Abramovich's obsession - The trials & tribulations of a decade-long path to Chelsea's ultimate glory

There have been some dramatic highs and disappointing lows since the Russian billionaire took over the Blues and before they achieved Champions League success

20 May 2012 09:30:00

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ANALYSIS
By Chris Myson Goal.com

Since taking over the club in 2003, Roman Abramovich had his sights set on winning Europe's biggest club trophy and he has finally achieved that goal.

It has not been plain sailing getting there, though, with some significant highs contrasted by some dramatic lows over the past decade.

As the Blues celebrate their crowning glory, Goal.com look back at how they got there under the Russian's stewardship

Purchase of club & first signings

Abramovich buys Chelsea from Ken Bates for £140 milllion in July 2003 and immediately changes the face of English football. The rich oligarch splashes the cash on a number of new signings. Glen Johnson is the first player he brings in, quickly followed by the likes of Claude Makelele, Juan Sebastian Veron, Joe Cole, Hernan Crespo and Damien Duff.

Hiring 'The Special One'

After a second-place finish under Claudio Ranieri, Abramovich wields the axe and hires up-and-coming manager Jose Mourinho, who had just masterminded Porto's shock success in the 2004 Champions League.

The club make a number of key signings, bringing in the likes of Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba, who along with stalwards John Terry and Frank Lampard, will play a huge part in shaping the Russian's era at Stamford Bridge.

First Premier League title

Mourinho declares he is 'The Special One' after arriving in England and promises to win the league within three seasons. He achieves that in the first year and Chelsea celebrate their first title for 50 years.

Further trophies under Jose

The era of success under Mourinho continues as Chelsea defend their league title, win the FA Cup and two League Cups over the course of his spell.

Shevchenko saga

Cracks start to show in the Mourinho/Abramovich relationship. Andriy Shevchenko is bought for a huge fee of £30m as the Russian tries to assemble a squad capable of winning the Champions League.

There are rumours in the press that the manager did not agree with the signing, which was forced upon him by Abramovich, and as Shevchenko struggles to perform and results on the pitch take a turn for the worse, things are not so rosy at the Bridge.

End of an era as Avram comes in

Mourinho leaves the club to much outcry from the club's fans and Abramovich elects to replace him with backroom staff member Avram Grant. The Israeli does a decent job, the club narrowly miss out on the Premier League title and reach the Champions League final.

Moscow heartbreak

Just as it looks like the club are about to achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Champions League, they are denied in heartbreaking fashion by rivals Manchester United.

Captain Terry misses the chance to win the trophy from the spot and the Red Devils go on to win a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Moscow. Avram pays the price for defeat and loses his job.

Scolari & Hiddink

In the summer of 2008, Abramovich brings in World Cup winner Luiz Felipe Scolari, but he only lasts until February as he fails to deliver consistent results in an expensive appointment that went badly wrong.

Guus Hiddink comes in and steadies the ship until the end of the year, winning the FA Cup, but he cannot stay on due to international management commitments.

Fury in the Battle of the Bridge

The curse of the Champions League strikes again in a controversial semi-final against Barcelona. Leading the tie 1-0 on aggregate, the Blues feel they are denied a string of clear penalties by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo and Andres Iniesta sends Barca through with a last-gasp away goal.

Furious Chelsea players take their protestations too far and many of them receive fines and suspensions for their behaviour. Barcelona go on to beat Manchester United in the final and start their own era of success.

Ancelotti's arrival & the Double

Carlo Ancelotti comes in and Chelsea win The Double for the first time in their history during the Italian's debut season. It is their first league title since Mourinho's exit as the increasingly influential senior playing core of Terry, Lampard, Drogba & Co. star.

Torres signed for £50m

In a move reminiscent of the Shevchenko signing, Abramovich splashes out £50m in the sensational signing of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.

However, the move is initially a staggering failure, as the Spaniard struggles for form and Ancelotti, amid rumours he was not keen on signing the front-man, struggles to fit him into the team alongside the established Drogba.

End of Ancelotti & arrival of AVB

Ancelotti is promptly sacked after a second-place finish and a trophy-less campaign, with his struggles in Europe ultimately costing him his job. Abramovich decides to go for youth in replacing the Italian, bringing in Andre Villas-Boas, who had just won the Europa League with Porto, in an expensive move that cost the club around £13m.

AVB out, RDM in

After a dismal run of results in the league and a 3-1 defeat to Napoli in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, Villas-Boas is axed less than a year into his reign. Abramovich appoints No.2 Roberto Di Matteo on an interim basis until the end of the season with morale at the lowest it has been during his tenure at the club.

Camp Nou drama & FA Cup success

A remarkable change in fortunes under Di Matteo sees Chelsea turnaround the Napoli tie, beat Benfica and record an astonishing two-leg victory over defending champions Barcelona to reach the Champions League final.

The Blues are unable to salvage a top-four finish in the Premier League, but secure FA Cup glory with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the final at Wembley and there are calls for Di Matteo to get the job on a full-time basis.

Chelsea seal ultimate glory

In a remarkable final against Bayern Munich, Di Matteo's side win their first-ever Champions League on penalties after a pulsating 1-1 draw in 120 minutes.

A goal down with minutes to go, Drogba heads an equaliser in the final moments of the match. In extra-time, Cech saves a Robben penalty and a topsy-turvy shoot-out goes in the Blues' favour, ending years of frustration and heartbreak in the competition.

Abramovich finally gets his hands on the trophy he has always wanted and Chelsea look to the future with confidence knowing they have finally broken their European duck.

SALT Academy adds dash of hope to poverty

Shannon Hiller and Dan Riley Thursday, 17 May 2012 phnompenhpost.com

Two boys practise dribbling skills around cones during
the SALT Academy’s outreach project at Naga Peace Park in Battambang.
 Photograph: supplied

Battambang-based Sports and Leadership Training (SALT) Academy launched its pilot outreach project on Tuesday morning, which explores ways to better integrate street kids and the poorest children in the local area into it’s youth football and life skills programmes.

The project has been funded by Dream Asia, a movement that uses the power of football for positive social change, and is sanctioned by the Asian Football Confederation. SALT Academy was selected to receive support this year due to its organisational capacity and excellent proposal.

The Dream Asia movement was established in 2009 to help bring together, support, advise and strengthen organisations working towards sustainable social development in health promotion, peace building, children’s rights and education, social integration, poverty and the environment.

The event on Tuesday started early, with kids arriving by truck and tuk tuk from the squatters neighborhood around Battambang train station, the rubbish dump near Andong Cheng, and from five existing organisational partners of SALT – Komar Rikreay, CCT, CFI, KCD, and CAD.

The field was centrally located at Naga Peace Park in Battambang, which encouraged children to drop by and join the festivities and spread the word about future events open to individuals who often collect garbage or work on the streets. A total of nearly 120 kids ended up participating.

Mixed teams of boys and girls completed various skills stations focusing on dribbling, passing, team play, as well as 5-on-5 games. An additional station provided kids a chance to rest and receive a life skill lesson on health benefits of football with anti-drug messages. Stations were manned by teams of male and female coaches from SALT’s experienced coaching staff.

During a opening ceremony, SALT Academy director Sam Schweingruber welcomed all the players “into the SALT football family,” as many were taking to the field for the first time in an organized event. The Swiss native also reminded them that “football is the school of life,” where lessons are both fun and important.

As a Dream Asia beneficiary, SALT Academy will continue cooperation with local NGO Komar Rikreay to conduct a three-month project with many of the same children.

Weekly fun and technical training sessions, both at the organization and in the target communities, will seek to engage children usually left out of such activities and look for ways to form new teams in the local youth leagues or support their inclusion in existing community groups.

The full project will also include lessons on health, fair play, and other life skill topics. At its conclusion, SALT Academy will evaluate lessons learned and propose steps for improved integration in next year’s football league.

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To contact the reporters on this story: Shannon Hiller and Dan Riley at newsroom@phnompenhpost.com

Olympics no go for Neko

 

Cambodian distance runner Hem Bunting (c) celebrates his victory in the 2011 Phnom Penh Half Marathon alongside second placed Neko Hiroshi (r) and Kieng Samorn in third. Photograph: Sreng Meng Srun/Phnom Penh Post

Dan Riley and Chhorn Norn  Tuesday, 08 May 2012 www.phnompenhpost.com

The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia’s controversial choice of marathon runner for the 2012 Summer Olympics looks set to miss out on a trip to London after the International Association of Athletics Federations ruled him ineligible, NOCC officials revealed earlier today.

Japan-born professional comedian Kuniaki Takizaki, more commonly known by his stage name Neko Hiroshi, had been given the nod by the NOCC to join their delegation as one of five wildcards granted by the International Olympics Committee to participate in London.

However, a fierce media backlash in his homeland had brought the issue of nationality to the IAAF, which in turn spoke with Cambodia’s governing body, the Khmer Amateur Athletics Federation, over the past few weeks to help clarify Neko’s status in the Kingdom.

An Olympic Charter by-law regarding athletes who have never officially represented their country of birth offered the NOCC the opportunity to allow the Japanese man to be part of their 2012 Olympic team providing he obtained Cambodian citizenship at least a year prior to competing.

Neko became a Cambodian national last October, one month before representing the Kingdom in the marathon race at the 2011 SEA Games in Indonesia.

He could have seen this one-year period waivered had there been sufficient proof provided to the IAAF that he’d been a resident of Cambodia for a certain period beforehand.

Documents sent by the KAAF indicated Neko had lived here sporadically since 2009.

However, the Japanese celebrity’s bid to race in London looks set to fall short after the IAAF gave an October 19, 2012, date before Neko becomes eligible to run in Cambodian colours at international competitions.

The London Olympics run from July 27 to August 12, with the marathon held traditionally on the last day.

The IAAF were unable to respond to calls and emails at time of publication to confirm the ruling, which had been issued on Monday.

Meanwhile, the NOCC said they were resigned to omitting Neko from their delegation.

“We have to follow the IAAF ruling [on Neko Hiroshi]. He will miss the London Olympics,” NOCC Secretary General Vath Chamroeun told the Post today.

NOCC and IAAF officials were unable to clarify where Neko was currently residing.

The ruling may also jeopardise future contributions towards Cambodian athletics from the organisation Cambodia Dream, a Tokyo-based charity that sponsored Neko's application for Cambodian nationality.

The NOCC received a substantial sum from Cambodia Dream towards the hosting of the 2011 Phnom Half Marathon and are set to have them as main sponsors for this year’s edition slated for June 17.

The Olympic Charter strictly prohibits the entry or participation of a competitor in the Olympic Games conditional on any financial consideration.

Results from last year’s half marathon in the capital provides an interesting subplot to this story, as Neko shared the podium with race winner Hem Bunting and third-place Kieng Samorn.

Both Cambodian distance runners are keen to take Neko’s place in the London-bound squad, although Bunting’s well-documented fall out with the KAAF and NOCC may yet prevent him from joining despite his superior credentials.

Bunting missed out on the chance to become the first Cambodian athlete to officially qualify for an Olympic Games in recently by finishing just over five minutes outside the qualifying time at the Paris marathon on April 15, although he did set a personal best and unofficial Cambodian national record of 2 hours 23 minutes and 28 seconds.

Bunting finished a clear five minutes ahead of Neko in the Phnom Penh Half Marathon last year but was not selected to go to Indonesia for the 2011 SEA Games.

The Stung Treng native represented Cambodia at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, finishing 73rd in a time of 2:33:32, and won a marathon silver at the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand and a bronze at the same event in Vientiane in 2009.

After returning from France, Bunting appears keen to patch up the differences between himself and the authorities in his mission to attend the Olympics this summer.

He told the Post he had filed a document to the KAAF requesting his re-inclusion onto the national team, which has been forwarded to the NOCC and is currently awaiting approval.

“Following my training in Kenya for three months [from January to March this year], I want to show the world that Cambodia has the athletic prowess to join the Olympic Games. I will try my best to get this opportunity,” he said.

A call to KAAF General Secretary Pen Vuthy did not shed any light on who was being groomed as the replacement for Neko, with the official insisting that he was in the province and was not up to speed with the matter.

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To contact the reporters on this story: Dan Riley at dan.riley@phnompenhpost.com
Chhorn Norn at norn.chhorn@phnompenhpost.com
With assistance from H S Manjunath

Kirivong stun champs 3-1, Naga blast to the top in rout

Dan Riley and Ung Chamroeun

Monday, 30 April 2012

Reigning Metfone C-League champions Phnom Penh Crown, who have one eye on next weekend’s participation in the 2012 AFC President’s Cup group stage at home, suffered another dent to their title defence by losing 3-1 to Kirivong Sok Sen Chey yesterday at Olympic Stadium.

Boeung Ket Rubber Field’s Nwakuna Friday (left) celebrates one of his two quick-fire goals against Preah Khan Reach during yesterday’s Metfone C-League match. Photo by Sreng Meng Srun

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Egyptian signing Mohammed Zaki settled the nerves of his Takeo-based club with a fourth-minute opener.

Team-mate Em Phanna then bolstered his side’s advantage on 80 minutes with the 100th league goal of the 2012 Metfone C-League campaign.

Em Phanna put the game beyond doubt with his team’s third in the fourth minute of stoppage time, although Crown sneaked one back a minute later via an Ouk Sothy header.

In yesterday’s late kickoff, Hun Sen Cup holders Preah Khan Reach were forced to fight back from two goals down to grab a 2-2 draw against league newcomers Boeung Ket Rubber Field.

The Kampong Cham outfit took the initiative with a brace from Nigerian recruit Nwakuna Friday in as many minutes.

His first, a header on 33 minutes, was rapidly doubled to put Boeung Ket firmly in the driving seat.

However, the Military Police-backed club were not to be outdone, and launched a comeback through the ever-reliable boot of Khuon Laboravy on 71 minutes.

A Prak Mony Odom strike a short while later set up an exciting finish, although neither side managed to eke out a winner to finish with points shared.

Naga rampage, BBU edge Army

On Saturday, Naga Corp blasted themselves to the top of the standing thanks to a 8-1 thrashing of Chhlam Samuth, while Build Bright United bounced off the bottom by inflicting a first defeat of the season on National Defence Ministry.

BBU had frontman Pich Sena to thank as saviour with his 85-minute strike proving decisive in their tepid 1-0 victory over the Army team.

In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it encounter later between two-time league champions Naga and floundering Navy-affiliated Sea Sharks, the result seemed a foregone conclusion just 10 minutes in.

Om Thavarak got the ball rolling with a goal after three minutes, with Naga’s Kenneth Nwafor doubling their lead moments later.

Choun Chum then grabbed his first of four via the penalty spot on 10 minutes.

A treble of goals in the second half confirmed Choun Chum as the early frontrunner for the season’s golden boot award with a haul of 11 from seven games so far.

Strikes by Sun Sovanrithy and Teab Vathanak either side of the break meant Naga were never out of their comfort zone, although an 81-minute goal by Chhlam Samuth’s Ros Somoeurn offered scant consolation to the team now cemented to the foot of the table.

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To contact the reporters on this story: Dan Riley at dan.riley@phnompenhpost.com
Ung Chamroeun at chamroeun.ung@phnompenhpost.com