CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti, brought to Stamford Bridge specifically because of his Champions League expertise, believes his team have taken the first of “three steps to heaven” after completing a routine victory over Spartak Moscow that confirms a place in this year’s last 16.

FIFA: Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo, who was severely criticised after Barcelona knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League last year, has decided to retire from international duty after missing selection for the World Cup.

DIDIER DROGBA has been banned for two matches by UEFA for his red card against Inter Milan.

Didier Drogba has been banned for two matches by UEFA for his red card against Inter Milan.

CHELSEA captain John Terry has hit out at the standard of refereeing in the Champions League in the wake of his side’s elimination from the competition at the hands of Inter Milan.

Chelsea captain John Terry has hit out at the standard of refereeing in the Champions League in the wake of his side’s elimination from the competition at the hands of Inter Milan.

FIORENTINA captain Riccardo Montolivo has described tonight’s meeting with Bayern Munich at the Artemio Franchi stadium as the most important game of his life.

Chelsea captain John Terry has defended Didier Drogba’s outburst following the Champions League semi-final with Barcelona and claimed the Ivorian’s behaviour illustrated his passion for the club.

Didier Drogba has revealed a word of warning from his eight-year-old son persuaded him to change his on-field conduct.

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Didier Drogba was included in the Chelsea starting line-up for tonight’s Champions League match at Atletico Madrid after serving his three-match European suspension.

CHELSEA manager Carlo Ancelotti insists Didier Drogba is “ready to work for the team” as the Ivory Coast international prepares to make his European comeback against Atletico Madrid tonight following his suspension.

AND it was all going so well... The day started badly for me and just got steadily worse. We left it late to leave London and after encountering traffic in the Midlands (where else?) and then again five miles from the ground, we just about made it to our seats as the team were kicking off. Being late for a game always makes me uncomfortable, knocks me out of my rhythm somehow, and I had a sense of foreboding right from the off.

CHELSEA have appealed against the punishments handed out by UEFA following the club’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona, the governing body confirmed yesterday.

Chelsea have appealed against the punishments handed out by UEFA following the club’s Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona, the governing body confirmed today.

Chelsea have told UEFA they intend to lodge an appeal against the lengthy European bans handed out to striker Didier Drogba and defender Jose Bosingwa.

Chelsea are ready to lodge an appeal with UEFA today in a bid to reduce the lengthy European bans handed out to striker Didier Drogba and defender Jose Bosingwa.

CHELSEA were last night considering their response to UEFA’s decision to hand lengthy European bans to Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa and fine the club £85,000 (€100,000) following their controversial Champions League exit to Barcelona.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has indicated he will accept whatever punishment UEFA give him for his outburst after the Champions League semi-final defeat to Barcelona.

THERE will more than just a trophy at stake for Chelsea at Wembley in the FA Cup Final today with the eyes of the world fixed on the club for the first time since an infamous Champions League exit against Barcelona.

Didier Drogba has offered to apologise once again for his foul-mouthed behaviour after Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final exit to Barcelona.

Chelsea’s interim coach Guus Hiddink has turned his back on TV work at the Champions League final next week and claimed UEFA are “happy” their European showpiece is not another all-English affair.

CHELSEA’S interim coach Guus Hiddink believes UEFA are “happy” this season’s Champions League final is not another all-English contest.

UEFA have initiated disciplinary proceedings against Chelsea, Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa in relation to incidents following the Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge.

Guus Hiddink made himself “unapproachable” at Chelsea for two days because he was so angry at the “injustice” of their Champions League exit to Barcelona.

MONAGHAN’s Pat McEnaney, by general acclaim the best football referee in the country, was the man in the middle for the stormy Meath/Mayo All-Ireland football final replay, recalling it as a game in which he definitely made mistakes but ‘couldn’t say’ his overall performance was poor.

FORMER Premier League referee Graham Poll expects UEFA to hand out long suspensions to Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack following last week’s Champions League exit.

ASHLEY COLE insists Chelsea’s 4-1 drubbing of Arsenal proved once again they have the character to bounce back from footballing adversity.

GUUS HIDDINK has restored some sense of normality and pride to Chelsea Football Club, and clinched third place in the Premier League in the process, after his decision to gamble on Didier Drogba reaped rich dividends yesterday.

THIS morning I really wanted to reflect on Champions League semi finals that offered up great games and great individual performances.

THE raw emotions involved in trying to win football matches often makes people behave in a manner they regret once the battle is over, according to Alex Ferguson.

GUUS HIDDINK has hinted he will drop Didier Drogba for Chelsea’s meeting with Arsenal tomorrow, although the Dutch manager believes the striker should not face club sanctions for his foul-mouthed televised outburst after Wednesday’s acrimonious Champions League exit to Barcelona.

THE end is in sight for Guus Hiddink and Chelsea, but there is no sense that the Dutchman has already emotionally checked out of Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea must face up to the uncomfortable paradox that while they should be in the Champions League final, there will be precious few bemoaning their absence from European football’s showpiece event, argues Liam Mackey.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes referees in charge of major matches should come from fully professional leagues in the wake of Chelsea’s controversial UEFA Champions League defeat against Barcelona on Wednesday evening.

UEFA have confirmed they will make a decision on possible action against Chelsea players for their actions both during and after their Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona “in the course of next week”.

Chelsea will learn today the extent of the disciplinary charges they will face as a result of the fall-out of their Champions League clash with Barcelona.

BARCELONA winger Lionel Messi yesterday said the Catalan giants never gave up hope of reaching the Champions League final even though Chelsea looked to have ruined their dreams at Stamford Bridge.

LONG after the final whistle on Wednesday night, the Frank Lampards, senior and junior, slipped out of a side door at Stamford Bridge, the younger hopping straight into an impressively substantial black car while the elder paused for a moment to share a word with an old acquaintance.

CHELSEA have warned fans they will take the “strongest possible action” against anyone found guilty of making threats against referee Tom Henning Ovrebo.

THE head of Norway’s refereeing union, Rune Pedersen, is confident Tom Henning Ovrebo, the referee blamed for Chelsea’s Champions League exit, will ride out the storm of criticism and not cave in to demands that he quit his job.

IRELAND’S top referee yesterday insisted the home nation of his Norweigian colleague, Tom Henning Ovrebo, should have no bearing on any critique of his performance.

GRAHAM POLL has insisted the Chelsea conspiracy theory over their controversial Champions League exit “just couldn’t happen”.

Didier Drogba has apologised for his behaviour in the wake of Chelsea's Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona last night.