SOCCER: ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS ROUND-UP:THE MOST important weapon in Chelsea's assault on next season's Premier League and Champions League was finally put in place yesterday as the club confirmed Andre Villas-Boas as its new manager, one month after sacking Carlo Ancelotti.
The 33-year-old signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge 24 hours after Chelsea paid a €15 million compensation fee to release him from Porto, the club where, in the space of just one season, he became the most sought-after young manager in Europe. His success rate has brought inevitable comparison with Jose Mourinho, for whom he formerly worked as an assistant at Porto, Chelsea and Internazionale, but his first public comments since taking charge at Stamford Bridge showed he is no Mourinho clone, as his introduction was quite different from his compatriot’s famous “Special One” inaugural address. “Don’t expect something from one man,” Villas-Boas told Chelsea TV.
“Expect us to create a group dynamic of everybody getting together, with the fans getting together, with people getting excited with the motivation that is in and around us. In the new way of communicating and the new leadership – this is the most important thing. It is not about my arrival. It is about the continuous success of this club.”
At Porto Villas-Boas went through the domestic league season unbeaten en route to a league and cup double and crowned that by also winning the Europa League.
He declared his determination to carry on that triumphant momentum: “There is no doubt that the challenge for me is to keep winning. I am an individual who has that hunger for success and I want to keep it that way.”
Villas-Boas brought not only success to Porto but also excitement, cultivating a more attacking style of football than the one most commonly associated with Mourinho. That will have weighed on the decision of Roman Abramovich, who wants his extravagant investment in the London club to be rewarded with entertainment as well as the biggest trophies.
“Andre was the outstanding candidate for the job,” read an official statement from Chelsea. “He is one of the most talented young managers in football today and has already achieved much in a relatively short space of time. His ambition, drive and determination matches that of Chelsea and we are confident Andre’s leadership of the team will result in greater successes in major domestic and European competitions.
“Andre will bring his coaching experience back to a club he is already very familiar with, having previously worked here for three years. He has always been highly regarded at Chelsea and everyone here looks forward to welcoming him back and working with him.”
Chelsea’s senior players do not return from holiday until July 2nd but Villas-Boas is already in London, running the rule over Stamford Bridge and the club’s training ground in Cobham and discussing the other components in the club’s rebuilding plan, following the disappointing season that lead to his predecessor’s dismissal.
The club is expected to spend heavily on new players, with Tottenham’s Luka Modric remaining a target and Villas-Boas contemplating a bid to bring the Colombian striker Radamel Falcao with him from Porto.
One indication the transfer may be imminent is Falcao recently changed agents, hiring Jorge Mendes, who has close links with Chelsea. Villas-Boas had wanted his assistant at Porto, Vitor Pereira, to come with him to London but Pereira has decided to take up the offer of replacing Villas-Boas as Porto manager.
ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS FACTFILE
1977:Born October 17th in Porto.
1993:Invited to work as a trainee with Porto's youth team coaches by manager Bobby Robson.
1994:Achieves Uefa C coaching licence in Scotland.
2000:Takes charge of the British Virgin Islands for two international matches. Both end in defeat.
2002:Becomes part of Jose Mourinho's backroom staff at Porto.
2004:Follows Mourinho to Chelsea.
2008:Moves with Mourinho to Inter Milan.
2009:Appointed manager of Academica, with club bottom of the table. Villas-Boas guides them to an 11th-place finish and a League Cup semi-final.
2010:Appointed manager of boyhood club Porto.
2 011:Leads Porto to their 25th league title.Porto win Europa League with a 1-0 triumph over fellow Portuguese side Braga.
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