Luiz Felipe Scolari today warned Chelsea's players he will drop them if he suspects they are putting more effort into winning the Champions League than any other trophy this season.

Chelsea begin their campaign against Bordeaux in the group stage at home tonight having been beaten on penalties in the final by Manchester United four months ago.

They have reached the semi-finals four times in the last five years and the players are desperate to go all the way.

But Scolari is adamant that his side commit to trying to win all four trophies and expects them to give as much effort in the Carling Cup as in Europe.

He said: “I have told my players that they can't just play for the Champions League, they need to do their best, all the time, in all the games and in training. If they don't, I will not choose them.

“I know Chelsea have tried many years to win the Champions League and last season they arrived in the final.

“It's not easy, not just for Chelsea but for many clubs to arrive in the final. We need to respect the other clubs. But we have to try and win all competitions, not just this one. It is not more important than any other.”

Four Chelsea managers have tried to win the Champions League since they first entered the competition in 1999, but have all fallen short and ended up losing their jobs. Scolari is adamant that he is not worried about his future should he also fail to lift the trophy this season.

He added: “It is not right to put out the idea that if the coach doesn't win the Champions League he is out.

“The previous managers were not sacked because they didn't win the Champions League. People don't know the history. I know why. I don't talk to Roman [Abramovich] about the Champions League, I just speak about Chelsea and all the competitions.”

Tonight Scolari and Chelsea come up against a former Manchester United defender as Laurent Blanc brings Bordeaux to Stamford Bridge.

Since he retired from professional football in 2003, the Chelsea hierarchy would like to think they have become just as big a club as United.
However Blanc believes that Chelsea are still a long way short from matching United on and off the field.

It is not that the former France defender doesn't respect Chelsea; he is openly concerned as to how his Bordeaux team will stop them from winning their opening group game.

But the Bordeaux boss feels that Chelsea's money does still not warrant the same level of respect that United have earned in Europe over the past 40 years and believes they can only close the gap by winning the Champions League.

He said: “Chelsea are probably one of the three or four top clubs not just in Europe, but the world.

“They have the fans, the infrastructure with the stadium and the finances. But in spite of all those things I've listed, they still haven't won the Champions League which just shows how hard it is to win the trophy. But I might have won the Champions League if I'd had their sort of financial backing behind me.”

The timing of Blanc's observations are even more relevant with Sir Alex Ferguson's side being Chelsea's next opponents in the League on Sunday.
If reports are to believed over the summer, there was a chance at one point that Blanc could have been sitting in the opposition dug-out at Stamford Bridge as Ferguson's new assistant manager following the departure of Carlos Queiroz to Portugal. However, the former French international, who was infamously sent off in the World Cup semi-final against Croatia the year they won the trophy in 1998, is happy serving out his apprenticeship in his homeland.

The 42-year-old has not ruled out a return to the Premier League in a coaching capacity in the future and if he continues to do a good job at Girondins, then he might even be a contender to take over from Ferguson when he eventually steps down at Old Trafford.

Blanc certainly sees English football as the dominant force in Europe right now and an attractive destination for any player, coach or multi-millionaire.

He added: “There is a great potential for English football to carry on dominating. It is hard to see who can stop this continuing.

“We are playing one of the big sides in England and therefore in Europe, which was proven by the presence of two English teams in the final last year.

“When I was playing here English football was powerful. It is not long since I played here, but now it is the most powerful country.

“It would be an attractive proposition for any coach to manage here.

“For the moment me thinking about becoming a manager in this country is off the agenda. But there are so many people with money all over the world that English clubs are a supreme target for people who want to try and own a club over here.”

Chelsea haven't lost at home since Barcelona knocked them out of the Champions League in 2006 and Blanc admits he has had sleepless nights wondering how to stop Scolari's side.

But he is adamant that his team are not intimidated and will be looking to cause a shock tonight.

He said: “We are not just coming here for experience. We are here to win points and try and put us on the road to qualification. Hopefully we will be fighting and stay involved in the group right until the end.”