CARLO ANCELOTTI has pledged to secure Chelsea’s first European Cup after finally being confirmed as the club’s new manager, with the importance placed by Roman Abramovich on success in the Champions League demonstrated by the €1.2 million bonus the Italian would earn should he break the Londoners’ duck in the competition.
The 49-year-old, who left Milan by mutual consent on Sunday after eight years at San Siro, has signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge worth a basic €7.5 million a year and will set about creating a squad who “work together to build a dream”. He is likely to be accompanied by his assistant coach with the Rossoneri, the English-speaking Filippo Galli, with negotiations ongoing, and will benefit from considerable transfer funds made available by Abramovich.
Ancelotti would like to bring one of his most trusted playmakers at Milan, Andrea Pirlo, with him, though it remains to be seen whether Chelsea can prise the Italy international away for a price considered reasonable for a 30-year-old midfielder. Certainly, the initial €23.2 million valuation is too steep.
The Milan general manager, Adriano Galliani, claimed yesterday he would also resist any attempts by the Londoners to tempt Kaka away, though the likes of Franck Ribery and David Villa, of Bayern Munich and Valencia respectively, could yet join CSKA Moscow’s Yuri Zhirkov at Chelsea next season.
- Guardian Service
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