Claudio denies rift with Roman
The Chelsea boss was quoted in Spanish newspaper Marca as saying: “I already have the Abramovich sword embedded in me. I’m convinced that even if I win the Champions League I will be sacked. Abramovich knows nothing about football. That’s the real shame.”
However, his agent last night denied Ranieri used any such phrase.
“Claudio Ranieri would like to make it clear that he has the highest regard for Roman Abramovich and everything he is trying to achieve for Chelsea.
“This is a complete misinterpretation of an interview done three weeks ago and should not be taken seriously.
“Claudio loves Chelsea and will not let this distract him from focusing on a successful season.”
Ranieri’s representatives say the Chelsea boss had said that Abramovich knew nothing about football until he went to a game in Manchester last year, but that now he was hooked.
Vicenzo Morabito, Ranieri’s Italian agent, also insisted he still wants to stay at the Blues.
Morabito said: “At the moment we are not talking to any other clubs. He has a three-year deal with Chelsea and we believe at the moment he is going to stay.
If Chelsea FC decide somethingelse we will look around somewhere else.”
Meanwhile, Aston Villa chairman Doug Ellis has rubbished suggestions that manager David O’Leary could leave the club to take over at Chelsea this summer.
O’Leary is the latest manager to be mentioned as a possible successor to the Italian after a successful first season with Villa.
But Ellis insists he will be going nowhere.
The Villa chairman said: “David has done a fantastic job since he arrived last summer and it’s ridiculous to even think that we would just let Chelsea come and take him.
“David is under contract to Aston Villa and has said himself that he has no intention of breaking that contract.
“We have had no approach from Chelsea and it goes without saying that any such approach would be categorically rejected.”
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