Round 1: Ancelotti VS Mourinho

limpper SG

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists he's not bothered by having to live up to the achievements of former manager Jose Mourinho.

Ancelotti traded barbs with Mourinho in Milan last season and said: “I do not know any ‘Special One’.

"But I do know Mourinho and I appreciate he is a very talented Coach.”

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Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has reignited his feud with Carlo Ancelotti, saying he is 'no friend' of the Chelsea boss.

Mourinho had a difficult relationship with a number of his fellow coaches in Serie A last season, and he exchanged words with former Milan boss Ancelotti on several occasions.

At his first press conference as Chelsea boss, Ancelotti said he did not want to be compared to Mourinho and added: "I don't know any 'Special One'."

And, when a British journalist asked Mourinho about 'his friend' Ancelotti at the Inter press conference on Friday, the Portuguese replied: "He is not my friend.

"He is a good coach with plenty of experience and could do well.

"Ancelotti says he doesn't know any 'Special One'? I don't either, but I do know a coach who won two consecutive titles with Chelsea after 50 years without winning it."

He added: "In England, they now say that he is Prince Charles, but I only know one Prince Charles - the Prince of Wales."

Ancelotti, though, has said that there is no 'war' with Mourinho and reiterated that he would like to put his own stamp on Chelsea.

"I think Mourinho is a great coach because he won a lot of trophies but it's not a war between Mourinho and me," he said.

"It's normal that he is popular in Chelsea because he won the Premier League but I also want to win it. I also want to be popular with the fans.

"I'm not sure if the period of time here will be long or short but I want the people to remember me."

Mourinho, meanwhile, refused to be drawn on whether Inter could make a fresh attempt to sign Blues duo Ricardo Carvalho and Deco.

"I don't want to talk about that," he said.

"I only speak about the players we have at the club.

"However, the transfer market will be open for a long time."

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Carlo is NOT Prince Charles!

Last season Inter Milan boss Mourinho clashed with the Italian, who used to manage AC, when they shared the San Siro.

Now new Chelsea chief Ancelotti will wake up today facing a new broadside from the Portugeezer.

Mourinho said: "They say of Ancelotti in England that he is Prince Charles.

"But I only know one Prince Charles - and that is the Prince of Wales. Ancelotti is no friend of mine."

Mourinho was hitting out in response to a dig from Ancelotti earlier this week in which he refused to acknowledge his predecessor's self-appointed status as The Special One.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are attempting to sort the John Terry saga within the next five days.

Ancelotti takes his squad on a summer tour of the USA on Thursday.

But there are now genuine fears that the Blues skipper's 'head could go' in his standoff with the club over interest from Manchester City and that he may end up leaving Stamford Bridge.

Blues insiders believe Terry is upset that Ancelotti spoke out on Monday BEFORE talking to him about City's ongoing interest - and that this is at the heart of the problem.

Talks between miffed Terry and the Blues top brass are planned for the next few days, even though Chelsea still insist there is no issue to be resolved.

Ancelotti publicly declared England centre-half Terry is not for sale at any price and that the case is closed.

But behind the scenes there are moves to try to nip a growing rift in the bud between the club and their iconic captain before matters get out of hand.

Chelsea kick off their US tour with a friendly against Seattle Sounders a week today.

But midfielder Joe Cole may not be among the party.

Cole is set to be left behind by Ancelotti as he continues rehab work following knee surgery.

Chelsea medics believe the long flights - and four matches crammed into 10 days - would not suit the England star's recovery.

He is back in pre-season training and a firm decision will be made in the next few days.

Cole has also had preliminary contract talks with Chelsea as he enters the last year of his current deal.

But both parties agree there is no rush.

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ONE MOUR TIME ... Ancelotti aims to win over Chelsea fans

Italian Ancelotti is the fourth manager at Stamford Bridge since Mourinho left in September 2007 after winning every domestic competition.

Only the Champions League crown eluded the 'Special One' during his spell at Chelsea.

Since then Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Ray Wilkins and Guus Hiddink have all taken turns in charge.

Now Ancelotti is determined to become as popular and as successful as Mourinho.

Ancelotti said: "Mourinho is a great coach because he won a lot of trophies but it's not a war between us.

"It's natural that he is popular in Chelsea because he won the Premier League but I also want to win it. I also want to be popular with the fans.

"I'm not sure if the period of time here will be long or short but I want the people to remember me."

Ancelotti's most immediate chance of winning over the fans is to end the uncertainty over the future of his captain John Terry.

The defender is still being courted by Manchester City although Chelsea insist that he is not for sale at any price.

City have already had a £30million bid rejected by the Blues but are expected to return with an even higher offer if they feel relations between Terry and Chelsea become strained.

Terry held talks with Ancelotti at the club's Cobham training ground after returning from his summer break.

He is also believed to have spoken with club director Eugene Tenenbaum, although chief executive Peter Kenyon and owner Roman Abramovich were not there.

Chelsea have already scoffed at suggestions that they failed to keep Terry in the loop over City's interest and insist there has been no major change to the player's stance since City first declared their interest last January.

Terry is more likely to stay for another tilt at the Champions League and is expected to press Chelsea for a new, more lucrative contract, with wages closer to Manchester City's reported offer of £200,000 a week.

The club are almost certain to improve the defender's contract before City's billionaire owners return with another bid.

After the FA Cup final victory over Everton last May, Terry said he hoped the club would bring in players of the quality and class of David Villa and Franck Ribery.

But so far, goalkeeper Ross Turnbull, teenage striker Daniel Sturridge and Russia left-back Yuri Zhirkov have been the only additions to a squad that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season.

AEW5001 SG

whoa

so fast declare war on each other

marcteng SG

mourinho jealous la ancelotti joined chelsea. he is kinda worried that ancelotti may win the CL lol, something which he never achieve it at chelsea.

ViNnO SG

Yes man! The upcoming soccer year is gonna be so interesting. lol.