Carlo Ancelotti backs Chelsea

LONDON.
Carlo Ancelotti has backed his Chelsea flops to keep their season alive with a victory over FC Copenhagen in the Champions League soccer tonight.
The match kicks-off at 9:45pm.
Ancelotti’s beleaguered team head to Denmark for the first leg of their last 16 tie with morale at a low ebb after Saturday’s FA Cup exit against Everton.
Chelsea are a club in crisis in the aftermath of that fourth round replay defeat and Ancelotti’s job will be in severe danger if Copenhagen eliminate the Blues from Europe.
Ancelotti has already conceded that the English Premier League title is out of reach as Chelsea are 12 points behind leaders United and, with even a top four finish far from certain, the Italian knows it is essential his team show signs of life in the Champions League.
“It’s not an easy moment, obviously, because we have to play very important games,” Ancelotti said.
“Sometimes it’s good to play tough games because you are more focused, more competitive, so we don’t have to be afraid to play against Copenhagen. It could be a good motivation for us.
“We know Copenhagen very well. They are a good team, with fantastic organisation, a dynamic team, they use a lot of speed.
“It’s important to know this to prepare well for the game, and to have courage to play.”
Chelsea’s woeful run since November is a major stain on Ancelotti’s CV but the former AC Milan coach was hired by Blues owner Roman Abramovich because of his pedigree in Europe’s elite club competition.
Chelsea had reached five semi-finals and one final in the Champions League during the Abramovich era before Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan eliminated the Blues at this stage last season.
Failure to retain the English title would surely be overlooked if Ancelotti could finally deliver the Champions League trophy Abramovich has craved ever since buying the club.
Ancelotti believes he should only be judged once Chelsea’s European fate is decided and he said: “Until the end of the season, it’s 90 days, three months. And so, we have to give an opinion at the end of the season.
“It could be, again, a very good season for us because we want to stay in the Champions League and obviously reach fourth place.”
Copenhagen are regarded as one of the less formidable teams left in the competition, but the Danish champions are unbeaten at home in the Champions League, including a visit from Barcelona this season.
They also have a little inside knowledge of Chelsea, with former Blues winger Jesper Gronkjaer in their ranks.
Gronkjaer played a key role in Abramovich’s arrival at Stamford Bridge as it was his goal against Liverpool on the final day of the 2002-03 season which secured Champions League football for Chelsea, making the club a more attractive investment for the Russian, who bought the Blues just months later.
“That goal is said to have been enormously important,” Gronkjaer told the Sunday Times.
“We broke a long period in which Chelsea had not been in the Champions League. To score was a tremendous joy. It was among the most important matches I’ve played, though at the time we knew nothing about Abramovich.
“The summer that Abramovich arrived was crazy. We were on a training camp in Malaysia. One day, Wayne Bridge arrived, a couple of days later Damien Duff showed up, while a third player went home. We were all thinking, ‘Are we going to have a squad of 30 players?’
“Abramovich sat in the dressing room sometimes and other times he stood on the sidelines. I cannot say whether he actually has any football savvy but his presence meant that there was consistently a strong push to achieve.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admits his side have two major psychological barriers to overcome when travel to Lyon tonight for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
Nine-time winners Real have fallen at the last 16 stage in each of their last six seasons and Mourinho believes that is something his team have to get over along with the fact that Lyon eliminated Real 2-1 at this stage of the competition last season.
“There are two barriers we have to overcome: getting into the quarter-finals and overcoming a Lyon team that eliminated us the last time we met,” Mourinho said.
“I am not losing any sleep (over Lyon). Since the day the draw was made I have worked with my team to find out all the details about Lyon. We also have (Zinedine) Zidane who knows them well.”
French legend Zidane is an advisor to Real president Florentino Perez and has been giving Real inside information on his compatriots.
Real defeated Levante 2-0 on Saturday as Mourinho stretched his unbeaten league home record with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real to an incredible nine years.
Mourinho’s team have won all 12 of their league home matches but have not been as convincing away from home, dropping 12 points on the road, and have had one day’s less rest than their French opponents who played on Friday.
“I liked that my team played a serious match,” Mourinho said. “These games ahead of Champions League matches can be complicated because players may focus more on the European competition.
“Levante were organised in defence, but we scored early and had things under control. Winning and resting players is what mattered.”
Togo forward Emmanuel Adebayor, German midfielder Mesut Ozil and Spanish playmaker Xabi Alonso were all rested against Levante.
“I picked a team that was good enough to win the game but with respect to our opponents,” the Portuguese added. “We gave a rest to (Mesut) Ozil and Xabi (Alonso). Everyone knows they will play in Lyon against a team that have had 24 hours more rest than us, which is a lot.”
Cristiano Ronaldo started against Levante and Mourinho said his countryman was feeling fit and didn’t need to be rested ahead of the Lyon clash.
“Cristiano always likes to play. He is fine from a physical standpoint and does not feel tired, so why should I take him out?” asked Mourinho.
Ronaldo is confident that Real can take revenge on Lyon this season but is well aware of the threat posed by the seasoned European campaigners.
“We know it is going to be difficult but I think it will turn out well,” Ronaldo said.
“Lyon are a complicated team. They are not doing well in the league but in the Champions League they are always in the last 16. I think we are going to play well there and win the game.”
French international forward Karim Benzema scored the opening goal in the Levante win and hopes to get the chance to face his hometown club who sold him to Real for 35 million euros.
“It is a difficult match against a good team,” said Benzema.
“I am especially looking forward to it because I have my friends and family there. I hope to beat Lyon and win the Champions League.” – AFP.