Ancelotti: I will not be joining Chelsea this summer
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Chelsea players want Zola and Clarke back at the Bridge as Blues prepare to name new boss in next 24 hours
Dream team: Zola (left) and Clarke still have plenty of fans at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea players have told the hierarchy they want club legends Gianfranco Zola and Steve Clarke to become the new management team at Stamford Bridge following yesterday's sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari.
All efforts to prise the pair away from the fantastic job they have done at Upton Park will be fiercely resisted by West Ham's board and Zola is also known to be keen to see through the task he started last September. Although the Blues hierarchy are confident that they can unveil a new manager within the next 24 hours.
Former Barcelona head coach Franck Rijkaard has said that he would consider the post and Sky Sports News sources claim that only Guus Hiddink and ex-Blues boss Avram Grant are the only two names on the Chelsea short list.
However, Zola is the name that the players appear to want in the Stamford Bridge hot-seat. The Italian successfully fought to keep hold of all of his big-name stars - with the exception of Craig Bellamy - during the January transfer window, and the Hammers are rapidly improving, having lost only one game in the last nine and that to champions Manchester United.
But the pull of Chelsea, where Zola spent seven years and was voted the greatest player in the club's history by supporters in 2003, will be enormous.
The lure of a return to the Bridge will also be huge for Clarke, who only left Chelsea in September after being sidelined by Scolari's arrival.
The Scot is hugely respected by senior players John Terry and Frank Lampard and played a key part in the club's two Premier League title-winning seasons under Jose Mourinho.
Zola, though, is a fiercely loyal man and turned down overtures to return before when Roman Abramovich took over the club six years ago. Then, he had only just moved to Cagliari and was reluctant to walk out on the Italian side.
Yet Zola's lawyer Fulvio Marrucco said: 'It is very difficult to say if anything will happen, but Chelsea is a special place for Gianfranco Zola.
'Gianfranco is very happy at West Ham and still thanks them for giving him the opportunity to be a coach in the Premier League.'
Chelsea are understood to be prepared to do whatever it takes to secure Zola and Clarke and may wait until the summer to get them.
If they refuse to walk out on West Ham, Abramovich is sure to call upon a second-string list of targets that includes Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti, Russia manager Hiddink and the out of work Roberto Mancini and Rijkaard.
Ancelotti would not leave Italy until the end of the season and Hiddink is currently working on securing a place for Russia at the World Cup in 2010. But the Dutchman is a close friend of Abramovich and his agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen said: 'I think because of his personal relationship with Abramovich he will definitely talk and listen to him.
'But I think also Mr Abramovich realises that Guus has to finish his job in South Africa.' A return for Avram Grant is extremely unlikely and Ray Wilkins will be in charge for Saturday's Cup match at Watford.
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I know who
Fandi Ahmad
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ray wilkins.
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Originally posted by Scania N113CRB l0v3r:
I know who
Fandi Ahmad
x2
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mancini????//// i dunno
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think is Guus Hiddink.
but only managing chelsea until the end of the season where he will go manage Russia.
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sounds logical for interim... unlikely they can win BPL now.... more to ensure UCL qualification.
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i give up..
chelsea is becoming a circus act..
i just hope whoever they choose will be the right one..
with the current squad capability, the best manager for them would be capello who has a similar style to mourinho.
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Glen Rod... forget it.
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Hmmm, Chelsea fans say they want Zola and Clarke, no doubt they were good players in they're day, but will they succeed as managers? Rememer Adams. Keane anyone?
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I humbly suggest Ghim Pheng..
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Originally posted by Maurince:
I humbly suggest Ghim Pheng..
haha.
me feel sollie for scolari... =(
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PN Sivaji
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Wad is they took Zola?
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aiyo...its so simple....tony adams from portsmouth to chelsea & scolari from chelsea to portsmouth...haha. no lah...I believe it will be .......Rijkaard.
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Deschamps will get it.
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Alan Shearer?
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Originally posted by Y_Shun:
think is Guus Hiddink.
but only managing chelsea until the end of the season where he will go manage Russia.
Yea thats the word going around..
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maybe Roman wants to do it himself..
Championship Manager 2009!
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Originally posted by Maurince:
I humbly suggest Ghim Pheng..
i concur.
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Originally posted by Maurince:
I humbly suggest Ghim Pheng..
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Tohari Paijan since he always tok until as though he is damn good in tactics, let him coach Chelsea lor.
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GUUS HIDDINK is on the verge of replacing Phil Scolari as Chelsea boss.
Scolari was sacked by Roman Abramovich yesterday after the Blues slipped to fourth in the Premier League. And Hiddink has revealed he is already holding talks with the club about taking over until the end of the season.
The Russia coach said: "I must say that this is an exceptional situation. "If it was any other club aside from Chelsea my answer would be a straight 'no'. "But Chelsea are different because I have good relations with Abramovich. "I would like to help them in this situation if I could."
Hiddink's wages are already part financed by the Abramovich-backed National Academy of Football. And Chelsea's billionaire owner is confident he can persuade the Russian FA to allow the Dutchman to coach both his country and the Londoners.
Hiddink has also hinted he would be happy to combine the roles. He added: "This would be a full managerial role, a day-to-day job. "But this would only be for the next two or three months until the end of the season.
"Of course when Russia would play World Cup qualifiers I would go there to coach them. "I have already combined two jobs a couple of years ago when I was coaching Australia and PSV Eindhoven. I'm familiar with the situation and what it takes.
"I will not leave my job with the Russian national team. It's out of the question. "When I took the Russia job it was a long-term project and I don't like to leave it unfinished."
As revealed by SunSport, Hiddink's short-term appointment would leave the door open for the Blues to make a summer swoop for AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti.
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Chuck Norris
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Guus Hiddink set to be named temporary Chelsea manager after Blues are granted permission to talk to Dutchman
Guus Hiddink is set to be named as Chelsea's temporary manager after Stamford Bridge officials were granted permission by the Russian Football Union to talk to their head coach.
The Dutchman, who led South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup, will take over following the dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari yesterday.
Hiddink said he was approached by the Barclays Premier League club to coach the team until the end of the season after Scolari was sacked yesterday.
Chelsea have now confirmed they have made an approach to Russian governing body. And that request has been granted.
'Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has officially approached the Russian Football Union (RFU) for permission to speak to Guus Hiddink to become the club's temporary coach until the end of the season while continuing to be in charge of the Russian national team,' said a Chelsea statement.
'That permission has been granted and Chelsea would like to thank the RFU for their co-operation.' 'I have to admit it's a complicated situation involving the Russian national team and Chelsea," Hiddink told Reuters.
There are only two more Russia international matches before the end of the Barclays Premier League season. He added that he has a special relationship with Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich. 'I must say that this is an exceptional situation. If it was any other club aside from Chelsea my answer would be a straight "No",' he said.
Blues brothers? Roman Abramovich (left) and Gus Hiddink take in Manchester United v Zenit in the UEFA Super Cup
'But Chelsea is different because I have good relations with the (club) owner. So I would like to help them (Chelsea) in this situation if I could.'
Asked if this would involve working as a consultant for Chelsea's coaching staff, Hiddink said: 'No, this would be a full managerial role, a day-to-day job.
'But this would only be for the next two or three months until the end of the season,' he added.
'Of course when Russia would play (World Cup qualifiers) I would go there to coach them during that (international window) as there won't be any (league) games during that time.
'I have already done that (combining two jobs) a couple of years ago when I was coaching Australia and PSV (Eindhoven), so I'm familiar with the situation and what it takes.'
Asked if he knew about Scolari's fate before the news was released, he said: 'Well, you have your contacts and I have mine. 'I did get a phone call from them (Chelsea management) and we discussed the situation but we haven't come to a final decision just yet. 'But the situation can change any day or even any hour.'The Dutchman said before making any decisions he would discuss his future with Russian soccer chief Vitaly Mutko. 'I was planning to fly to Europe from Turkey at the end of the training camp (on Wednesday) but I can change that and I can go directly to Moscow to meet with Mutko,' he said.
'In any case, we'll meet in the next few days and will talk about the whole thing."
Hiddink also said he was fully committed to helping Russia to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.
'I will not leave my job with the Russian national team. It's out of the question,' he said. 'When I took the Russia job it was a long-term project and I don't like to leave it unfinished.'
Chelsea are keen to make a quick appointment and have released a statement. It read: 'Chelsea Football Club can confirm it has officially approached the Russian Football Union (RFU) for permission to speak to Guus Hiddink to become the club’s temporary coach until the end of the season while continuing to be in charge of the Russian national team.
Sacked: Luiz Felipe Scolari
'That permission has been granted and Chelsea would like to thank the RFU for their co-operation.'
Hiddink's agent said earlier today that he expected his client to speak to owner Roman Abramovich over the managerial vacancy at the London club.
Hiddink has been linked with the Chelsea job in the past and already has a relationship with the Blues' billionaire owner Abramovich through his role as Russia coach.
However, the Dutchman remains 'focused' on the task of leading Russia to the 2010 World Cup according to his representative Cees van Nieuwenhuizen.