Carlo Ancelotti expects more pressure after Champions League exit - Football - Sport - Evening Standard
       

Carlo Ancelotti expects more pressure after Champions League exit

Carlo Ancelotti admits he will come under pressure at Stamford Bridge after his Chelsea side were knocked out of the Champions League in the last 16 by Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan.

The Champions League trophy was Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's priority this season after having lost out on the final in Moscow to Manchester United in 2008.

But last night's 1-0 defeat by Inter, which ensured a 3-1 aggregate loss, put paid to the dream for another season.

And after being taunted by the Inter fans, Ancelotti said: "I have been involved in football for a lot of years and I know what fans do. That doesn't change anything. I want to do my best job for Chelsea, that's all.

"My regret is we didn't play as well as we did in the first leg. But I've worked for a long time in this environment and I know exactly what expectations are.

"It's normal that a manager is going to come under pressure if he loses a few matches."

Chelsea lie second to Manchester United in the Premier League and are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

Ancelotti added: "Now we have two important competitions we want to win. We'll have more pressure on the next few games, but we must be strong and have good control of our emotions.

"Maybe this defeat could be a very good motivation for the next few games. We have to be strong after this defeat. We have to have a new motivation, a good motivation, for the future."

Ancelotti, who saw Didier Drogba sent off for kicking Thiago Motta, played down Chelsea protests aimed at the officials at the end of the game, which were led by captain John Terry.

He said: "I think the players normally were disappointed at the end of the game because we lost. Nothing special happened."

He also refuted suggestions the defeat would hurt more because it was Mourinho, his former rival at the San Siro during his days with AC Milan and someone he has never got on with.

He said: "I'm disappointed because we lost the game and are out of a very important competition. I want to say best wishes for Inter because I have nothing against Mourinho or against Inter."

And he also refused to entertain any conspiracy theories about two Chelsea penalty appeals which were turned down and the Drogba red card.

"We are unlucky. Only this," he added.

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