Ancelotti: I told Drogba to shut up

CHELSEA coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed how he was forced to tell Didier Drogba to forget his selfish ambitions to win the Golden Boot after Frank Lampard refused to let the Ivorian striker take a first-half penalty at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Drogba went into the game level on 26 league goals with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

Ancelotti had previously warned the Ivory Coast striker ahead of the game that any penalties would be taken by the club’s recognised spot-kick expert Lampard.

So when Wigan defender Gary Caldwell was sent off on the half-hour for a foul on Lampard, the England midfielder duly collected the ball. Drogba was incensed when Lampard refused to allow him to take the penalty. Lampard scored from the spot to give Chelsea a 2-0 half-time lead and Ancelotti then stepped in to silence the simmering row.

“I spoke with him after the first half,” revealed Ancelotti. “It was my decision, if there was a penalty, to give it to Lampard.

“I told him to stay calm and quiet because he’d have opportunities to score in the second half. I said: ‘Quiet. You can score in the second half.”’

Ancelotti does not believe Chelsea’s ageing squad requires major surgery after they clinched the title with an 8-0 hammering of Wigan.

“For now, we have time to think about this,” said Ancelotti. “We will take decisions about the future together, how we did this season. I think this team doesn’t need to change a lot of things. Every player did a fantastic job. Everyone has to say thanks to these players.”

One of those expected to leave is Germany captain Michael Ballack. At 33, the club are reluctant to offer him the two-year deal he wants.

His deal expires in the summer and the German is likely to reject a one-year offer and return to his homeland.

Ballack was substituted in the second half of their 8-0 success in a move that was largely seen as the club giving fans a chance to say a farewell to the midfielder.

Captain John Terry will be 30 in December and although he has suffered a difficult season off the field, Ancelotti continued to praise his efforts as a player.

“I think that John had some difficult moments, but he kept those personal issues outside the training ground,” said Ancelotti.

“He did a fantastic season. It’s not difficult for me to say he was the leader on the pitch, but a lot of my players showed fantastic character today.”