Reunions abound in last 16

SOCCER/CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: CARLO ANCELOTTI has vowed not to be provoked by Jose Mourinho's trademark "mind games" after the draw for the knockout phase of the Champions League gave the Special One a mouth-watering return to Chelsea with Internazionale.

That is not the only reunion thrown up by the competition, with David Beckham due back at Manchester United with Milan, where the England midfielder will begin a loan spell from Los Angeles Galaxy next month.

Yet it is Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge, where he won the club’s first league titles in half a century during a glittering three-and-a-half-year spell, that catches the imagination, particularly given the strained relationship he endured with Ancelotti, then at Milan, in Serie A last season.

The pair clashed verbally as Mourinho claimed the Serie A title for Inter but failed to secure the club’s principal objective, the European Cup.

“There were some problems, some questions and discussions in the papers, but I like him as a coach,” said Ancelotti. “He’s a fantastic coach who won in Portugal, in England, in Italy. Everywhere. But I’m not able to discuss his character. I will speak of him as a coach and nothing else. It isn’t a problem that we don’t have a good relationship. This can be a good opportunity to improve that.

“It will be an emotional game for him. He did a fantastic job here, so to play against Chelsea won’t be easy for him. But this match is Chelsea versus Inter, a football match between two of the most important teams in Europe. Nothing else.

“I have experience but I’m not ready to play mind games. I never will be ready to play these games. I prefer to play football matches and I’ve never thought that a football game is a match between coaches. I will try and find a weakness in their team but not in a fellow coach.”

Ancelotti was more critical of Mourinho in his autobiography, Preferisco la Coppa, in which he referred to the Inter coach as “His Mourinhoness, comparing himself to Jesus” and “His Specialness”.

Beckham, too, will be relishing a return to old haunts having progressed through the youth ranks at Old Trafford to win six Premier League titles and a European Cup under Alex Ferguson before leaving for Real Madrid in 2003.

“He did a lot of great things for Manchester United and I want to say to him: ‘Welcome home’,” said United’s left back Patrice Evra. “He is still one of the best right-footed players in the world. But I intend to make sure he doesn’t do very well.”

The Rossoneri have edged out United in all four two-leg ties between the sides, including three semi-finals, to offer an indication of the challenge ahead for Ferguson’s team.

Arsenal’s smooth progress through the group phase has seen them given a tie against Porto, familiar opponents in recent Champions League campaigns, and the holders, Barcelona, confront Stuttgart.

The experience of losing last season’s Champions League final is all the incentive United need to go one step further in their pursuit of the club’s fourth European Cup, according to Ferguson.

United’s manager learned yesterday that the next step in righting the wrong that was last May’s 2-0 defeat to Barcelona will be a last 16-tie with Milan.

The draw offers Ferguson the chance for revenge after the 5-3 aggregate defeat at the semi-final stage in 2007 – the last time the two clubs met.Ferguson, after success against Chelsea two years ago and last year’s failure, is already thinking of a third successive final.

“We have experience of two European Cup finals and what is important is that we lost the last final,” said the United manager. “It was the first time I have ever lost a European final. We know what went wrong, it was quite simple and it will make them want to get back to a final.

“Winning was great in Moscow but in some ways losing the final (in Rome) was even better for us. You realise what a big occasion it is because you are not part of the celebrations. Sometimes it goes over your head and everything happens so quickly because you are in such a joyous mood. But when you lose, the impact is far greater. It was a letdown for everyone,” said Ferguson, who has won two European Cups with United and two Cup-Winners’ Cup finals, one with United and one with Aberdeen.

Guardian Service