RUUD Gullit has backed Chelsea to bounce back from their Barclays Premier League title disappointment and take revenge on Manchester United with victory in the Champions League final.
Gullit, who was in charge at Stamford Bridge from 1996 to 1998 and led Chelsea to their first major trophy in 27 years when he won the FA Cup in 1997, is confident Avram Grant's side can deliver the prize craved by owner Roman Abramovich.
The for
mer Dutch international, now in charge of Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles Galaxy, told Ford's Feel Football debate programme: "I see Chelsea taking revenge, so it is going to be a very interesting Champions League final and I think Chelsea will win.
"I have a feeling that Man United would rather have played Liverpool than Chelsea.
"But is this the right final? Well, I think the best four teams were there in the semis, so that was good, but those games again made it very obvious how much importance is put on the away goals rule.
"It is so vital who plays first away and then at home. Liverpool, in the previous season's matches played away and then at home and they managed to win.
"This time it was the other way around and they didn't – so that says something."
The match marks Chelsea's first appearance in the European Cup final and their first chance to lift the most prestigious trophy in Europe.
Gullit, 49, also admitted that Chelsea boss Grant deserved credit for his part in helping the west London club reach the final and that striker Didier Drogba had a key role to play at the Luzhniki Stadium.
"Jose Mourinho had a hand in this but really it is Grant's hand – he has done what he had to do, to make the best out of it," he added.
"Jose had a good team in his hands and the question was what could Grant do with it? Well, until now he has done very, very well with it.
He continued: "Drogba is very, very important for Chelsea in this match.
"From Manchester United's point of view I think it will be who will play against Drogba, Ferdinand or Vidic, that will be key – and I also think Paul Scholes will be very important from a tactical point of view."
There are those in the Chelsea squad who have tasted a Champions League final before, however. One of them, Ashley Cole, is determined not to endure a second last hurdle disappointment having been reminded of his first every time he arrives at training.
The England left back was in the Arsenal side that lost to Barcelona in the 2006 final in Paris when Juliano Belletti, now his team mate at Stamford Bridge, scored a late winner.
"
We had so many young players, we had a man sent off, went 1-0 up, should have been 2-0 up but then Belletti comes along and scores – which I hear about all the time. Hopefully, he'll get another one of those 'lucky' goals.
"I try not to think about (Paris) too much, but now I have got the chance to wipe all that out."
The full article contains 535 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
