On Liverpool champions league 2007
’If you are not a big club, you choose one competition and you fight in that competition and forget the others. We have Essien suspended and a lot of players with two yellow cards and it would not surprise me if they chase Drogba for 90 minutes to try and get him suspended for the second game.’
"We are on top at the moment, but not because of the club's financial power. We are in contention for a lot of trophies because of my hard work."
"I have read I have to prove a lot in English football. Sir Alex Ferguson is the only European champion in this country, nobody else, so I have to prove what?"
"Do not tell me your movie. I am in a movie of my own."
On his arrival - June 2004
I intend to give my best, to improve things and to create the football team in relation to my image and my football philosophy.
We have top players and, sorry if I’m arrogant, we have a top manager.
I’m not a defender of old or new football managers. I believe in good ones and bad ones, those that achieve success and those that don’t. Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one.
I don’t want special relations with one of them (his players). I hate to speak about individuals. Players don’t win you trophies, teams win trophies, squads win trophies.
On his new job - July 2004
If I wanted to have an easy job…I would have stayed at Porto - beautiful blue chair, the Uefa Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me.
On Tottenham - September 2004
As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal. I would have been frustrated if I had been a supporter who paid £50 to watch this game because Spurs came to defend. There was only one team looking to win, they only came not to concede - it’s not fair for the football we played.
On Arsenal after their 5-4 win at Spurs - November 2004
That was not a football score, it was a hockey score…in training I often play matches of three against three and when the score reaches 5-4 I send the players back to the dressing room, because they are not defending properly.
On Thierry Henry’s quick free-kick in 2-2 draw - December 2004
I am more than unhappy. Unhappy is a nice word.
On Sir Alex Ferguson - January 2005
Maybe when I turn 60 and have been managing in the same league for 20 years and have the respect of everybody I will have the power to speak to people and make them tremble a little bit.
On Sir Alex Ferguson - January 2005 (a few days later)
People want a storm but there isn’t one. I respect Sir Alex a lot because he’s a great manager, but he must follow the procedure. I don’t speak with referees and I don’t want other managers doing it, it’s the rule. One thing is to speak, one thing is to shout.
This is nothing against Sir Alex whatsoever. After the game on Wednesday we were together in my office and we spoke and drank wine. Unfortunately it was a very bad bottle of wine and he was complaining, so when we go to Old Trafford for the second leg, on my birthday, I will take a beautiful bottle of Portuguese wine.
But he is a great manager, he is clever and used his power and his prestige. The referee should not allow it. I have a lot of respect for Ferguson. I call him boss because he is the manager’s boss. Maybe when I become 60, the kids will call me the same.
On David Beckham - January 2005
He is someone I respect as a man and as a player. He is the captain of England and has been a European champion. I have never been critical of him and reports implying that are incorrect as I’ve never made comments about him.
On Blackburn - February 2005
During the afternoon it rained only in this stadium - our kitman saw it. There must be a micro-climate here. The pitch was like a swimming pool.
Look at the blond boy in midfield, Robbie Savage, who commits 20 fouls during the game and never gets a booking. We came here to play football and it was not a football game, it was a fight and we fought and I think we fought fantastically.
On leading the title race - February 2005
We are on top at the moment but not because of the club’s financial power. We are in contention for a lot of trophies because of my hard work.
On losing to Barcelona - February 2005
When I saw Frank Rijkaard (Barcelona coach) entering the referee’s dressing room I couldn’t believe it. When Didier Drogba was sent off (after half-time) I wasn’t surprised.
On… your guess is as good as mine - March 2005
The moral of the story is not to listen to those who tell you not to play the violin but stick to the tambourine.
On Roman Abramovich - March 2005
If he helped me out in training we would be bottom of the league and if I had to work in his world of big business, we would be bankrupt!
On winning the Premiership title - May 2005
This is the start of a process not the end. I want more for me and Chelsea.
On Liverpool after Champions League loss - May 2005
It was a goal that came from the moon - from the Anfield stands.
The best team lost. After they scored only one team played, the other one just defended for the whole game.
Liverpool scored, if you can say that they scored, because maybe you should say the linesman scored.
They are in the final and from my heart I hope they win it. The night belongs to them and I don’t want to criticise them.
On Manchester United - May 2005
I saw their players and manager go for a lap of honour after losing to us in their last home game. In Portugal if you do this, they throw bottles at you!
On Arsenal and their vice chairman and FA board member David Dein - July 2005
A person who works in the club should not work in the FA. The FA is the FA and the club is the club.
I am not concerned about how Chelsea are viewed morally. What does concern me is that we are treated in a different way to other clubs. Some clubs are treated as devils, some are treated as angels. I don’t think we are so ugly that we should be seen as the devil and I don’t think Arsene Wenger and David Dein are so beautiful that they should be viewed as angels.
Is Jose Mourinho the only one who can look at the fixtures and find something very strange?
On the Champions League - September 2005
I won’t hold back. What I did last season was the consequence of something. So, if the competition is absolutely normal without anything strange, I would love to be a good boy and to behave well.
On Chelsea’s start to the new season - October 2005
We have eight matches and eight victories, with 16 goals, but people say we cannot play, that we are a group of clowns. This is not right.
On the loss of their 100% league record at Everton - October 2005
Everybody is crying that Chelsea keep winning and winning and winning so I think that draw at Goodison Park makes everyone more happy. It gives people more hope and brings to the Premiership what everybody was waiting for.
I may look stupid saying this, but I think we should be going home with three points because we scored two great goals and usually, when you score two and concede one, you win the game.
On losing to Charlton in the Carling Cup - October 2005
I want to give my congratulations to them because they won. But we were the best team. We didn’t lose the game. Ninety minutes was a draw and it was a draw after two hours. We lost on penalties.
On winning ways - October 2005
Everybody was waiting for Chelsea not to win every game and one day when we lose there will be a holiday in the country. But we are ready for that.
On Arsenal’s French farce of a penalty - October 2005
You have to wonder why they did that penalty. Because they have so many penalties in the season, that’s why. They have to do something special and different.
On Arsene Wenger - October 2005
I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea.
"Look, we're not entertaining? I don't care; we win." - on Chelsea's performance at the start of the 2006-07 season
