[Centraal] Chelsea FC #6: Felipćo en zijn Portugese brigade

quote:

RAY RETURNS
Posted on: Thu 18 Sep 2008

Chelsea Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Ray Wilkins as assistant first team coach.

He brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise from his time in British and European football, and resumes a career with Chelsea that began 35 years ago when the then 17-year-old from Hillingdon in west London signed as an apprentice, making his first team debut in the same month, October 1973.

His time as a schoolboy under the wing of club had begun with Chelsea riding the crest of a wave but by the time Wilkins was ready for an early introduction to the Stamford Bridge crowd, shaky finance and shaky football had set in.

A team devoid of confidence was far from the perfect environment to nurture the best new talent at the club but what the downturn did provide was opportunity - and among the dying embers of the 1974/75 season and our top-flight status, Wilkins became Chelsea's youngest captain at the tender age of 18.

Relegation by then was impossible to prevent and with zero cash for new players, Chelsea fell back on homegrowns to keep the club alive. Playing every single game for two seasons, the new skipper lead us back to the First Division with promotion coming at the end of the 1976/77 campaign. He was voted Chelsea Player of the Year in both 1976 and 1977.

quote:

CHELSEA SIGN MINEIRO
Posted on: Wed 24 Sep 2008

Chelsea Football Club can confirm the signing of Mineiro who was released by Hertha Berlin as a free agent at the end of last season.

The deal, the details of which will remain confidential, will see him remain at the club until the end of the season.

Mineiro becomes the third Brazilian in the squad, linking up with manager Luiz Felipe Scolari and his backroom staff alongside Juliano Belletti and Alex.

A defensive midfielder, he has 24 caps for Brazil, and was a member of the 2006 World Cup squad, as well as appearing against England at Wembley in 2007.

Mineiro was released by Hertha at the end of last season, and has since been unattached.

Upon announcing the imminent arrival, Scolari explained the decision to sign the 33-year-old.

'He is a player that I need because I lost Michael Essien for six months. I have one midfielder like him, Mikel.

'So this week he will not play but maybe after 15 days to two weeks, he is ready to play normal games. He needs to play some games in the reserve team, and for me it is very good because I have one more player in this position. If not I have to put in Belletti or Ferreira, or Ballack, and they are not for this position.

'I say to fans of Chelsea, if they remember Makelele, Mineiro is the same. Good positionally, a very good marker. He is a man that works for the other players and he is also a good man outside of the pitch.'

quote:

JOHN MIKEL OBI STATEMENT
Posted on: Fri 10 Oct 2008
Chelsea Football Club has issued a claim at the High Court in relation to the transfer of Jon Mikel Obi in June 2006.

The claim is against FC Lyn Oslo and Morgen Andersen and follows the criminal conviction in Norway of Lyn's former chief executive officer Morgan Andersen.

It is for the entire £16 million fee paid by Chelsea for the player as it is now clear following Andersen's conviction that the transfer was based on the fraudulent misrepresentation that Mikel had an employment contract with Lyn.

At the time of the transfer, Chelsea, Lyn and Manchester United agreed that the fees paid would be in final settlement of the transfer, any claims related to it and that no further action or comment regarding the transfer would be made.

Chelsea has written to Lyn to make clear that because the transfer was based on a fraudulent misrepresentation, now proven by a court of law, the settlement previously agreed is not binding.

Chelsea is in contact with Lyn and looks forward to working positively with them to resolve the claim promptly.

Chelsea would like to make clear that this legal action is against Lyn and Morgen Andersen.