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Anorak News | Buy Buy, Chelsea

Buy Buy, Chelsea

by | 6th, May 2004

‘HAVING wept himself dry when his Chelsea side beat Arsenal at the umpteenth time of asking, Claudio Ranieri was only able to swallow hard as his Chelsea side were knocked out of the Champions League’ last night by Monaco.

Who said that Ranieri had no Eidur?

“ARRIVEDERCI, CLAUDIO,” the Independent says, although a more friendly ciao is better suited to announcing the imminent departure of the Italian coach.

The Sun was there to hear the crowd chant Ranieri’s name right up to final whistle as the Blues lost a two-goal lead (which would have been enough to put them in the final), drawing the match 2-2.

The Sun also hears from Scott Parker, who voices his upset. “It was our chance to do something great and we are bitterly disappointed,” says he. “But there’s always next year and we have got to look forward.”

The problem is that next year, Ranieri will be gone and the Telegraph reports that Jose Mourinho, the Porto boss earmarked to be his replacement, will be in change.

That means that next year the likes of Parker could be even lower down the Chelsea pecking order as the new man brings in his own players.

Indeed, the Porto boss was at Stamford Bridge last night but not to cast an eye over his future charges, rather to check out Porto’s opponents in the Champions’ League final.

“I will go to Stamford Bridge as the enemy,” said Mourinho on the eve of his trip. “I don’t think enemies are welcome but I’ve already got a ticket – and a bodyguard.”

However, that’s not a patch on what one Arsenal fan can call upon. The Times says that the President of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski is a fan of the Gunners. And he’s got an army at his disposal.

Famous fans have always been welcome at football clubs, but while Bernie Winters goes to Spurs and Angus Deayton to Manchester United, Arsenal can all upon Osama bin Laden, Prince Harry and the Polish premier.

And this morning, during a three-day official visit to the UK, Kwasniewski will tour the Highbury stadium and meet the club’s directors.

He’ll also walk past the Gunners and Bank of Friendship pubs where he worked as a barman 30 years ago.

And perhaps shed a tear for good times past.’



Posted: 6th, May 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink