Lampard seeks trophy tonic to ease Euro pain - News - Evening Standard
       

Lampard seeks trophy tonic to ease Euro pain

Frank Lampard insists Chelsea's Champions League heartache will drive them on against Olympiacos tomorrow night towards their dream of lifting the trophy.

The midfielder has suffered the pain of semi-final elimination in three of the past four seasons and believes that bitter experience will get his side firing in a hostile atmosphere in Athens.

He said: "The disappointments spur us on because there is a frustration to get to three semi-finals and not push on through. The final is very high on our agenda and we are determined to do well in the Champions League.

"We won't complain about the draw but the last thing we want to do is go there with a slack attitude and give ourselves an uphill battle for the return leg at Stamford Bridge.

"People will think Olympiacos away is an easy draw but they are a good team. It will be a difficult atmosphere, they are strong at home. We will need to be very professional."

Olympiacos' only defeat in the group stage came at the hands of Real Madrid when they were reduced to 10 men for two-thirds of the game. Chelsea manager Avram Grant is taking them very seriously and knows how highly owner Roman Abramovich would value winning the competition.

Grant said: "Our major target for this year and next is to at least be in the final. But Olympiacos are a good team. They played Lazio, Werder Bremen and Real Madrid in their group and in all the games they were better than their opponents, apart from one game when they were down to 10 men against Real. We will have to be at our best."

The Champions League is the one that got away for Chelsea in the Abramovich era and is described as the Holy Grail within the club.

But Lampard does not want Chelsea to get obsessed with the tournament, particularly with three other trophies to play for. He said: "Winning the Champions League would be huge. The status we have earned over the last few years, it is the one that is missing.

"But I don't think it will make or break us because it is a funny competition. A lot of teams who arenot expected to win it do just that and you need a bit of luck.

"But with the set-up we have, Chelsea will win the Champions League and hopefully it will be this year."

The return of Lampard and John Terry after injury problems is cause for optimism at Chelsea ahead of the game.

The defender demonstrated his recovery from a broken foot with an excellent 90 minutes in the 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win against Huddersfield on Saturday, while his midfield team-mate made the scoresheet again.

Lampard, in his second game back after a thigh problem, took his Chelsea goal tally to 101 by scoring in the 18th minute and then again after 60 minutes following Michael Collins's leveller. Salomon Kalou hit Chelsea's third.

Comments

Don't Miss
Rock star: Erin Wasson

Rock star

Erin Wasson is the ultimate anti-supermodel
Maybe it’s because she’s a Londoner … Happy anniversary, Ma’am

Happy anniversary

The monarchy has become stronger and more respected in the past 60 years
Victoria Coren: My obsession with children, five proposals a week and why David and I are no power couple

Victoria Coren

David Mitchell and I are no power couple
The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition preview party

Summer party

Stars at the The Royal Academy of Arts
London gets ready for the Diamond Jubilee - in pictures

Diamond Jubilee

London gets ready - in pictures
The Glamour Awards - stars turn on the style

Glamour Awards

Stars turn on the style
Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink at her first Buckingham Palace garden party

Garden party

Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink
FIRST review of Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster Prometheus

First review

Is Ridley Scott's Prometheus any good?
Fair-weather goths

Fair-weather goths

The sultry shades of summer darks are coming out of the shadows
Dog save the Queen: Corgis surge in popularity

Dog save the Queen

Corgis surge in popularity