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CHELSEA PREPARE FOR THE NEW SEASON WITH TERRY AS CAPTAIN

English Premier League outfit Chelsea FC are focused on their new campaign with new coach Antonio Conte at the helms of affairs.

The Italian resumed finally this week at the club and was unveiled. The former coach of the Italian national team shocked people present when he said he would retain Captain John Terry whether he plays or not. The 35 year old player was lucky to have gotten another one year deal from the club and is set to continue his leadership role at the club under Conte.

The players returned to training at their Cobham base ahead of the incoming season this week. Terry posted a picture of a section of the players’ present including returning player Victor Moses, who spent last season on loan with West Ham. Some stars were missing from the pictures he posted on his Instagram account but they are all expected back as the pre season plans kicks off.

Conte was expected but he didn’t show up when the camp opened on Monday. He eventually came for his unveiling today and made a lot of statements regarding the plans for the club in the new season.

Den Hazard will stay at Chelsea next season

Chelsea manager, GuusHiddink has stated that Eden Hazard will remain at the club next season amidst interest from various European clubs.

The Dutch manager said that Hazard is an important player for the club and that he will be counting on him for next season.

Eden Hazard, who won the PFA Player of the Year award last season has failed to perform at his best level this season and has only managed to score after 29 games this season.

GuusHiddink believes that Hazard is a good player and that he is just a bit out of form. He believes that the player will recover next season and that he will be able to challenge again for the PFA Player of the Year award.

According to Hiddink, his poor form has been caused by a combination of factors especially injuries. He believes that next season the Belgium player will be back and that he will be a valuable player for the team. He said that when he is in form, Hazard is an excellent player and is an asset to any team. He believes that his long-term future is at Chelsea and that he will be there next season.

Chelsea to bring new players ahead of new season

With Chelsea desperate to become competitive again, they are considering bringing some new faces in the team. There are various reports that Antonio Conte might be the next Chelsea manager, and he will be interested to bring in some quality players to help boost a side that has been struggling all season.

Kroos is reportedly a target for the new Chelsea manager, and he will definitely bring new life to the Chelsea midfield. With players such as Fabregas already in the team, Toni Kroos will definitely be a welcome addition to the London team. With Roman Abramovich again backing the team with finances, chances are we will soon see TonisKroos in the Chelsea shirt.

There have also been rumors that Chelsea might be interested in RadjaNainggolan. The midfielder who currently plays for Roma has denied any interest from Chelsea however. It is reported that Antonio Conte is a big fan of the midfielder and would have recommended the Chelsea management to try to sign him.

Iker Casillas reckons Chelsea might be struggling in their domestic league

Iker Casillas reckons Chelsea might be struggling in their domestic league, but, they are good enough to get the better of any side in Europe and thus, none should dare to take them easy.

It’s Casillas’ team, FC Porto, which is gearing up to face the Blues at the Stamford Bridge tomorrow in a vital contest in Group G.

While, the winner of that contest will be able to advance to the pre quarter finals, the loser might get eliminated from Europe.

In the media conference earlier in the evening, Casillas, who is in his debut season at Porto, said, “They have definitely not looked that solid, but, when you see the depth of their squad, it concerns you as an opposition.”

“We are in a position where a defeat would knock us out. One point is absolutely necessary, but, we would not be playing with the mindset to try and force a draw. That sort of approach would backfire. We would be positive.”

“If you bar the Dynamo game, it’s been a decent campaign for us. Losing at home certainly hurt us badly, it was painful, but, hopefully, we still get through with a good performance over here at Chelsea.”

Casillas has been Porto’s first choice between the sticks since coming in and he has played alright, the Spaniard.

Porto, as a team, has also done well in all competitions in the 2015-16 Season.

Real Madrid’s Pepe is turning into a summer target for Chelsea

The Portuguese centre-half of Real Madrid, Pepe has reportedly entered the radar of Chelsea and Jose Mourinho. Pepe is 32 years old but even at his fairly elevated age, he still manages to play at a high level and is a regular starter in Real Madrid.

It does remain unclear as if Pepe will be able to play at that same high level if he makes a move to the Premier League and joins Chelsea.

Pepe has a contract with Real Madrid which extends until the end of next summer but for a transfer fee of around €11 million it’s rumoredto be enough for Chelsea to sign the defender and lure him away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Real Madrid’s Pepe has a very aggressive playing style and it doesn’t even come as a surprise to see him receiving yellow or red cards constantly throughout each season. Despite his hostile nature, Pepe is highly rated and considered to be one of the best defenders in the world as he isn’t afraid to give it everything he has in the pitch in every single match.

Arsene Wenger dismisses about his Club in Race of Title Race

Arsene Wenger has dismissed suggestions that his club are in the title race after closing the gap to Chelsea in the last few weeks. The advantage held by the West London outfit has been reduced to just seven points amidst poor form.

Arsenal, on the other hand, recently managed to secure their sixth consecutive victory in the league after a 2-1 score against Newcastle United. This has reduced the gap to a manageable level with eight matches left in the season. Even though Chelsea do have a game in hand, Jose Mourinho has been quick to suggest that Arsenal are in the title race.

Concerned that this would put unnecessary pressure on the team, Wenger stated that his team are merely concentrating on finishing in the second spot. There is a real possibility of Arsenal finishing above Manchester City, who have managed only four league victories in the last 10 matches. City are only one point above Arsenal following this weekend’s results. It was only recently that they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat against Burnley. More key matches are set to threaten the reigning Premier league champions in the last few weeks of the season. Arsenal also have tough matches against the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho opens up on January Transfer

Jose Mourinho has opened up on the highly controversial transfer saga involving Chelsea and Liverpool over the transfer of Steven Gerrard.

The Liverpool captain came close to moving to Stamford Bridge back in 2005 when he was on the cusp of becoming one of the greatest midfielders in the world. Gerrard was yet to enter into his peak back then, but he had just helped Liverpool win the European cup on a famous night in Istanbul. Chelsea reportedly made an offer of £ 30 million and the transfer was close to being completed before Gerrard pulled out of the deal.

Mourinho has accepted that the failure to get the former England international remains as the biggest regret that he has had in his managerial career.

Jose Mourinho criticized Ramos on his comments

Jose Mourinho has hit back at Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, who appeared to suggest that the Portuguese boss was having its huge influence on players appearing for their national teams. Ramos comments came after both Chelsea players – Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas – pulled out of the national team duty despite having played for Chelsea only a few days before the international squad announcement. It was also not surprising to see Costa and Fabregas back and playing during the weekend against West Brom. Mourinho, though, says that both players were assessed by the team doctors and deemed not fit enough for international duty.

He also claims that Ramos may be a great defender, but he is not a doctor by profession. Hence, he should not be making ill-advised comments about other professionals. Ramos was managed by Mourinho during his three years at Real Madrid, but it is often held that the Portuguese did not get along well with the Spanish contingent at the club. Mourinho has quoted the example of Vincent Kompany, who did not appear for the Belgian national team’s Euro 2016 qualifying matches but was present for Manchester City’s home match against Swansea on Saturday.

Costa and Fabregas have been vital players for Chelsea this campaign. The striker recently scored his 11th league goal in 10 matches against West Brom.”Since I’ve known Sergio Ramos he has been a fantastic football player, but he is not a doctor.

He is not a doctor and I am the same. I do my job the best I can but I am not a doctor.My doctor and the doctor of the Spanish national team, they had the scans and they decided that the player was not in the condition to play.I am nobody to go against it and I don’t think Sergio did a medicine Masters in the last couple of years to understand about it,” said Mourinho.