Chelsea

Chelsea agree to back Asian game
Chelsea have agreed to assist the Asian Football Confederation with its grassroots development programme. Chief executive Peter Kenyon has signed a deal with AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam to work on their new Vision China project. Hammam said: "This is the first time a club from Europe has introduced itself to Asia as a developer of football." Kenyon said of the deal: "We're not in this to identify or get players cheap or to come on tours." He added: "This is a long-term market for us, it's a critical part of the world. "We operate in a global market for talent anyway and we have 17 different nationalities playing for Chelsea. "It's obvious when you look at the growth of the sport here that there are players from this region playing at the top level in Europe but that's not the primary focus here. It's really to be part of the development long term."

Chelsea set to defend FA charge
Chelsea will be at Football Association headquarters on Thursday to defend themselves over a charge of failing to control their players. The charges relates to their game against West Brom on 4 March. Several Chelsea players surrounded referee Mark Halsey following a foul by Baggies midfielder Ronnie Wallwork on Claude Makelele. Halsey reported the incident to the FA, stating that some Chelsea players had "pressurised" him. The Stamford Bridge side will make their case to a four-man disciplinary committee, with the maximum punishment carrying a £250,000 fine. Chelsea won the match at The Hawthorns and it was a game in which Blues winger Arjen Robben was sent off for a foul on Jonathan Greening. There were also heated exchanges between West Brom manager Bryan Robson and Blues boss Jose Mourinho. The FA wrote to both Robson and Mourinho to remind them of their responsibilities after the game. Chelsea also face a similar charge resulting from their 1-0 defeat by Fulham on 19 March.

FA hits Chelsea with £10,000 fine
Chelsea have been fined £10,000 by the Football Association and warned as to their future conduct for failing to control their players at West Brom. Several Chelsea players surrounded referee Mark Halsey after a foul by WBA's Ronnie Wallwork on Claude Makelele during the 4 March game. Halsey reported the incident and said some players "pressurised" him. Chelsea denied the charges and requested a personal hearing but at an FA hearing they lost their case. Chelsea won the match at The Hawthorns and it was a game in which Blues winger Arjen Robben was sent off for a foul on Jonathan Greening. There were also heated exchanges between West Brom manager Bryan Robson and Blues boss Jose Mourinho. The FA wrote to both Robson and Mourinho to remind them of their responsibilities after the game. Chelsea also face a similar charge resulting from their 1-0 defeat by Fulham on 19 March.

Chelsea v Man Utd
Eidur Gudjohnsen returns to the Chelsea squad after missing the FA Cup semi-final through illness. Midfielder Maniche is available after serving a three-match ban and Petr Cech is likely to return in goal. Gabriel Heinze's hopes of first-team action before the end of the campaign were dashed after picking up a groin injury in a midweek reserve game. Louis Saha has recovered from an ankle injury to battle for a place with Ruud van Nistelrooy. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chelsea: (from) Cech, Cudicini, Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Huth, Del Horno, Gallas, Makelele, Lampard, Essien, Geremi, Maniche, Duff, J Cole, Wright-Phillips, Robben, Drogba, Crespo. Man Utd: (from) Van der Sar, Howard, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Evra, Ronaldo, Giggs, O'Shea, Richardson, Park, Rooney, Van Nistelrooy, Saha, Rossi, Pique. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole on bouncing back from the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool: "We've had a good time in training this week, working hard. Last Saturday's gone and now all we can do is achieve the remarkable feat of putting back-to-back titles together. "I always enjoy training and everybody has been looking good. It's going to be a big game in Chelsea history. "Everyone wants to be playing but it is down to the manager and he has a fully fit squad more or less to pick from." Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand: "We know we need to start well next time round and to do that we need to make sure we finish well. "Saturday's game is a massive one for us. They'll obviously be trying to win the league but it's up to us to try and delay that for as long as possible. "They've been very consistent this season and deserve credit for that. We could have put a bit more pressure on them if we hadn't slipped up against Sunderland but it wasn't to be."

Blackburn v Chelsea
Blackburn defender Ryan Nelson looks certain to miss the visit of the champions with a calf injury. With skipper Andy Todd also missing, Rovers boss Mark Hughes will continue with Lucas Neill at centre-half and Steven Reid at right-back. Chelsea's John Terry will miss his first league game of the season after requiring stitches in a leg wound. Michael Essien, Claude Makelele and Didier Drogba have remained in London for treatment on unspecified injuries. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blackburn (from): Friedel, Neill, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Emerton, Savage, Kuqi, Dickov, Bellamy, Pedersen, Reid, Mokoena, Tugay, Pongolle, Gallagher, Matteo, Bentley, Peter, Enckelman. Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Ferreira, Carvalho, Huth, Gallas, Del Horno, Lampard, Maniche, Diarra, Geremi, Gudjohnsen, Robben, J Cole, Duff, Wright-Phillips, Crespo, C Cole. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blackburn Rovers boss Mark Hughes: "It's all set up for us to get the European place we're all striving for and if we finish it off it would be something special. "We've two games left and want to get it done and dusted as soon as we can. "If we can clinch it by beating the champions it would be a real feather in our cap." Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard: "Back-to-back champions is what we set out to do at the start of the season. "We knew there was a spell when we'd hit a rocky patch. It's a cliché but, when you are champions, teams want to beat you and it hasn't been easy. "But if you look at the points gap now, it is similar to last year and it shows what a great feat we have achieved."

Robben denies Chelsea exit report
Chelsea winger Arjen Robben has denied he is unhappy at Stamford Bridge and wants to leave the club. The 22-year-old also admitted he has not produced his best form for the Premiership champions, despite helping them seal back-to-back titles. "I can assure you that that is not true," he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad when asked if he would be leaving Chelsea in the summer. But he revealed he had hoped to play a "more important role this season". He added: "During my first year I could easily make the difference in the game, something that I have not been able to do in the past months. "I didn't have a great start to the season. I had trouble with some injuries. "I also believe that other players have managed to prepare and defend themselves more against my way of playing." Robben has struggled to recapture his best form since February 2005 when he broke two bones in his foot in a tackle from Blackburn's Aaron Mokoena. But, despite his indifferent form, he insisted his team-mates "fully deserved this title". He said: "It is in the hands of the rightful owner. We built up a large lead early in the season and we managed to keep it up all the way through."

Chelsea prepare to unveil Ballack
Chelsea are expected to announce the signing of Germany captain Michael Ballack at a news conference at 1230 BST on Monday. Midfielder Ballack, 29, is out of contract at Bayern Munich and has been lured by Chelsea on a free transfer. "It's fantastic for the club," said Chelsea winger Joe Cole. "He is a world-class player, the more world-class players we have, the more games we will win and the more titles we will win." Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said: "I'm happy and very proud. I'm happy with the conversation I had with Michael and that is the reason he decided to come here." Chelsea, who have also been linked with forwards Andriy Shevchenko and Samuel Eto'o, have said they want to sign three new players this summer. Ballack, who led Bayern to three Bundesliga championships and three German cups in his four years in Munich, was jeered by fans in his final appearance for the club against Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder scored Bayern's third goal in the 3-3 draw. After the game he blamed the club's management for manipulating public sentiment against him after he said he wanted to move to Chelsea for next season. "Those things got whipped up a bit in recent weeks after some remarks by the club's management," Ballack told Premiere television. "The fans are sensitive to what is said but I always tried hard to do my job and that should be honoured. "I want a new challenge now. I've got to accept some jeering. It shows I was an important player but it does hurt." The jeers began at a ceremony before the match when Ballack, Bixente Lizarazu and Jens Jeremies, who are also leaving the club, were given flowers. The booing continued into the first half until Bayern commercial manager Uli Honess went out in front of the crowd to appeal to the fans to stop jeering. "I wasn't trying to mess anyone about," added Ballack. "I was not able to make a decision sooner and could not force a decision just because Bayern managers demanded one. "There are a lot of others at Bayern who don't know whether they have a future at Bayern Munich or not. "I've had a great time here and felt good with a great team that won a lot of titles."

Chelsea announce Ballack capture
Chelsea have unveiled Germany captain Michael Ballack as their first signing of the summer. The 29-year-old midfielder has arrived on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract with Bayern Munich. Ballack was also coveted by Manchester United but chose to join Chelsea and has signed a three-year-deal. He said: "I asked some players about England - Robert Huth, Jens Lehmann - and they told me good things about this country and I am happy to be here." Where will Chelsea play Ballack? Ballack helped Bayern Munich to three league titles during his four years at the club. But he rejected the offer of a new deal to stay with Bayern and was jeered by fans in his final appearance for the club against Borussia Dortmund. His arrival will increase the competition in Chelsea's central midfield - where Frank Lampard, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien have been regulars this season. Lampard has reiterated his desire to stay at Chelsea, despite apparent interest from Barcelona, and manager Jose Mourinho also eased any fears the England international may have had over his place. "How can Michael's arrival affect Lampard and the team?" asked Mourinho. "It will affect it a lot because Lampard wants top players to play with him and the team want good players to improve the team. "I look forward to working with them and look forward to playing both together." Ballack began his career with Chemnitz and had spells at Kaiserslautern and Bayer Leverkusen before moving to Bayern Munich. He was crowned German footballer of the year in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Mourinho added: "Chelsea is very happy and we think English football should be very happy Ballack plays for Chelsea and plays in the Premiership. "We have a team of champions and to improve a team of champions we need champions. "A champion is coming here to help follow our target for next year." The club have also been linked with AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko as they attempt to bolster their attack. And Mourinho said: "Is Ballack the first of many? No. He is the first of a few because we don't need a lot of players, just two or three very good players. "We have now been champions for two consecutive years and we want to be more than that. "We have already the team, now we need two or three world-class players to join the special team we have to make it even better than that."

Pearce drops Wright-Phillips hint
Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce says winger Shaun Wright-Phillips would be welcome back at the club - only a year after his £21m transfer to Chelsea. Since his move, the 24-year-old star has only had limited chances at Stamford Bridge and missed out on a place in England's World Cup squad. "If Chelsea are looking to put him somewhere on loan for the season we would be in the mix," said Pearce. "The club has an affinity for him and vice-versa. It would give us a lift." Pearce said he had been thinking about a loan deal for Wright-Phillips for some time. "That is no surprise to Chelsea because we talked in the transfer window about that possibility and we have talked to them this summer already about that," he added. "I am surprised he is not going to the World Cup. He is a very talented player and we all know at City what he can do. "I'm sure the disappointment of not being in the squad this summer will spur him on for next year. He is that sort of kid." Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon has said three players will be leaving the club, with three new ones coming in in the summer. But he insisted Wright-Phillips will not be one of the players to depart.

Cole's agent requests FA hearing
Ashley Cole's agent Jonathan Barnett has requested a personal hearing from the Football Association after denying charges of breaching their rules. The case relates to Barnett's alleged involvement in a meeting between Cole, who plays for Arsenal, and Chelsea representatives in January 2005. Cole, Chelsea and Blues manager Jose Mourinho were fined over the incident. Barnett has also been accused of breaching Fifa's code of conduct governing players' agents. The code requires agents to respect the rights of third parties, in this case Arsenal. Barnett was charged by the FA under Rule E1 (e) which covers breaches of the rules of leagues affiliated to the FA. It is alleged he brought about a breach by Cole of Premier League Rule K5 which relates to illegal approaches to clubs by players under contract. No date has yet been set for Barnett's hearing. Chelsea were fined £300,000 and handed them a suspended three-point deduction when the Premier League investigated the case last year. Mourinho and Cole were also fined £75,000 apiece, with Cole failing in an appeal against his punishment. All three were said to have breached league rules by meeting without Arsenal's knowledge. Chelsea were found guilty of breaking Premier League rule K3, forbidding them approaching Cole by any means while he was under contract. Cole was found to be in breach of rule K5, which stopped him from approaching Chelsea with a view to negotiating a transfer without permission from Arsenal.

Chelsea to discuss Lampard deal
Frank Lampard will begin contract talks with Chelsea after the World Cup, according to the England star's agent. The 28-year-old midfielder has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge but recently revealed his intentions to stay at the club. Agent Steve Kutner said: "I have spoken to Peter Kenyon and we are looking to sit down shortly after the World Cup." Lampard has three years left on the five-year deal he signed in the summer of 2004. Meanwhile, new signing Michael Ballack has revealed he expects to finish his career at Chelsea. The 29-year-old German completed his free transfer from Bayern Munich, signing a three-year deal, and said he hoped it would be his last club. "I'd like to finish my career here," Ballack said. "I hope things work out well and that we're successful in the next three years and the possibility will exist to extend that contract. "You could say that is my vision at the moment, to end my career at Chelsea." Ballack may face his new team-mates during the summer with the prospect of England and Germany playing each other in the second round of the World Cup. He added: "Germany always has great respect for England, comparable with Brazil, Italy and Argentina. "The strengths of the English midfield are well known but, given that, the people of Germany would always look forward to England playing Germany. "It is always a big game. It is a duel and we will look forward to renewing that duel."

Chelsea await Shevchenko decision
Chelsea are hoping that AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko will confirm his intention to move to Stamford Bridge on Thursday afternoon. Milan have reportedly offered him a new deal which would keep him at the club on a £115,000 weekly wage until 2011. But Chelsea are prepared to pay £35m to bring the 29-year-old to London on a four-year deal worth £130,000 a week. "Shevchenko wants to leave but we will do everything we can to keep him," said Milan president Silvio Berlusconi. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been keen to sign Shevchenko since taking charge of the club three years ago. He has never previously indicated an intention to move to Chelsea, but he appears to have warmed to the idea this season. Asked recently if he was heading for England, Shevchenko told Gazzetta dello Sport: "I'm considering it and you will know my decision on the 24th or 25th May. "I never said I had made my mind up to go to Chelsea. I just said that I was thinking about it for family reasons." Shevchenko had said earlier this month that he was considering leaving the club this summer for family reasons. He is married to American model Kristen Pazik, who is friendly with Abramovich's wife Irina. But he remains extremely popular with the Milan fans, who have a 10,000-signature petition urging him to stay. He has insisted he would not be moving to Chelsea for financial reasons, saying: "When you play for a successful club, it is not easy to find the time to learn another language. "I don't speak the language of my wife and my son." Shevchenko joined Milan from Dynamo Kiev in 1999 and has scored 19 Serie A goals this season. He will captain Ukraine at the World Cup finals in Germany this summer.

Everton to hijack Wigan Huth move
Everton are set to beat Wigan to the signing of Chelsea defender Robert Huth, Sir stanley understands. The Toffees - who are also going to pip the Latics to the signing of Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson - will have a £5.5m bid accepted by Chelsea. And the Goodison Park club are confident Huth will choose them ahead of Wigan, just as Johnson has. Centre-back Huth, 21, is currently with the German national team in Geneva preparing for the World Cup. He has said previously that he will have showdown talks with boss Jose Mourinho about his lack of first-team action. "I've not heard about Wigan's interest. All I know is that I am not happy at the moment. After the World Cup I will speak to Jose Mourinho," he said. He added: "Even a transfer to the Bundesliga is a possibility. It's all open. Nothing has been decided yet." However, it is understood Everton are now in pole position to land the player.

Germany suffer Huth injury fear
Germany defender Robert Huth suffered an injury scare in the World Cup hosts' 7-0 win over Luxembourg. The Chelsea centre-back twisted an ankle and was replaced by Per Mertesacker at half-time. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Huth would undergo an examination at Germany's pre-World Cup base in Switzerland to determine the extent of the damage. Germany skipper Michael Ballack also has an ankle injury that forced him to miss the warm-up match with Luxembourg.

Chelsea set to sign striker Kalou
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Feyenoord to bring striker Salomon Kalou to the Premiership. The 20-year-old will complete his move from the Turkish club to Stamford Bridge once he has passed a medical and agreed personal terms. Kalou scored 15 goals in 35 games for Feyenoord last season. The striker was born in Ivory Coast and lost his bid to obtain Dutch nationality in time to play for Holland during this summer's World Cup. Kalou is the younger brother of Ivory Coast captain Bonaventure Kalou, who plays for Paris St Germain. Supported by Netherlands coach Marco van Basten and the country's former playmaker Johan Cruyff, Kalou applied for Dutch citizenship but was denied by Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk. She told parliament in March that Kalou did not fulfil the criteria for fast-track citizenship and would have to retake a Dutch language and culture test. Kalou is Jose Mourinho's second target of the summer after midfielder Michael Ballack arrived from Bayern Munich on a free.

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