Roman's hands on approach

[Steve 10,227]

Carlo Ancelotti reveals Roman Abramovich's hands-on style at Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti has revealed the extent of Roman Abramovich's involvement in first-team affairs at Chelsea, telling the club's official magazine that the owner "wants to know everything".

"Roman is very interested, for sure, in his team," he said. "We meet maybe once a month and when he doesn't have to travel with his job he likes to stay in Cobham [where Chelsea have their training ground]. We discuss everything. He likes football, Chelsea, the players and he wants to know everything – about injuries, the balance of the team, tactics."

Ancelotti also spoke warmly of his assistant manager, Ray Wilkins. Having spent three years playing for Milan in the 1980s and also worked at the club under another Italian manager, Gianluca Vialli, Wilkins provides essential translation services. "I have difficulty to understand sometimes but I have a very good assistant," Ancelotti said. "He's not only an assistant, he's a friend and he speaks very good Italian. And so he helps me to understand. It's not easy because when you speak to the team you have to not only speak, you have to show emotion as well.

"The first time I was angry with the players I tried to shout at them in English – it was impossible! Now the players know that when I speak in Italian, I am angry!"

The 50-year-old, whose side are top of the league and in the FA Cup final, promising a golden conclusion to his first season in English football, said that Italy could learn much from the English game.

"I saw a lot of Premier League games last year," he said. "The surprise for me is the atmosphere around the stadium and inside the stadium. It is very good and different to Italy. In Italy it is hard to find a full stadium and it's very easy to have violence in the stadium – this is not good. Here there are no police, no barriers, just a fantastic atmosphere.

"I think England had the same problem about 20 years ago with the hooligans and other problems, but you changed the rules and respected them. Italy tried to change the rules, but there is not the respect, so we have a big problem. I hope Italy can have the culture that I found here."

Guardian

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

Difference in Italy is that the Ultras are actually part of the clubs -and have a say in how the clubs are run. Think he is being polite when he says the atmosphere are better for Prem games. Some games hear you can hear the players shouting on the pitch - I dont want fullscale riots, but the sanitisation of games and behaviour by thug stewards is criminal.

[EskWeston 696]

I do like the way the media always talk of Roman wanting to be involved with the way the club is running as a negative. Like it is the normal thing for owners to not get involved in any running of the club....

[5354 204]

I think he is involved as in wanting to know how the players are feeling, how the players are playing, the kind of football Roman expects to see.

I don't really think it is a bad idea, infact it makes Roman love the club even more. The very least we will not fall into situations such as the club trying to sell Chelsea at profit to other investors :/

[warnie_666 1,081]

Its Good and Bad. Its Good cus it shows that we have an Owener who is pretty much the opposite of Glazers and Hicks and Gillet. We have an Owner who isnt looking to make a profit out of this club but is more of a fan. Heard his son is a Chelsea Fan now and will succeed Roman eventually.

Bad cus it lead to osuting of our most successful Manager. Its bad cus we suffered a huge financial losse in Shevchenko and lead us in forcibly trying to play big names like Ballack and Sheva in the same team and give up the successfull 4-3-3. Its bad cus his over indulgence has made the club unstable in last two years.

[zolayes 14,489]

I do like the way the media always talk of Roman wanting to be involved with the way the club is running as a negative. Like it is the normal thing for owners to not get involved in any running of the club....

they are waiting for him to get bored....