Carlo Ancelotti believes his Chelsea players can bounce back from World Cup disappointment to win this season’s Champions League (Chelsea 6/1 to win 2010/2011 Champions League Outright).
A whole host of Blues stars endured tough times in South Africa, despite expecting to have big tournaments with their countries.
Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry suffered an early exit with England, while French duo Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda, and Ivory Coast frontman Didier Drogba, crashed out in the group stages.
But Ancelotti feels his stars have the mental steel to respond in the right fashion, as Chelsea look to build on last season’s Premier League and FA Cup double.
Speaking to the Sun, the Italian admitted: “All my Musketeers, including Drogba, Malouda, Lampard and Terry, have played in a World Cup, which has lowered their profile.”
Ancelotti has made no secret of the fact that, following his domestic success last season, his main target in the new campaign will be the Champions League.
Having won the tournament with AC Milan (4/1 to win 2010/2011 Serie A title) as a player and a coach, Ancelotti knows exactly what is needed to lift club football’s biggest trophy.
He added: “In my first season with Chelsea, we won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield. But I missed out on the Champions League, so that is now my dream.
“At the moment everything here in London is good. But I know if we do not keep winning that things will soon change for me.”
Chelsea will start the new season with a clash against rivals Manchester United in the Community Shield at Wembley next Sunday.
They then kick-off the new Premier League campaign with a home game against newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion on August 14 (Chelsea 1/7, West Brom 11/1, Draw 11/2 – Match Betting).
With the English top-flight looking a more open league this campaign, Ancelotti is well aware how important it will be to get off to a good start.
The ex-AC Milan boss concluded: “We must quickly rediscover the enthusiasm we had last season and the same good football.”
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