Wilkins confirms Roman talks

(GSM) – Chelsea first team coach, Ray Wilkins, has confirmed that club owner Roman Abramovich had held talks with the squad following their UEFA Champions League defeat to Internazionale.

The Russian business tycoon, who took over as Chelsea owner in 2003, has expressed his desire to see the London club as crowned champions of Europe, with coach Carlo Ancelotti admitting that was his target when appointed in the summer.

A succession of managers have all been unable to deliver the greatest prize in European club football, with Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink all failing before Ancelotti’s appointment.

While reports claimed that Abramovich issued an ultimatum to the squad after they crashed out of the competition at the last-16 stage to former boss Mourinho, it was also thought that he had threatened wholesale changes in the summer.

But assistant boss Wilkins has played down those suggestions and insists the playing staff are always happy to hear what the owner has to say.

Wilkins said: “It was a very positive meeting that the players have had with Roman so from that aspect he just added his support to the situation.

“We were delighted to see him, he’s always extremely involved in the club.

“He owns the club and wants to have a big input into what happens. So whenever he is down it is a positive as far as we’re concerned.

“He’s very close to the players, he knows the way they work so therefore he wanted to have a little input with them during the week. It was nothing dramatic, it was all pretty low-key stuff so we just get on with the business now.