it was a dream that became a reality.
Roman Abramovich and his billions transformed Chelsea marquee names were lured to west London and pursuit of major trophies yet one prize eluded him until at last and against all the odds Chelsea have crowned champions of you for many years the solitary league championship in 1955 was the high point for Chelsea.
It was a title that ensured eligibility for the inaugural European Cup but the English have favored the competition as a distraction and Chelsea were prohibited from taking part their quest for European football's biggest prize would last more than half a century moderately successful for several decades in the 1990s Chelsea were able to take advantage of the free movement of players brought by the Bosman ruling the growing reputation of the Premier League attracted many foreign stars to Stamford Bridge Ruud Gullit Roberto Di Matteo Marcel Desailly Gianluca Vialli and John Franco Zola would all play significant roles in Chelsea's burgeoning success managed by Hewlett the club won the FA Cup in 1997.
With Timoteo scoring, after just 45 seconds that victory began a golden age for the club with Jean Lucca Viale and charge the Cup Winners Cup League Cup FA Cup and the first Champions League appearance all followed they had been successful in the FA Cup and in the European Cup but it was sort of a club with ambitions to grab the Premier League title I felt in the early stages we struggled a little bit to a man that challenge in 2003 the club's fortunes changed forever Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich purchased a controlling interest in the club from Ken Bates it was a bit surreal.
It was first I was first and foremost I was really surprised that Ken Bates sold Chelsea and I think I was in Iceland when I heard the news that first thing that I was told here some Russian billionaires just bought Chelsea and okay well that's interesting well we'll see what happens now Abramovich had a plan and its objective was big and bold to make Chelsea one of the world's top teams it went fairly smoothly very very kind man when we met him very ambitious very enthusiastic obviously demanded a lot of us as players and said that if he wanted to wear the choice I showed there are certain things that we would have to live up to and that would be you know to become a winning team his words were backed by actions 100 million pounds would spend on new talent but manager Claudio Ranieri fell short of delivering the required success.
He had four seasons in charge he did good things.
but it just lacked that little bit that edge to to turn us into the champions in June 2004 Abramovich brought the hottest property in world football to Stamford Bridge watch off just because I'm reading a lot of things about it how do you cope with the pressure how do you cope with big players I do cope with the urgent ambition to start winning titles Jose Mourinho had just won the Champions League with Porto and brought with him defenders Paulo Ferreira and ricardo carvalho Arion Robin and didier drogba were drafted in to offer attacking menace and the young Portuguese manager also impressed those already at the bridge it sat down when he walks into Chelsea but all he staff introduced him and explained that he wanted to win and was quite adamant about it really needs white very simple we're gonna be winners now and everyone bought into it straight away we were all a bit scared because you hear these stories and you read these things in the papers and you know we heard stories but everyone has to wear a suit like a shirt and tie every day to training and you can't be a second late or you know you send home and so there was a there was the fear factor to succeed in this country .
I have to adapt I have to to learn where I'm working I have to understand the culture of the football country.
I have to understand the culture of my players and my team and adapt myself to that and try to establish a philosophy and the team that can win in this in this country can succeed in this specific country when it turned up it was much more pleasant than that really nice guy obviously a character a lot of charisma when you go to another country when you start from zero or even if you're a big player you have you play with new players you new club a new country and that the most important thing is that you have a coach who trusts you he's gonna bring me to the club and I think not just me but most of the players loved him if you weren't playing you didn't like him if you play and then you're gonna love it.
I believe that the most difficult thing is to lead man and to the different man the different cultures with different brains with different qualities you need a strong manager and we had this in Mourinho it was really really important that he could handle all these kind of players and I think you could see this on the pitch everybody was doing his job and was playing for the team that is that was important but it was not easy from sometimes just try to be honest with them fair with them and be together all the time good moments bad moments try to be together all the time is something that happened naturally his personality was a huge thing for me because he personally brought out the best in his players and it brought the group together and I think that was the magic that.
He has that that maybe other people don't quite have the first trophy of the Mourinho revolution came with the defeat of Liverpool in the Carling Cup final that was an outstanding day and I was so pleased you see I took pictures of me without Carling Cup and like you see the joy in my face you know and some people snigger a little bit the car in Cup now but for me, on that day that was the Champions League the World Cup everything and off sky it was everything you couldn't possibly win it was just amazing to be a chosen family play the final was sandwiched between two legs of a Champions League tie against Frank Rijkaard Barcelona Vlad was playing an alien team.
I've never seen a team do that to us or to anyone I never felt that power on a pitch but from Ronaldinho etsu it was just they were just amazing you know you think you're a good player and then you go and play at the Nou Camp and you think Walt so when they come to us the next week weird you know we had no drug problem you know so people think you'd write us off and we just start off that fast and fire and all of a sudden before we knew it with three-nil up at home with just under 20 minutes on the clock and then we were obviously brought back down to earth with going in at halftime three two and the tie turned on its head again and we managed to go through in the second half after defeating Bayern Munich.
Chelsea faced Liverpool in the semi-final Luis Garcia's ghost goal would haunt Chelsea and Mourinho and then European ambitions of two years later would also end at Anfield lose a Champions League semi-final with the goal that was not the goal was also a magic moment in a negative way was also a magic moment Marino's first season 2045 so Chelsea loses just one league game and the climax was historic Chelsea were champions of England for the first time in 50 years the Premiership was magic for the club and everybody that was in the club at that time was feeling that that magic of being finally champion after 50 years of fantastic moments quality players all over the pitch you know you had Lampard is unbelievably we knew he was gonna get 20 goals you know he's gonna get you important goals he will be spoken of as the best Chelsea player ever.
I think as his motivation and drive are incredible his goalscoring record is phenomenal huge 80 at the back arguably he was at his absolute people his powers and we just stood magnet money, Paulo Ferreira, either coming in or Michael Essien you know Macker you know I love the Gator he made he give me the ball more than anyone ever in the current life he found me when I didn't even know I was there for me was the key for everything good that was happening at Chelsea.
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