Departing Petit unhappy with Roman’s Chelsea rule

FORMER France international Emmanuel Petit, whose Chelsea contract expires in June, says he will not be at Stamford Bridge next season and is unhappy at the way owner Roman Abramovich is running the club.

“I know I won’t be with Chelsea next season. They don’t want to keep me and I don’t want to stay,” said the 33-year-old midfielder yesterday.

It is an abrupt reversal by Petit, whose current campaign has already been ended by injury, having been plagued by knee problems. In January he said he was keen to spend another two years at the club.

Petit said he had no regrets about missing most of a season in which Chelsea have reached second spot in the Premiership and the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

But he said he would leave the club bought out by Russian billionaire Abramovich last July with mixed feelings and said he was shocked at the treatment of manager Claudio Ranieri.

“The club is following a path to which I cannot identify,” he added. “Money can’t buy success and a team spirit must be built on sound foundations.”

Ranieri has faced intense speculation he will be replaced at the end of the season, particularly after revelations Chelsea had been courting England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

“Ranieri is being blamed for allthe problems in the world and Ihave a lot of respect and sympathy for him.

“If you honestly look at his record, you will see it is the best,” he said.

Petit said he would not rush his return to football, indicating he had done so in January only to be injured again in February.

“I’m taking my time to come back,” said the Frenchman, who is about to undergo another knee operation.