class player by recent standards – since Torres in January 2011, and the overriding focus is on targets between 21 and 27 who are either building towards or entering their peak years. This policy ensures resale value and has also helped maintain tight control over the club's wage bill, which is significantly lower than those of City and United and comparable with that of Arsenal.

STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE? | David Luiz was the ninth most expensive transfer deal of the summer

Marina Granovskaia, one of Abramovich's most trusted advisers and Chelsea's de facto chief executive following the resignation of Ron Gourlay, is said to have played a central role in the club's shrewd transfer dealings over the past three years. She is also believed to liaise closely with technical director Michael Emenalo, who oversees the mass loan system that has proved so lucrative and controversial.

In each of the three seasons since the Champions League win, Chelsea have loaned out at least 30 players to clubs around the world. Some, like Victor Moses and Marko Marin, are fringe squad members in the shop window. Others, like Bertrand Traore and Marco van Ginkel, are developing with a view to potentially enjoying big futures at Stamford Bridge. Most will never be Chelsea players.

But that is hardly a disaster, or even really the point. It is a vast but very low risk operation. If one of their loanees matures into a Thibaut Courtois, Chelsea have acquired a world-class player for a fraction of his peak value. If he becomes a Lukaku or De Bruyne, he can be sold on at a tidy profit. And even if a youngster's career tails off, only the relatively modest original investment is lost. In the meantime, the loan clubs bear the burden of wage and development costs.

This network of loans also creates a sphere of influence that helps with the acquisition of players. There can be little doubt that the productive working relationship forged with Atletico Madrid during Courtois' three-year loan spell eased the transfers of Costa and Filipe Luis last summer. Likewise the close ties between Abramovich and Vitesse owner Alexander Chigirinsky, sealed with a seasonal conveyer belt of Chelsea youngsters, played a role in the Van Ginkel deal.

It is unlikely that the loan system will yield a steady stream of players as talented or valuable as Courtois, Lukaku and De Bruyne. But there is every chance it will continue to be a lucrative and unique revenue stream that can be used to help finance squad reinforcements and meet FFP requirements. If it does, there will be no need for Chelsea's next Champions League final to be the end of anything.

 

[XabiAlonso]

Galliani aiming for AC Milan Champions League qualification

Dec 22, 2014 15:56:00

Filippo Inzaghi's men lie two points behind third place in Serie A and the CEO believes they have what it takes to secure a place in Europe's premier club competition

AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani believes the club are making progress and should target next season's Champions League.

After a disappointing campaign under Massimiliano Allegri and then Clarence Seedorf in 2013-14, the Italian giants have shown signs of improvement with Filippo Inzaghi at the helm.

Saturday's 0-0 draw at title challengers Roma - despite playing the final 20 minutes with 10 men after Pablo Armero was sent off - was another encouraging result, with Milan heading into the mid-season break having lost just three of their 16 Serie A matches this season.

Inzaghi's men lie seventh in the table, just two points from third and the final Champions League qualifying berth.

With the previous season's eighth-placed finish seeing them miss out on European qualification altogether, Galliani sees no reason why the improvements under Inzaghi should not lead to Milan challenging the top three this time around.

"The match in Rome was one in which we showed we were a team: we showed spirit, desire and determination, even with 10 men we continued to fight," he told Corriere della Sera.

"If we play like this we can compete for a Champions League place.

"It seems to me like the tide has turned. Last year we always lost against the big teams."

 

[XabiAlonso]

De Jong desperate for Champions League berth

30 December 2014

Nigel de Jong is desperate to help Milan get back into the UEFA Champions League with a strong second half of the season.

The Serie A giants endured a miserable 2013-14 campaign, eventually limping to an eighth-placed finish as both Massimiliano Allegri and Clarence Seedorf failed to kick-start their season.

Milan have shown signs of recovery in Filippo Inzaghi's first season as head coach, and they reached the mid-season break in seventh position - just two points adrift of Lazio in third.

And Netherlands international De Jong believes a club of Milan's stature must be playing in Europe's premier club competition.

"My goal this year is to reach the Champions League with Milan," he said at a sponsor's event in Dubai.

"That is where Milan belongs and is what we're going to try to do this year to reach those places.

"We have to work hard to reach those places.

"But with the confidence that we have and the work methods we use, we have to reach those places."

Milan, who defeated Real Madrid 4-2 in a friendly in Dubai earlier on Tuesday, return to Serie A action against Sassuolo on January 6.