Author: Adam

Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink has admitted that he was approached by clubs in the Chinese Super League before he took temporary charge of the West London club.

The 69-year-old was brought in in December when the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, decided to sack Jose Mourinho for the second time. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ had lead Chelsea to their worst start in a top-flight campaign since the 1960s when Abramovich decided that enough was enough.

Hiddink was brought in to Stamford Bridge to stabilise things for the second time in his managerial career. He also came in to relieve Luis Felipe Scolari of his duties in February 2009, leading the current defending Premier League champions to the FA Cup that year.

Hiddink admitted that he had been offered a chance to head to the lucrative market in China before he got the phone call from Chelsea’s Russian owner in December. He said, “I had some possibilities to go there in the recent past”. China is throwing a lot of money at the game at the moment, with the West London club selling Ramires to Jiangsu Suning in January for £25 million.

Jackson Martinez, the Colombian striker, signed for Guangzhou Evergrande for £31 million in the same month and Liverpool target Alex Teixeira left Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk to join Ramires at Jiangsu Suning for £38.4 million. Former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu manages Jiangsu Suning, whilst former England manager Sven Goran Eriksson and the previously mentioned Brazilian Scolari are also plying their trade in China.

£175 million was spent in the Chinese transfer window, more than was spent by club’s in the Premier League. Hiddink never seriously considered heading to China, however, believing that it is the global appeal of the English domestic league that makes it such a special place to work.

Hiddink said, “When you travel around the world, the Premier League is so attractive, attracting a lot of people. In the biggest cities to the smallest villages, wherever in the world there is a satellite showing Premier League. Clubs in England cannot complain about having no income in the near future [because of the new broadcast deal]”.

Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink has said that he thinks people put too much stock into possession stats.

Chelsea played Manchester United over the weekend and the two clubs shared the possession of the ball reasonably evenly: The Blues had 49% possession compared to United’s 51%. Prior to that game, however, the Manchester club had enjoyed plenty of possession in their matches without creating many chances.

Their possession-based football drew criticism from the team’s shirt sponsor Adidas, but Hiddink felt it was unfair. He said, “You must not overrate the amount of possession. Most teams want the ball. What do you do with it? Say we had 65, 67 and 70% possession, but our opponents said, ‘We don’t care how much possession you have, we have the score on our side’. Do you secure your way of playing? Or do you go as soon as possible into the attack? I prefer the latter option. The first thought must be vertical”.

The possession stats weren’t the only thing that were shared on the day with both clubs also taking a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

John Terry spoke to the press after the club’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United over the weekend and admitted that there’s still been ‘no communication’ between him and the club’s hierarchy over the possibility of a new contract.

Terry announced two weeks ago that he has not been offered a new contract for when his current one expires at the end of the current season, admitting that he’ll leave Chelsea and explore the possibility of a career abroad. He has been linked with clubs in Qatar and America as well as the chance of a lucrative move to the ever-expanding Chinese Super League.

After Terry’s announcement Guus Hiddink, the club’s interim manager, suggested that Chelsea could yet find ways to keep the captain at the club beyond the end of the season. Terry, meanwhile, said that nothing had changed ‘from [his] point of view’.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game Terry said, “I made it very clear I wanted to stay. It’s a difficult one. The club is the most important thing. There is no communication between me and the club at the moment. I’ll never forget my memories here and they will live with me forever”.

Terry’s frustration has grown as he’s watched other players, such as Branislav Ivanovic, get offered new contracts whilst he hasn’t been. The 35 year old has enjoyed a stellar career at the West London club, winning Premier Leagues, FA Cups, League Cups and the Champions League. His time at the Blues hasn’t been without controversy, however. Terry was stripped of the captaincy on two occasions; once when he had an affair with the partner of his former team-mate Wayne Bridge and once when he was found guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

Chelsea’s 35-year-old captain John Terry will not sign a new contract at the club and will leave in the summer, according to reports.

Terry joined Chelsea as a 14-year-old and has so far played 696 games for the West London club, winning the Premier League four times, the FA Cup five times and the Champion’s League once. Much like with his former team-mate Frank Lampard, though, he’s decided to call time on his Chelsea career, saying, “Ideally, I would have loved to stay, but the club’s moving in a different direction”.

There does seem to be some confusion over the matter, however, with the club themselves suggesting an agreement could yet be reached to keep their captain at the club. A spokesman for Chelsea said, “John was advised that while no new deal was currently on the table, that situation could change in the coming months. The club has the utmost respect for John and everything he has helped us achieve to date. He is a fantastic servant of Chelsea and a superb captain. As such, the club will keep the channels of dialogue open”.

Terry, though, seems convinced that he’ll be moving on, saying, “It’s a ‘no’ at the minute. The club will move on. No player is ever bigger than the club. No doubt they’ll sign one or two great centre-backs. I feel as though I’m in great nick, I’m playing great and I’ve got a couple of years to go”.

Several people agree with Terry, including his current centre-back partner Kurt Zouma who said, “I think he can play for another one or two years. For me, he can play many more times. He is still at a top level. He has been playing very well since I arrived at Chelsea. His performances have been consistent. Since I have been at the club, I haven’t seen him play badly. That’s the truth.

Chris Sutton, who played for Chelsea in the 1999-2000 season, said it was ‘disappointing’ that Chelsea were willing to allow Terry to leave. He told BBC Radio 5 live, “Clubs don’t show enough loyalty to players. John Terry’s been a tremendous servant, he’s been outstanding for the last 15 or 20 years for Chelsea and he deserves better”.

The chair of the Chelsea Supporters Group, Trizia Fiorellino, confirmed that Chelsea fans feel similarly disappointed by the news, saying, “He played every minute of every league game last season and we won the title. I think the club owe us an explanation”.

Terry is certain that if he does leave the club then it won’t be for another English team. He said, “It will be elsewhere for sure. I couldn’t play for another Premier League club. It’s not going to be a fairytale ending. I’m not going to retire at Chelsea, which it took me a couple of days to get over”.

Terry has played more games for a single club than anyone other than Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. He has notched up 477 leagues games for the defending Premier League champions and has captained the team during their most successful ever spell. He is also the highest-scoring defender ever in the Premier League with 40 goals to his name.

Terry saw his game time limited under Jose Mourinho at the start of this season, with the Portuguese boss even substituting him at half-time during Chelsea’s loss to Manchester City at The Etihad in August. The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sacked by Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, at the end of last year and Guus Hiddink came in to replace him on an interim basis. Hiddink has restored Terry to the Blues’ starting line-up since his arrival.

Though the Chelsea defender’s career has been littered with numerous successes, he’s also suffered his fair share of problems during his time at the club. In the 2008 Champions League final he missed the penalty that saw Manchester United lift the cup, whilst in 2010 he was temporarily stripped of the club’s captaincy after it emerged that he had had an affair with his former team-mate Wayne Bridge’s partner. He was also stripped of the captaincy in 2012 and banned for four matches after he was found guilty of racially abusing Queen’s Park Rangers’s defender Anton Ferdinand by the Football Association.

The communication between the players at Chelsea is better since the arrival of interim manager Guus Hiddink, according to their midfielder John Obi Mikel.

Hiddink was brought in by Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich when the Russian billionaire decided to sack Jose Mourinho for the second time at the end of last year. Chelsea endured their worst start since the late 1960s under the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, with the Blues losing nine times in the league under the Portuguese manager.

The defending Premier League champions haven’t lost since the Dutchman took over at the helm, however, and Mikel believes that that is down to the improved communication in the ranks under their interim boss. He said, “It’s the way he communicates with the players and maybe that’s what the players felt they didn’t get from the previous manager”.

Mikel also felt that Jose Mourinho often froze players out if they weren’t in the first-team. He said, “Sometimes players – not just because they’re not playing – you need to communicate with them. You need to speak to them and don’t just ignore them because players like to be communicated to. This is what he has brought into the football club. In some ways you barely know he is in there, he is that calm and relaxed”.

Mikel was rumoured to be the subject of numerous bids last summer, but the Portuguese manager refused to sanction his departure from London. The Nigerian rarely started under Mourinho this term, however, only featuring regularly once Hiddink arrived as the club’s interim manager.

This is the second time that Hiddink has come into the West London club as their interim manager. He was also brought in in 2009 when Abramovich decided to sack Luis Felipe Scolari after the Brazilian failed to replicate his international form at club level in the Premier League. He led them to the FA Cup that season, something that could yet be replicated in this campaign.

The defending Premier League champions have been drawn to face Manchester City in the next round of the FA Cup, sponsored by Emirates.

Chelsea beat Milton Keynes Dons by 5 goals to 1 in the fourth round of the competition, meaning that they entered the draw for the next round. The ties will take place on the weekend of the 19th through to the 22nd of February.

Though there are some juicy ties to look out for, including the lowest-ranked team remaining in the competition, League One’s Shrewsbury Side, playing host the Manchester United, it is undoubtedly the match-up between the two most recent Premier League champions that has caught the eye.

It will be Manchester City’s third tie away from home against Premier League opposition in the competition so far and Chelsea’s interim manager, Guus Hiddink, thinks it will be a ‘huge game’. When asked about the draw he said, “It’s already a final!”.

Chelsea’s battling midfielder Ramires has left the club to join the Chinese team Jiangsu Suning in a move believed to be worth in the region of £25 million.

The Brazilian signed a new four-year deal in October of last year but has only made seven league appearances for the Blues so far this season. He originally joined the club from Benfica in 2010 for £17 million and went on to make 251 appearances, scoring 34 goals.

Ramires won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League during his time with the current defending Premier League champions but his lack of playing time has caused him to look elsewhere for the betterment of his career.

Jiangsu are currently managed by former Chelsea defender Dan Petrescu and finished ninth in the top-tier of China’s football leagues last year. The country has been attempting to better its image in recent months and have made efforts to sign several high profile players.

The Independent newspaper has revealed that Gary Cahill is ready to leave Chelsea Football Club in order to salvage his England career.

The defender is getting increasingly frustrated with his lack of first-team football and would consider leaving the London club if it meant he was more likely to be considered for Roy Hodgson for England’s European Championship squad.

Although Cahill is England’s vice-captain and has made more than 170 appearances for the defending Premier League champions, he has only appeared 12 times for the Blues in the league so far this season. He has fallen down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, with John Terry and Kurt Zouma becoming the regular starters under the interim manager Guus Hiddink.

The 30 year old cost Chelsea £7 million when they bought him from Bolton in the 2012 January transfer window. He made 10 appearances under Jose Mourinho before the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sacked by Roman Abramovich, the club’s owner, after leading Chelsea to their worst start to a top-flight campaign since the late 1960s.

He has played two games since Dutchman Hiddink took over from Mourinho and feels he is now at a ‘crossroads in his career’. His lack of appearances has left him ‘genuinely concerned’ about his chances of starting for England in the European Championships in France this summer. He played in eight of the national side’s ten games, all of which they won, as they qualified for the tournament with ease.

The emergence of John Stones at Everton, a player that the Blues tried to sign in the summer transfer window, and Chris Smalling at Manchester United has left the defender with real concerns about the likelihood of him starting for England in the Euros. This despite the fact that he won his 40th cap in a match against France in November last year.

Cahill will almost certainly be snapped up by any of the top clubs should his services become available. In May last year he became the fastest player in the Premier League era to win all five of the major trophies in the club game. Over the last three years with the Blues he has won the Fa Cup, the Champions League, the Europa League, the League Cup and the Premier League.

The Football Association have fined both West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea for failing to control their their players during an ill-tempered game at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

West Brom came from behind on two different occasions to earn themselves a draw in the match, but there were numerous flashpoints concerning both sets of supporters. Chelsea’s forward Diego Costa was involved in several contentious moments, most notably with West Brom’s Claudio Yacob after he was tripped in the game.

Yacob was already on a yellow card when he brought Costa down and Tony Pulis, the West Brom manager, substituted him shortly after. Guus Hiddink, Chelsea’s interim manager who was brought in after the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, sacked Jose Mourinho last year, had some choice words about the referee’s performance after the match.

Speaking to Jon Moss, the fourth official, about Anthony Taylor’s performance in the middle of the pitch Hiddink said, “I told him: ‘This is one of the worst referees of the Premier League I have experienced’. He said to me ‘you haven’t seen me yet’, which was a beautiful remark I think”.

Chelsea have been fined £65,000 by the FA whilst West Brom face a £35,000 fine. In a statement the Football Association confirmed that the financial punishment had been doled out because both Premier League clubs ‘failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion’.

Christian Atsu has left Chelsea Football Club to join Malaga, the Spanish side, on loan until the end of the season it has been revealed.

Atsu was brought in to Stamford Bridge from Porto in September 2013 but hasn’t yet made a competitive appearance for the Blues. He has been on loan at Bournemouth so far this season but didn’t make any Premier League appearances for the South coast club.

As is the case with many of Chelsea’s younger players, the Ghanian has spent most of his time signed to the club on loan elsewhere. He was at Everton last season and has also spent time with Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie.

Atsu initially told BBC Sport that he was heading to Levante, another Spanish club, but the move didn’t come off and so Malaga jumped in. The 24 year old said, “Spanish football will suit me. A player should be able to play in any league but right now it’s not what suits you or doesn’t suit you it’s where I will get time to play”.

Chelsea released a statement on their official website confirming that the player would head to the Primera Division side to ‘continue his development’.