☆ UEFA Champions League 2014-15 ☆

[THE_CHANSTER]

Chelsea are out of CL. Good news.

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Chelsea 2-2 Paris Saint-Germain (3-3 agg aet): Mourinho's men dumped out despite Ibra red

Mar 11, 2015 22:15:00

The Sweden international was dismissed in the first half but the French champions twice fought back to book their place in the quarter-finals at the Blues' expense

An extra-time Thiago Silva header saw Paris Saint-Germain knock Chelsea out of the Champions League and book their place in the quarter-finals by virtue of the away goals rule after a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The Brazilian centre-back gave away a penalty with a bizarre handball six minutes into extra time, but he made amends by heading a dramatic equaliser with six minutes left to play to send PSG through on away goals, with the tie ending 3-3 on aggregate.

The visitors had been facing an uphill task when star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was controversially sent off shortly after the half-hour mark, but they got off lightly when a foul on Diego Costa in the box went unpunished.

Edinson Cavani then hit the post for PSG before Gary Cahill looked to have settled an ill-tempered tie with an 81st-minute drive, though former Chelsea man David Luiz forced an additional 30 minutes with a bullet header five minutes later.

PSG had the momentum heading into extra time, but they were undone when Silva attempted to palm the ball clear in the box having mistimed his jump, giving Eden Hazard the chance to fire the hosts in front from the spot.

The Belgian made no mistake as he coolly converted, but Silva had the last word – looping a header over Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to stun Stamford Bridge into silence.

Jose Mourinho made one change to the side that started the first leg, with Oscar coming in for Willian, while Thiago Motta slotted into the PSG midfield having missed the home tie through injury.

Ibrahimovic saw red for recklessly lunging into a challenge on Oscar in the 31st minute, although the Sweden international did look to be trying to withdraw from the tackle when contact was made.

The forward's case was not helped by the sea of blue shirts that immediately surrounded referee Bjorn Kuipers - who officiated last year’s final - in the immediate aftermath of the flashpoint.

Oscar could count himself lucky to remain on the pitch when he avoided a yellow card for bundling into Marco Verratti a few moments after receiving his first booking, before Costa justifiably accused Luiz of catching him with an elbow.

Costa and Luiz squabbled for much of the encounter, and the former should arguably have been awarded a penalty two minutes from the break when his heel was clipped by Cavani in the box.

Cavani came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock when he beat the offside trap to take the ball beyond Courtois in the 57th minute, but the Uruguayan's eventual effort from a tight angle struck the near post.

Courtois got down well to keep out Javier Pastore with 20 minutes left on the clock, before the match threatened to descend into farce.

First, Costa received a booking for a cynical challenge on Thiago Silva, before being confronted by chief nuisance Luiz.

The Brazil international recoiled as if he had been headbutted by the striker, but replays exposed his play-acting, spotted by Kuipers, who added Luiz’s name to his already-bulging notebook.

Sadly, the incident was indicative of a match that was marred by poor discipline, but Cahill looked to have put the tie to bed nine minutes from time.

The ball fell to the England defender as PSG failed to clear their lines from a corner, and he rifled home from 12 yards.

That lead lasted only five minutes, though, as Luiz found the net with a firm header from a corner, a few moments after claiming to have had his shirt pulled in the box.

Silva’s bizarre slapped clearance offered Chelsea a chance to apparently put the match to bed six minutes into the additional period – an opportunity Hazard was only too grateful to take from the penalty spot.

At that stage, Chelsea looked to be heading into the last eight, but having cost his side earlier in extra time, Silva made amends and dumped the Blues out of the competition.

His looping header from a corner turned the match on its head, seeing PSG into the quarter-finals at the end of a frantic game and reversing the outcome of last year's last-eight meeting between the pair, when Chelsea progressed on away goals after a 3-3 draw over two legs.

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Bayern Munich 7-0 Shakhtar Donetsk: Guardiola's side run riot after Kucher's record red

Mar 11, 2015 21:34:00

The defender's sending-off after just three minutes allowed the German champions an easy passage into the quarter-finals, with Thomas Muller scoring twice

A record-breaking red card allowed Bayern Munich to cruise into the Champions League quarter-finals in emphatic style as they beat Shakhtar Donetsk 7-0 on Wednesday.

Having been held to a goalless draw in the first leg, Bayern went into the return meeting of the last-16 clash with work to do.

But they were given a significant helping hand in the third minute when Shakhtar defender Kucher was shown a straight red card - the quickest in Champions League history - for a foul on Mario Gotze.

Thomas Muller stepped up to convert the resulting penalty and from there it was little more than a procession for the Bundesliga champions.

Jerome Boateng doubled the lead in the 34th minute with a close-range effort before Bayern found another gear in the second half.

Franck Ribery capped off a well-worked move to make it 3-0 in the 49th minute, with a second from Muller, a Holger Badstuber header, a Robert Lewandowski strike and Gotze's effort putting the gloss on the victory on a night where injuries to Arjen Robben and Ribery were the only concerns for the hosts.

Kucher's rash challenge on Gotze and subsequent dismissal immediately gave Shakhtar a mountain to climb, with Muller making no mistake with his fourth-minute spot-kick as he stepped up and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom-left corner.

Bayern would have made it two had Robben been able to connect with Lewandowski's pull-back with the goal at his mercy.

Sensing the prospect of being overrun by the extra man, Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu made a defensive change as Sergey Krivtsov replaced winger Taison in the ninth minute.

Robben was then brought off and replaced by Sebastian Rode because of a trapped nerve, but Bayern continued to enjoy almost complete domination and were initially denied a second by the woodwork.

Lewandowski struck the upright with a header from Rafinha's right-wing cross, but Bayern's constant pressure told as Boateng bundled the ball home at the far post after the Pole had been denied from point-blank range.

And any slim hope of a Shakhtar comeback was extinguished four minutes after the restart by quick goals from Ribery and Muller.

Ribery found the bottom-right corner with a low effort following a neat one-two with Boateng and then saw his left-wing pull-back deflect off a Shakhtar defender and into the path of Muller to roll his second into an unguarded net in the 53rd minute.

Ribery hobbled off just before the hour mark and his replacement Juan Bernat almost found the net as he forced the busy Andriy Pyatov into another save.

But Pyatov could not keep out Badstuber's near-post header from Rafinha's corner in the 63rd minute and was left helpless as Lewandowksi raced through 12 minutes later to make it six.

Gotze swept home a seventh three minutes from time, rounding off a frightening demonstration of Bayern's ruthlessness against depleted and inferior opposition.

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Mourinho's mind games backfire as Chelsea fail in the heat of battle

Mar 11, 2015 23:10:00

COMMENT: The Blues and their manager paid a high price for turning Wednesday's Champions League round of 16 second leg into a scrap as Laurent Blanc's men showed greater courage

By Liam Twomey at Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho has spent the last three months talking conspiracies and campaigns, only for referees to remain resolutely unhelpful. The suspensions served by Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic suggested his words might actually be doing Chelsea more harm than good.

Wednesday night began with him getting exactly what he wanted, only to end with his team getting exactly what they deserved.

Chelsea are out of the Champions League and they only have themselves to blame.

Mourinho knows a drum that keeps banging will eventually be heard by someone. The day before this match he suggested that referee Bjorn Kuipers might be wise to look out for Paris Saint-Germain’s “aggression” at Stamford Bridge. The Dutchman took just 31 minutes to oblige in spectacular fashion.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic appeared to have begun pulling out of a challenge he and Oscar had both lunged in for when his shin crashed against that of the Brazilian, who was sent spinning across the turf clutching his leg. That might have explained why Kuipers immediately reached for his top pocket, though the nine – yes, nine – screaming Chelsea players who immediately surrounded him baying for blood might also have had something to do with it.

Throughout the opening half-hour the home side had been noticeably keen to highlight any examples of PSG physicality, with one fairly innocuous-looking foul on Cesc Fabregas prompting Mourinho’s first riled charge from the dugout and word with the fourth official in only the ninth minute.

Ibrahimovic’s dismissal transformed a fairly sedate Stamford Bridge into a cauldron of agitation, with every collision prompting howls of derision from both sides. Oscar might have seen red himself before half-time, when Mourinho wisely replaced him with the calmer Willian.

This is the kind of battlefield Mourinho feels most comfortable when the stakes are at their highest and the opponents at their most talented, with the kind of brazen disregard for aesthetics that once prompted Real Madrid sporting director Jorge Valdano to label the Portuguese’s football philosophy “s**t on a stick”.

But on this occasion it served only to spark something in their opponents.

Chelsea duly took control of possession, though PSG’s sense of grievance refused to let them lie down and accept their fate. The first element of Mourinho’s pre-match plan had worked perfectly but his players were now in limbo.

A man up at home they felt obliged to attack, but an away-goal lead gave them something to lose. Every spell of possession carried with it a whiff of trepidation and had Edinson Cavani not fluffed his lines in front of the Shed End for the second successive year when played clean through with the scores goalless, the Blues might have paid a high price far earlier.

The Chelsea goal, when it came in the 81st minute, was everything the game had deserved: a scrappy, hapless penalty-area scramble from a corner that eventually found its way via Diego Costa’s hip to Gary Cahill, who volleyed in. As at Parc des Princes and against Tottenham at Wembley, the defenders had come up big when it counted; they account for 18 of the Blues’ 82 goals this season.

Once the game became a battle, set-pieces were always likely to make the difference and, for once, it was Chelsea who were left wanting. David Luiz took a break from his niggly running battle with Costa to send the tie into extra-time with a near-post bullet header eerily reminiscent of Didier Drogba’s in the 2012 Champions League final.

His lead gone, Mourinho sent his men to war again, bringing on Drogba for Ramires and ratcheting up Chelsea’s aerial threat. Just six minutes in the bombardment paid off – Drogba preventing Luiz from clearing a cross and Zouma panicking Thiago Silva into a rash handball. Eden Hazard kept his head from the penalty spot on a night when few others even tried to.

But for the second time Mourinho pulled his men back, content to try to defend a lead that never looked secure. It proved to be a mistake, one that means the manager has been eliminated despite securing a score draw away in the first leg for the first in his career. On the four previous occasions he had taken the opposition back to his fortess and triumphed each time, but tonight his battle-weary troops struggled to maintain the fight.

PSG made up for their man disadvantage with the ambition and courage borne of desperation. Courtois was forced into two fine saves from a Luiz free-kick and Silva header, before the visiting captain rose highest again to send a monstrous effort soaring over his head.

After the match, David Luiz summed what impressed him most about his team-mates: "The spirit; every single player gave everything. [Chelsea] scored first, and then everyone looks at each other, looks in their eyes and say 'You can do it, let's believe until the end'".

For once, Mourinho was beaten in the heat of the battle.

He rarely loses when his teams play like this. PSG didn’t beat him – they simply took advantage of the fatal assumption that they ever had to. On previous occasions Chelsea have looked worryingly incapable of “killing” opponents, but on Wednesday they orchestrated their own demise by scarcely showing the inclination to do so.

The exhausted PSG players embraced and saluted their supporters at the final whistle, savouring a night when fortune favoured the brave. Chelsea and Mourinho must watch the rest of the Champions League from afar, licking wounds inflicted by their own pragmatism.

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Ibrahimovic red card inspired PSG - Blanc

By Alec Fenn
Mar 11, 2015 23:58:00

The striker was sent off on Wednesday for a lunge on Oscar but his team-mates rallied in his absence to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals

Laurent Blanc said Paris Saint-Germain were inspired by Zlatan Ibrahimovic's first-half sending off in their Champions League clash with Chelsea on Wednesday.

The striker was given his marching orders for a lunge on Oscar but, despite playing with 10 men for the rest of the game, the Ligue 1 side came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw and book a place in the quarter-finals with a 3-3 aggregate scoreline.

Gary Cahill put Chelsea 1-0 in front on 81 minutes before David Luiz stunned his former club and took the game into extra-time five minutes later.

Eden Hazard then looked to have sent the Blues through after sliding home a penalty after Thiago Silva was penalised for handball but the Brazil defender responded immediately by going up the other end and scoring the equaliser to send PSG through on away goals.

Blanc was left to hail the performance of his players against the odds.

"It's a great joy," he told infosport. "The players were prepared and did a great job. They played an extraordinary game from the beginning to the end. We did take a hit in the back of the head when Zlatan was sent off, but I felt that the players were determined at half-time.

"The match was a little bit crazy and the performance was great. I've had a look at the stats and seen that we had the same numbers in terms of ball possession, more passes, more corners... Even at 10 against 11 we managed to be very efficient.

"It's a great night for my team tonight and for all French supporters. We did something great, but at the same time we are yet to achieve anything."

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Lucescu: Red card ruined Shakhtar's game plan

By Luke Sheehan
Mar 12, 2015 00:30:58

The Ukraine giants were thrashed 7-0 by Bayern Munich after being reduced to 10 men in record time at the Allianz Arena

Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu said the early dismissal of Olexandr Kucher cost his side any chance of winning their Champions League tie with Bayern Munich.

The Ukrainian club were rank outsiders to win the second leg of the last-16 encounter at the Allianz Arena and their odds further drifted when Kucher fouled Mario Gotze in the penalty area to earn the fastest red card in the competition's history.

After the first leg ended scoreless, a score draw or a win in Munich for the visitors would have seen them advance to the last eight - but the early penalty, converted by Thomas Muller, was a setback.

It was the beginning of a 7-0 onslaught which saw Shakhtar exit the competition, as Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery, Holger Badstuber, Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze all joined Muller on the scoresheet.

Lucescu said Kucher's red card was a significant setback, before they finished with nine men due to a late injury to Darijo Srna after all three substitutions had been made.

"Congratulations to Bayern. We weren't able to carry out our game plan after the early red card," Lucescu said, as reported by UEFA.com.

"We lost in all aspects of the match. They were mentally stronger too. When Srna went off, the game was finally over for us.

"We played with just 10 men. We lost this game, there is not so much to say about it. But I feel sad that we lost with such a result."

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Champions League flop of the season? Diego Costa scored no goals in Europe in 2014-15

By Tony Mahoney
Mar 12, 2015 10:57:00

The striker fired blanks in all each of his seven European games this term – while the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and even Danny Welbeck have scored freely

Diego Costa failed to score a single goal in the Champions League this season as the post-mortem begins following Chelsea’s dramatic exit to PSG on Wednesday.

The Blues were eliminated in the last 16 on away goals after a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, with Diego Costa firing a blank for the seventh time in Europe this season.

The Brazilian-born striker scored eight goals for Atletico Madrid in the competition last term, but was unable to register in 2014-15 in Chelsea’s home-and-away games against PSG, Sporting, Schalke and the trip to play Maribor.

By comparison, Europe’s other major clubs have generally seen their star forwards shine in front of goal. Barcelona’s triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez have 15 goals between them, with Messi scoring eight of these. Real Madrid’s forward line of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale have scored 16 goals – Ronaldo is responsible for half of this total.

Chelsea’s conquerors PSG have been aided by six strikes from Edinson Cavani and two from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Champions League favourites Bayern Munich have seen Thomas Muller (five), Robert Lewnadowski (three) and Arjen Robben (three) contribute to their challenge. Former Bayern striker Mario Mandzukic has hit the back of the net five times for Atletico Madrid.

Manchester City’s star man Sergio Aguero has six goals to his name, while countryman Carlos Tevez has four for Juventus. Another South American attacker, Jackson Martinez, has helped take Porto to the last eight with his six goals. Shakhtar’s Luiz Adriano is the current top-scorer in the competition with nine goals – although he won’t add to his tally after the Ukrainians were eliminated by Bayern.

Borussia Dortmund have struggled in the Bundesliga this term, but their forwards have had no problems scoring in the Champions League – with Ciro Immobile (four), Marco Reus (three) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (three) all impressing.

Schalke’s No.9 Klaas Jan-Huntelaar scored five goals prior to their unfortunate exit against Real Madrid, and Stefan Kießling has hit four goals for Bayer Leverkusen. Derlis Gonzalez has been the star for vanquished Basel with three strikes.

And even the much-maligned Danny Welbeck has out-performed Diego Costa in the Champions League. The Englishman has scored three times in Europe for Arsenal, adding to the four goals of Alexis Sanchez.

 

[Subotic]

Thiago Silva: Mourinho was disrespectful

Stefan Coerts
Mar 12, 2015 08:56:13

The Brazil defender was not amused by the coach's comments after the two sides were paired together in the Champions League draw back in December

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has hit out Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho for his disrespectful comments toward the Ligue 1 champions in the build-up to their Champions League round of 16 tie.

The Ligue 1 outfit booked their ticket for the quarter-finals on Wednesday following a 2-2 draw after extra time at Stamford Bridge, which saw them progress on the away goals rule after the 1-1 first-leg draw at the Parc des Princes.

Thiago Silva went from villain to hero in the return, conceding a penalty in extra time after handling the ball inside his own area, only to then make amends by scoring the goal that eventually saw his side through - and he was quick to take a dig at Mourinho after the final whistle following the latter's comments that he was happy to have been paired with PSG after the draw.

"This does not feel like taking revenge, but Chelsea were not showing us the respect we deserve, Mourinho in particular," Thiago Silva told RMC.

"He said that he was happy to be paired with PSG because if was pretty close to London and that it was easy for the supporters to come over...

"But I don't think that's the reason why he was happy with the draw. He said it because they beat us last season."

PSG will find out their opponents in the final eight during the draw in Nyon March 20.

 

[Subotic]

Uefa should ban Luiz but let Ibra off - Mourinho

By Harry Sherlock
Mar 12, 2015 00:45:00

The Blues boss reckons the wrong Paris Saint-Germain player was sanctioned in Wednesday's story game at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has called for Paris Saint-Germain defender David Luiz to be suspended for the Champions League quarter-finals if it is proved he elbowed Diego Costa during their last-16 tie on Wednesday.

The ex-Chelsea defender fought a running battle with the Blues striker throughout the fixture, which finished 2-2 and saw PSG advance to the last eight via the away goals rule, and the pair clashed off the ball before Luiz scored a dramatic header to force extra time.

The Brazilian was named Uefa’s Man of the Match for his decisive performance but Mourinho believes Luiz should be suspended for the next round, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic should have his red card rescinded.

The Sweden international was dismissed in the first-half after a tackle on Oscar, but Mourinho – who was also aggrieved that his side were not awarded a penalty – believes that Bjorn Kuiper’s decision to brandish the red card was a harsh one.

“The David [Luiz] elbow I didn't see, but when Uefa gives him the Man of the Match I have to believe there is no elbow,” he told reporters. “He played very, very well and I have to believe no elbow because I can't believe that Uefa gives the Man of the Match to someone that made an aggression.

“So maybe because they cannot give us the penalty now, they can do what is fair from the disciplinary point of view and suspend David and let Ibra play the quarter-finals, because he deserves it.”

Costa was also at the centre of Mourinho’s penalty appeals, with the Spain international going down in the box after being clipped by Edinson Cavani, and the Portuguese has criticised the role of the fifth official in the decision.

“It's a clear penalty on Diego Costa and once more I think it's a waste of time and money to have the officials on the side of the goal because normally they do nothing,” he added. “If he's there just to see if the ball crosses the line, the goal-line technology is obviously much better.

“If he can't see a penalty 10 metres in front of him where it's completely clean, it's a waste of time and money. The official there does absolutely nothing.”

 

[Subotic]

Ibrahimovic on Chelsea red card: I felt like I had 11 babies around me

By Stephen Darwin
Mar 12, 2015 00:49:00

The PSG striker was given his marching orders for a challenge on Oscar in the first half and the Sweden international was unimpressed by the reaction of the opposition

Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has criticised Chelsea's players for their reaction to his Champions League red card, branding the Blues "11 babies".

The Sweden international was dismissed after 31 minutes following a collision with Blues midfielder Oscar, with the likes of John Terry, Nemanja Matic and Gary Cahill surrounding referee Bjorn Kuipers immediately after the challenge.

And Ibrahimovic was far from impressed with Chelsea's players and the referee, insisting that he attempted to pull out of the tackle.

"When I saw the red card I was like 'the guy doesn't know what he's doing' or maybe he saw something else," he said.

"The worst is what I see when I get the red card - all the Chelsea players come around. It felt like I had 11 babies around me. I pulled out because I saw him also coming.

"I don't know if he [Oscar] was acting afterwards or where I hit him. It doesn't matter. We won the game and we went through so we will see what happens."

Thiago Silva headed home as PSG battled back from 2-1 down in extra-time to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition and Ibrahimovic hailed the Ligue 1 champions for recovering despite being down to 10 men.

He added: "It was an amazing performance because we were playing with one less, even in extra-time, so they should have all the credit they can get. They played with big hearts. We showed quality and big heart."

 

[Subotic]

​

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Police serve summonses after Paris Metro incident

By Matthew Rogerson
Mar 11, 2015 18:09:00

Five men are now due to appear in Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court later in March as part of the ongoing racism investigation

Police have served five men with summonses following a racist incident on a Paris metro involving Chelsea fans in February.

A group of supporters were filmed denying a black man access to a train while also chanting songs of a racist nature ahead of the club's last-16 Champions League first leg tie against Paris Saint-Germain.

Chelsea have suspended several fans in the aftermath and the Metropolitan Police confirmed five men are now due to appear at Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court later this month.

"On Tuesday, 10 March and Wednesday, 11 March, the Metropolitan Police Service served summonses on five men involved in incidents on the Paris Metro before the Paris Saint-Germain v Chelsea Champions League fixture on Tuesday, 17 February," read a statement from Scotland Yard.

"They have been summonsed to appear at Waltham Forest Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 25 March regarding a police application for football banning orders."

 

[Ibrahimovic]

I'm friends with Costa - David Luiz

By Liam Twomey
Mar 12, 2015 12:52:00

The two men continued their tussles from the first leg at Stamford Bridge but the Brazilian insists there is no ill feeling between him and the former Atletico Madrid striker

David Luiz insists he and Diego Costa are friends despite continuing their running battle on Wednesday night as 10-man Paris Saint-Germain eliminated Chelsea from the Champions League.

The two men, who first clashed at Parc des Princes last month, both tussled off the ball on numerous occasions during an ill-tempered game at Stamford Bridge before Luiz surged upfield to cancel out Gary Cahill's 81st-minute opener and send the tie into extra-time with an emphatic header.

Eden Hazard restored Chelsea's lead but a soaring Thiago Silva header was enough to send PSG - who played for almost 90 minutes with 10 men after Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off in the first half - through to the quarter-finals on away goals, and after the match Luiz played down his altercations with Costa.

“It is normal,” he replied when the subject was raised. “Diego is an amazing player, a top guy and we have a lot of physical [battles]. We are friends and were together after the match. We know each other from before.”

Luiz also apologised for breaking his promise not to celebrate against Chelsea if he scored, admitting the emotion of the occasion got the better of him against his former club.

“I respect everyone here and I was very happy here,” he added. “I said I wouldn’t celebrate if I scored but the emotion of the moment meant I couldn’t keep [to that].

“The fact I don’t score many goals means it is always special for me. I am happy with my team as we showed spirit and character.”

 

[Subotic]

Chelsea ´not good enough´ - Mourinho

11 March 2015

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho conceded opponents Paris Saint-Germain were worthy winners of their UEFA Champions League tie.

The Ligue 1 powerhouse won the tie on away goals after the two legs plus extra-time finished 3-3 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, despite playing almost 90 minutes with one less player.

The Portuguese tactician, who saw his side twice lead on the night, said Laurent Blanc's men deserved to progress to the quarter-finals.

"Clearly [PSG were worthy]. Opponent was stronger than us, coped better. Our performance was not good enough," Mourinho said.

Chelsea played against 10 men for the best part of an hour in normal time, and the entirety of the additional 30 minutes, after PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off just after the half-hour mark.

Mourinho said his players' mental strength was lacking to put the undermanned visitors to the sword.

"That's my feeling [Chelsea players not mentally strong enough]. Collectively they were better than us and I don't have much to say," he said.

Not wanting to lament further on his side's lost chance to win a trophy treble, Mourinho said they must refocus on the Premier League - the only title Chelsea can win for the remainder of the season, having already secured the League Cup title.

"We need to react. We have the Premier League to win. That's what I've told the players. It's not a time to cry," he said.

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Pellegrini slams Chelsea: Man City players never surround referees

By Harry Sherlock
Mar 14, 2015 09:43:00

All of the Blues' outfield players surrounded the official in the build-up to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's red card against PSG, but the City coach says his side would never act like that

Manuel Pellegrini insists that Manchester City players will "never surround the referee" after Chelsea were widely condemned for their behaviour during their Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.

The French champions eliminated Jose Mourinho’s side on away goals after a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in midweek, despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first-half sending off.

Ten Chelsea players immediately crowded around the official following the Swede’s tackle on Oscar to pressurise him into sending the PSG star off, and Pellegrini says that his squad would never act in such a way.

"You will never see a City player surround the referee," Pellegrini said. "Maybe you can discuss with the referee about a decision, but just one moment in the game.

"But I don’t think that’s the way this team is prepared to win. You must analyse which is the correct way and which is not the correct way.

"Every time the referee has a decision you have all the players on top of him and it’s impossible for the referee to work."

When asked if he was referring solely to Chelsea, Pellegrini added: "I’m talking about a lot of things that happen in different games, with different teams, but they always work in trying to pressure the referee in every decision, so the referee always has problems.

"All the managers prepare their players to win, but there are different styles of winning.

"Maybe when you are winning the style doesn’t matter. When you don’t win and then start to criticise, I can’t accept that."

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Ancelotti: I am not too soft with Madrid players

By Peter McVitie
Mar 14, 2015 10:22:17

The coach insists he has a good relationship with his players but maintains he can be harsh with them when he needs to be

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that he is not too soft with the Real Madrid players.

The world and European champions have lost their place at the top of La Liga and merely scraped through to the quarter-final of the Champions League at the expense of Schalke.

The drop in form has seen Ancelotti come under scrutiny, with speculation surrounding his future, but the coach maintains things are going well with the team and that he is strong enough to lead them forward.

"The relationship with the players is what’s most important, it matters a lot more than the one with the president," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "If there is no good feeling with the guys, you are a dead man.

"Someone calls it friendship, but I simply call it respect, although I like to laugh and joke with them. The intelligent people know when it’s time to get serious.

"Whoever says I am too soft angers me, because it is not true.”

The 55-year-old also spoke about Pepe, revealing that he had to convince the defender not to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after the centre-back felt he was hated too much in Spain.

"I didn't use any kind of strategy. He asked to leave because in Spain they considered him bad and dirty. I told him that he was going to stay, that I counted on him.

"We were not disappointed. Like Cristiano Ronaldo, he never disappoints us.

"[Zinedine] Zidane was the player that entertained me the most in training, but Cristiano makes me have fun in matches, as he always scores.”

Ancelotti has recently spoken about his desire to end his career with the Italian national team and he reiterated his dream once more.

"I would like to manage Italy one day. But first I must overcome the desire to coach every day.

"Italy reach a World Cup final every 12 years and they win one every 24. So, everything's ready for 2030."

 

[Subotic]

'Chelsea didn't want to play' - Sagnol slams Blues over PSG defeat

By Alec Fenn
Mar 13, 2015 16:31:38

The Bordeaux coach has criticised Jose Mourinho's side for their lack of ambition following their Champions League exit on Wednesday

Willy Sagnol believes Chelsea got the Champions League exit they deserved for "not trying to play football" against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.

The Bordeaux coach will attempt to bring PSG back down to earth when his side host Laurent Blanc's men on Sunday, but took his hat off to the Ligue 1 champions for eliminating Jose Mourinho's team from Europe with 10 men.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off in the first half before Gary Cahill later put Chelsea in front, only for David Luiz's header to take the game into extra-time. Eden Hazard made it 2-1 to the Blues, but Thiago Silva's late header saw PSG through to the quarter-finals on away goals, with the tie ending 3-3 on aggregate.

In the aftermath of the game, Chelsea have been criticised for surrounding referee to ensure Ibrahimovic received his marching orders and their lack of ambition despite having a one-man advantage, with Sagnol adding to their detractors.

"It was a game in which PSG's tactical discipline was very high," the former France and Bayern Munich defender said at Friday's press conference. "For me this wasn't a surprise as already in the first leg PSG showed their greater quality.

"As a lover of football, it is regrettable that Chelsea didn't try to play and PSG - before and after the red card - played very well and really applied themselves. There was a real plan behind the way that they played. Laurent Blanc can be very proud because he got the reward his work deserved."

Sagnol's Bordeaux side are sat in sixth place ahead of the weekend and the 37-year-old admitted his players should look at Blanc's men as a template to follow as they look to make a push for European football in the coming years.

"A game such as that is a goal for us here at Bordeaux. It can be used as a motivating factor for players to work even more, in anticipation of playing in the Champions League one day.

"It will be complicated against PSG. They drew 2-2 with Chelsea and my players know what we have to do. We have to be better than Chelsea. We will go for it because we don't know how fresh PSG are or if they will rotate. We'll focus on our output and see what we can do."

PSG go into the game one point behind Ligue1 leaders Lyon in second place as they bid to retain their title.

 

[Subotic]

Real Madrid could not cope with Schalke's courage, says Nastasic

Mar 13, 2015 11:34:02

EXCLUSIVE: The young defender was delighted with his side's performance in the Spanish capital and noticed even Cristiano Ronaldo was booed by the home fans

By Olja Nikolic

Schalke defender Matija Nastasic feels Real Madrid were unable to cope with the Bundesliga side's courageous display in Tuesday's Champions League encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Gelsenkirchen outfit nearly pulled off a major shock in the round of 16 as they beat Madrid 4-3 at the Bernabeu, yet their 2-0 first-leg defeat meant they narrowly missed out on a quarter-final place.

However, Nastasic feels Schalke bow out with their heads held high.

"I do not think Madrid underestimated us. We simply surprised them with our courage and high pressure," the 21-year-old told Goal.

"We knew they were not in the best of situations after two Liga games without winning. We all believed in ourselves and that we could win. And with each goal we scored, our confidence grew even bigger. We did what we do every Bundesliga game, keep going and never stopping.

"It's a shame we did not progress, but this win means a lot to our young team. We did know how to react after the final whistle. Should we be happy with the win or disappointed that we were out. In the end, a certain bitterness prevailed. We came close to scoring a fifth... We are proud of what we did, though. The only thing we regret is our first-leg performance."

Schalke's win resulted in boos and jeers for the Madrid players, with not even Cristiano Ronaldo escaping the fans' scrutiny, but Nastasic feels it is par for the course for a professional.

"It was impossible not to hear, see and feel the pressure the Madrid players were under. There were boos after the game, but that is the life of an athlete. One day you are the hero, the next day you suck at what you do... Everybody instantly forgets what you have achieved in the past.

"Even the man who has scored 30 goals in La Liga, scored three times against us and played a major role in Madrid's Champions League win last season got booed by the fans."

 

[Ibrahimovic]

Mourinho provoked PSG - Matuidi

Alec Fenn
Mar 15, 2015 14:24:09

The midfielder has admitted the coach's comments about the club motivated the players in last week's Champions League last-16 second leg

Blaise Matuidi says Paris Saint-Germain delivered the perfect response to Jose Mourinho's "provocative" comments about the club by knocking his Chelsea side out of the Champions League last week.

Laurent Blanc's men drew 2-2 with the Blues last Wednesday to advance to the quarter-finals on away goals after playing out a 3-3 draw over the two legs.

Matuidi has now revealed he and his team-mates were motivated by Mourinho's disparaging remarks about Ligue 1 prior to the tie and feels they did their talking on the pitch.

"The main thing for us was to stay focused," he said to RMC. "When he [Mourinho] said that a Ligue 1 match is like a workout, it's more provocative and we gave the best answer.

"We have qualified and Monaco are about to as well, which shows the league is very strong."

PSG's success last week was all the more impressive given that they had star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off in the first half and subsequently played for 90 minutes with just 10 men as the game headed into extra-time.

"Of course we would have preferred to play with Ibra because he is a great player," Matuidi continued.

"But maybe with 11 men on the pitch the game would not have happened like that, we may still have won, I do not know. But even with 10 men we did not feel that sense of inferiority. This is down to our courage."

The Ligue 1 champions were knocked out of the competition at the same stage by Chelsea last season but displayed their improvement in seeing off Mourinho's side this time around and Matuidi said their performance in the first leg at the Parc des Princes laid the foundations for their stunning display at Stamford Bridge.

"From the first game we felt it was not like last year, this one was not that bad. In the first leg we realised that we felt superior to them in the game, at the tactical level as well, and it showed in the second leg."

 

[Wenger]

Giroud: I'll answer critics against Monaco

By Peter Thompson
Mar 16, 2015 11:03:00

The striker missed a host of good chances as Arsenal fell to a 3-1 loss in their Champions League last-16 first leg, but has scored in each of the three games he has started since

Olivier Giroud is backing himself to makes amends for his poor performance in Arsenal's Champions League last-16 first-leg defeat to Monaco by inspiring a second-leg fightback on Tuesday.

The striker was wasteful in front of goal as the Gunners slumped to a 3-1 defeat against the Ligue 1 side at the Emirates Stadium last month, but has scored in each of the three games he has started since.

Giroud paid no attention to his critics following his misfiring display in the first leg against Monaco and is backing himself to continue his impressive form at Stade Louis II.

"I take a lot of pressure on the pitch. But when I 'miss' a game, if I can say that, you know I try to bounce back as quick as I can," he told reporters.

"If you let the doubts enter your head it's even more difficult to cope. There are always tough moments like that. You have to question yourself every week and bounce back. I try to show my answers on the pitch.

"Even when you play well and score a lot of goals, if you miss one game everything is forgotten. You have to have a conscience about it and be aware.

"Don't believe the people who talk too much about football. I'm not used to reading the media. I know when I play well or not. I know how to bounce back."