Jose Mourinho's Knowledge Of Chelsea Will See Inter Beat Them - Luis Figo

The former midfield maestro believes Mourinho will show his hand and down his former side...

Luis Figo

Inter director Luis Figo believes Jose Mourinho's knowledge of Chelsea will give him a disticnt advantage when the two sides clash in the Champions League last 16 in February.

The 'Special One' will welcome his former side to the San Siro in the first leg before travelling back to his old stomping ground. Figo claims the Nerazzurri will have no problems in winning the battle for a quarter-final place.

"Every team is very strong at this stage of the competition, but Inter have the qualities to beat any team," Figo told Sky Sport Italia after the draw.

"Chelsea are a very strong team, but the fact that Jose knows the environment there will help us. This is an advantage for us. We have great respect for Chelsea, but we are going to play for a place in the next round.

"No game is ever the same. We have a great group that is dominating the league, I hope we can transfer this into Europe."

Poignant

18 Dec 09, 22:58

not really you know

zocoss

18 Dec 09, 23:10

Ahead of TheGame: Mourinho v Ancelotti: history behind conflict

Today we ask: Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti will meet again in the last 16 of the Champions League, but what is the history between the pair?

Gabriele Marcotti responds: ”The rivalry between the pair goes back to the time when Mourinho had left Chelsea and was being constantly linked with AC Milan. That was also a time, during the summer of 2008, when Ancelotti was on pretty shaky ground at Milan and even admitted to speaking with Chelsea.

Ancelotti was being asked over and over again “what do you think about Mourinho? Is he going to take your job?” He responded with an off the cuff comment that was made as he was literally walking out of the press conference, he joked “I don’t need Mourinho at AC Milan, he isn’t much of a footballer, have you ever seen him kick a ball”?

It was a joke, but Mourinho didn’t see it that way and responded by saying that Arrigo Sacchi [who won two European Cups at Milan] wasn't a footballer either, but was a far greater Milan manager than Ancelotti had ever been. From there it went on as Mourinho became Inter manager although it has always been fairly one sided.

It takes a lot to wind Ancelotti up. He is a very low key guy and has been especially low key this season. I would imagine he will do everything he can to avoid a war of words in the build-up to these matches. Mourinho won't hesitate to start the verbal sparring if he feels it will benefit his team.

I will predict that we will hear something along the lines of “Whose team is this anyway? I signed Petr Cech, I signed Ashley Cole, I signed Ricardo Carvalho, I signed Michael Essien, I signed Didier Drogba and I made John Terry captain.” In some ways he has a point. Many of the Chelsea players remain very attached to Jose and that may well be something he uses to get to Ancelotti.”

Poignant

18 Dec 09, 23:15

both are, no doubts, one of the greatest managers in modern soccer.

who will walk out of this stage as winner? both equally have the chance to.

Ythakisoka09

19 Dec 09, 10:00

Carlo Ancelotti has done much to help Chelsea’s players and supporters to forget about the persistent spectre of José Mourinho, but when the two men renew their peculiar rivalry in the Champions League in February, nothing less than an exorcism will do.

zocoss

19 Dec 09, 10:38

Carlo Ancelotti says no to José Mourinho mind games

• Chelsea face reunion with former manager at Internazionale

Jose Mourinho

Carlo Ancelotti has vowed not to be provoked by José Mourinho's trademark "mind games" after the draw for the knockout phase of the Champions League gave the Special One a mouth-watering return to Chelsea with Internazionale.

Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge, where he won the club's first league titles in half a century during a glittering three-and-a-half-year spell, that catches the imagination, particularly given the strained relationship he endured with Ancelotti, then at Milan, in Serie A last season.

The pair clashed verbally as Mourinho claimed the Serie A title for Inter but failed to secure the club's principal objective, the European Cup. "There were some problems, some questions and discussions in the papers, but I like him as a coach," said Ancelotti. "He's a fantastic coach who won in Portugal, in England, in Italy. Everywhere. But I'm not able to discuss his character. I will speak of him as a coach and nothing else. It isn't a problem that we don't have a good relationship. This can be a good opportunity to improve that.

"It will be an emotional game for him. He did a fantastic job here, so to play against Chelsea won't be easy for him. But this match is Chelsea versus Inter, a football match between two of the most important teams in Europe. Nothing else. I have experience [of what he'll try to do] but I'm not ready to play mind games. I never will be ready to play these games. I prefer to play football matches and I've never thought that a football game is a match between coaches. I will try and find a weakness in their team but not in a fellow coach."

Ancelotti was more critical of Mourinho in his autobiography, Preferisco la Coppa, in which he referred to the Inter coach as "His Mourinhoness, comparing himself to Jesus" and "His Specialness". The pair went head-to-head in pre-season, when Chelsea won 2-0 in a friendly in Pasadena yet both avoided talk of their frosty past. The Chelsea chief executive, Ron Gourlay, said the former manager's return would be "spectacular" yet, for all that Mourinho will be afforded a tumultuous reception by fans, it could prove an awkward obstacle for the London side.

"Going back to Stamford Bridge will be an added motivation for Mourinho," said the Inter president, Massimo Moratti, who had seen the Portuguese's relationship with the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, steadily deteriorate. "It's better to have those strong motivations and, against Chelsea, we'll certainly have those."

Poignant

19 Dec 09, 11:28

oh ya, ancelotti had touched that cup before, jose havent, and i do not see him being able to touch it this year

Poignant

19 Dec 09, 16:31

Chelsea boss Ancelotti kicks off mind games: All pressure on Mourinho

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says all the pressure is on Jose Mourinho after being drawn with his Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Although Ancelotti was adamant he will not get mixed up in mind games, he did hint that the build-up to the matches will affect Mourinho more.

The Portuguese left Stamford Bridge in 2007 after winning two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and two League Cups.

Ancelotti added: "I think that for him it will be an emotional game. He did a very good job here in Chelsea, so to play against Chelsea won't be easy for him. He will do his best to win against Chelsea.

"Mourinho did a very good job and maintained a very good relationship with these players. That's normal. They won and this will be a reminder of those seasons. This is normal in football.

"The games will be difficult because I think that at the moment Inter are the strongest team in Italy.

"They are top of the table. It is difficult for them, though, to play against Chelsea.

"I think we have confidence this season to do the best in the Premier League and in Europe.

"But for us, at this moment, it's better to speak about the West Ham game in the league this weekend."