Just like the "Group C of Death" of the World Cup, in the draw for the 1/8 finals of the European Champions Cup, Chelsea met Barcelona and became the focus of attention, and it is also a question in doubt, why did these two teams meet again, and this time they met, can Chelsea still pass Barcelona?

It's difficult, it's all so reasonable, but there are traces that have been buried for a long time. It seems that Chelsea's second place in the group, and the encounter with Barcelona, are all "predetermined" in advance.

In the group stage, the strength of Chelsea and Liverpool is significantly higher than the other two teams, and the two meetings between Liverpool and Chelsea have been drawn, which also means that the results of the four games with Anderlecht and Betis will determine who can play the first place in the group, the problem is that Betis plays at home against Chelsea, any physical contact between the two sides, the foul side is always Chelsea, and Chelsea lost the game under the inclined whistle.

As a result, he fell behind in the group stage after that, and after Stamford Bridge failed to win Liverpool, Mourinho had to accept the fate of second place in the group.

Another detail is the suspension of Essien, UEFA's suspension of the Ghanaian is no more, no less, exactly two, Essien missed the showdown with Barcelona, Chelsea do not even have Diego in the squad now, when Mourinho has to replace Gudjanssen, which will be a big discount.

This is reminiscent of a feud between Jose Mourinho and UEFA, with referee Friske making a decision against Chelsea after the first leg of last season's clash with Barcelona, with the Portuguese saying the former had been in contact with Barcelona boss Rijkaard in the tunnel. After the incident became serious, he said that he was just hearsay, which annoyed UEFA greatly. Subsequently, after being suspended, UEFA interfered with his "remote" command of Chelsea's game against Bayern Munich, incurring the Portuguese's resentment again.

This time, intentionally or unintentionally, UEFA has presented Chelsea with a "conundrum".

It is also worth noting that Chelsea and Barcelona were drawn together. Who is the happiest? Bookmakers, as these were the two most heavily betted teams before, one of them was destined to be eliminated. Then a part of the funds will inevitably fall into the pockets of gambling companies.

Compared to Chelsea, AC Milan are another kind of "must die".

Just like a year ago, just before the Athens Olympics, Greece won the European Championships. Before the World Cup in Germany. Will there be no German team in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League?

Although the Bundesliga is a weaker player in the top five leagues, this is unlikely to be possible before the World Cup. Counting on Bremen to knock out Juventus seems a bit of a fantasy, and in another German-Italian conversation, Bayern and AC Milan are relatively evenly matched, and at this time, it only takes a little extra external force to tip the scales in one side. And Galliani, who has always been reluctant to show his attitude, unexpectedly publicly said that "he didn't get a good draw" after this draw, does it also indicate that he saw something in advance?

Barcelona vs Chelsea. Although UEFA lacks new ideas, such a draw is exactly what Barcelona fans want. The Catalans have long hoped to complete their revenge on the "ruble", after all, no Barcelona fan was convinced by the team's elimination last season.

In an online poll conducted by Le Monde Sport, 44 per cent of fans would like to see Barcelona face Chelsea, 10 per cent more than those who chose Rangers, showing the determination of Barcelona fans to face the odds without fear of tough opponents.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta was one of them, saying before the draw: "Like thousands of Barcelona fans, I want Barcelona to draw Chelsea. We want to get revenge on football because it was unfair to be eliminated last season. Because of this, it is better to meet Chelsea in the quarter-finals than in the knockout rounds. ”

Barcelona left-back Van Bronckhorst, who made a mistake against Chelsea last season, has a very vengeful mentality: "For us, it's the same against any opponent, Chelsea are the best team in England at the moment, Barcelona want to meet them, if you want to win the title, you have to beat any opponent. ”

Belletti also said: "There is a consensus in the Barcelona dressing room that we only care about ourselves. For me personally, it's the same with any opponent because we just want to win. ”

Ronaldo Jr. said: "It's going to be another superlative conversation between two managers with great tactical awareness and we're looking forward to a good scene. Ronaldo believes that Barcelona's defeat last season had little to do with off-field factors, "It was our own mistakes that led to the elimination, and from today's football standards, it is absolutely abnormal to concede three goals in 20 minutes, and it is even more abnormal to occur between two teams with Champions League experience." We kept chasing the game, scoring two goals and conceding the other, and that game was unique. ”

Barca president Joan Laporta and Chelsea executive Kenyon hugged after the draw came out, while Barça vice-president Bekiristan said: "Last season's game was very good for football and everyone who loves football will enjoy this level of play. There is an important difference between this time and last season, when we played in London in the second leg and this time we played in Barcelona. And the timing is different, Barcelona are in very good form at the moment, and the team will keep this group until the knockout rounds. Chelsea are the leaders of the Premier League, and yes, we have to challenge them. ”

Rijkaard surprisingly said he didn't want to give the game too much revenge: "I don't think revenge is an accurate word, we are confident and this game will be very interesting. ”

The Dutchman wants not to repeat last season's experience: "The team is running really well and we should continue to work hard to give the fans a good image. Chelsea are a good opponent and we know it very well and it's going to be a lot of fun. Chelsea are doing well in the Premier League and it will be a clash between two teams that are in form, not just for us, but for the whole world. Say hello to Mourinho or not? Work is work, politeness is courtesy, and there is no need to worry about that. We both knew what to do, and of course I would ask him hello. I've forgotten what happened with Jose Mourinho and now I'm just thinking about qualifying for the next round. The locker room was a little more noisy than usual when they heard the results of the draw. But we won't repeat last season's experience. The standard of the Champions League is very high, and the draw against Chelsea cannot be described as bad luck. ”

The two teams meet in February, and until then Chelsea have plenty of time to resolve their league issues and prepare for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

In the 15th round of the English Premier League, Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at home. John Terry scored the only goal of the game in the 62nd minute. The Blues are on a 10-game winning streak at home at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea deservedly won, but it wasn't easy at all, had it not been for John Terry's timely step up. A 10-game winning streak is simply a thing of the past.

Jonker did not play, which disappointed the media and Chinese fans somewhat, and the media wanted to continue to raise the bar with Jonker. Fans want to see Jonker play.

Jose Mourinho again used the excuse of rotation to keep the squad changing, but Chelsea were faced with a lack of strikers when the big game came in December.

Ibrahimovic is injured and Drogba is out for six weeks for the Africa Cup of Nations. Chelsea also unwittingly suffered from the "No. 9 disease". Finding the right striker for the winter transfer window has become a top priority for the Blues.

Yesterday's edition of The Mirror was striking: "Chelsea boss 'Jose Mourinho' has £25 million on his plate. Take Torres under your account. "£25 million, or €37.5 million, would almost certainly be the biggest deal of the winter if it comes to fruition.

Abu has a long-standing love for Nino (Torres' nickname). This summer, Chelsea offered a whopping €36 million to invite Fernando Torres to join Chelsea. Atletico Madrid's president Cerezo's answer at the time was very tough: "Torres is a priceless treasure for Atletico, and Abu will not sell it even if he gives us no money." Torres himself was not very interested in Chelsea's offer: "Atletico are a great club and I want to help the team appear in Europe next season. ”

However, Torres is not in great form in La Liga right now. The league has been played for 13 rounds. He only scored three goals. "Governor" Bianchi has solved last season's Torres dependence since taking office, but his "No. 9" has lost the feeling of scoring all of a sudden. There have been rumors before. Atletico want to recruit Mascherano from Brazilian team Colin Zion in the winter transfer window, and Colin Zion happens to be controlled by the "Abou" MSI group. There is no wind and no waves, and it may not be groundless for Chelsea to win Torres this time.

The Spanish media reacted relatively lukewarmly, mostly citing the Mirror news for a simple report. However, Daily Sport also mentioned that in addition to asking Chelsea to buy Torres, the team's "all-rounder" Gallas could leave Stamford Bridge next summer. Juventus and Barcelona are both interested in the France international.

The introduction of reinforcements was also a matter in January, and now Jonker is unconsciously going to be an absolute attacker again, and the break in the 15th round is also a chance for Mourinho to give Jonk a chance to breathe and rest for the upcoming streak.

And just when various transfer rumors were just exposed to the outside world, coach Mourinho stood up early and made a stand.

"I'm not interested in anyone!" Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho's words came as a bolt from the blue for those looking to join Chelsea in the winter, meaning the reigning Premier League champions had closed their doors before the transfer market even started.

Count the stars who have been involved with Chelsea lately: Ballack, Fernando Torres, Kuyt, all stars in the local league.

Yesterday the Mirror revealed that the Blues are ready to buy Spanish golden boy Fernando Torres for a staggering £25 million, or about €37 million. Considering that winter transfers tend to be less popular than summer transfers, this price is enough to be a king-level deal. Considering that Didier Drogba will return to China in January for the Africa Cup of Nations and will be sidelined for up to six weeks, another powerful striker Ibrahimovic is injured, and the exact date of his return has not yet been determined, the former fourth striker Gudjohnsen has switched to midfield, and the fourth striker Carlton Kerr is too young and inexperienced, so it is logical for Chelsea to buy a big-name striker.

However, Mourinho said today: "I knew I would lose a couple of players after the Africa Cup of Nations, but in January I didn't want to see new faces. ”

Didier Drogba, Essien and Geremi will return to their respective national teams next month for the Africa Cup of Nations. The first two are absolute mainstays in the Blues' squad, with Geremi, who often hovers on the fringes of the squad, is a reliable alternate. On his first appearance for Chelsea of the new season, he broke the deadlock and eventually secured all three points for the Blues. The absence of these three is bound to have a big impact on Chelsea.

Mourinho, however, did not look worried, saying: "I didn't plan to, I didn't even think about it. When the transfer window opened in January, I didn't want anybody because at the moment, my whole focus was on the team. Some players will play in the Africa Cup of Nations. However, in my plan, there will be no new arrivals this season, and I don't want anyone to leave. ”

Chelsea's abundant and expensive "personnel reserves" are the reason why Mourinho is so confident.

Take wingers, for example. Even Peter Pan's Robben couldn't secure a main position, and the fierce competition within the team can be imagined.

Drogba's place could be filled by the recovered Ibrahimovic and Carlton Cole, the leading goalscorer in England's youth squad but often missing out on the squad at Chelsea.

Some time ago. Carlton Cole also played a little tantrum about it. There are also many clubs that are eyeing him. However, Mourinho eventually stabilized him, and although we don't know what promises the madman gave him, it is not difficult to see from replacing the injured Ibrahimovic in the Champions League that Mourinho is ready to give him a chance.

As for Essien, Icelandic Gudjohnsen is a good backup candidate, along with Diarra. In addition, the huge 10-point lead over second-placed Manchester United is also the reason why Mourinho can boldly use the youngsters.

On the other hand, the youngsters who have been sitting on the bench for a long time will definitely not let go of this opportunity to show themselves. Once one or two of them can emerge like Joe Cole-like characters from last season. Chelsea will be on the next level.

Mourinho's decision will also disappoint fans who want to get a taste of Ballack.

It has been reported that Chelsea are ready to intercept the Bundesliga king in the middle of the game. Snatched Ballack from Real Madrid. Now it seems that this is just a rumor.

In fact, if you think about it carefully, Ballack may not be able to achieve a win-win situation when he joins Chelsea, first of all, Chelsea already has a midfield killer Wang Lampard, considering the chaos of Lampard and Gerrard's two attacking midfielders in the national team, placing another midfielder next to Lan Tieren may not be able to achieve the effect of 1+1=2, defensively, Mourinho has high hopes for Essien, Makelele is not old, and there is a younger Diarra on the bench.

Contrary to Ballack, nothing else, just his age, the 29-year-old Bundesliga king's potential to continue to improve is very limited. No one will question the depth of Chelsea, the biggest problem that Mourinho needs to solve at the moment is the run-in, how to pinch the 11 people on the field together, is the key consideration of the madman, as he himself said, there is no energy to think about new people.

After hearing Mourinho's words, the happiest may be Real Madrid. Chelsea and Manchester United have publicly rejected Ballack, and it seems that the day when the Bundesliga king will join the Galaxy is not far off.

Despite the transfer rumours, Chelsea continued to move at their own pace in the league and were in contention with a narrow 2-0 home win over Wigan Athletic in the round of 16. Following on from the winner in the previous round that secured a win over Middlesbrough, Blues captain John Terry once again contributed a crucial goal in the game, with Jonker then sealing the win.

Chelsea have not conceded a goal in their last six competitive games and have won four in a row in the league, including 11 consecutive wins at home at Stamford Bridge. Wigan Athletic, who have lost to Chelsea twice this season, have lost four consecutive league games.

John Terry struck with a powerful header in the 67th minute and the ball slammed into the net and landed on the turf, along with Mourinho's hanging heart. Just six minutes before the goal, the two coaches Jose Mourinho and Jewell clashed on the sidelines after nothing more than a throw-in.

At the time, Scottish midfielder McCulloch and Joe McCulloch were in line with Joe. Cole fell to the ground after the collision, clutching his knees and lying on the turf in agony. Wigan striker Conoli then kicked the ball out of bounds.

Generally speaking, Chelsea should have returned the ball to Wigan. However, Mourinho thought that McCulloch was not strict and that he was just trying to stall for time, so he told Sù Gala not to return the ball to his opponent when he restarted.

Jewell, who was unwilling to lose, sneered at the action: "When we have players who kick the ball out when they are injured, they don't even give it to us. This shows that they are afraid of us. I think it's a lack of sportsmanship at Chelsea. Their manager made them do that, and it was disappointing. ”

Mourinho admitted that it was he who told Galla not to return the ball to his opponent. "Because we're not stupid. We know what fair play is and if a player gets injured then we kick the ball back. But if a player pretends to be injured. Then we're not stupid. The player was up and running again after a few seconds, and I told Sù Gala not to throw the ball back. It's my responsibility, and I'm going to do it in the future. ”

Mourinho said: "Fair play is not cheating. The collision happened 2 meters in front of me and everyone on the bench could see it clearly. Five minutes later McCulloch was injured and we kicked the ball out. I know the country I work in now, and I know the importance of fair play. But one is injured and the other is pretending to be injured. ”

But. Del Orno was also suspected of being unsportsmanlike during the match. In the 32nd minute, Joe. Cole wins a free-kick and Del. Horno took advantage of the referee and Joe. Cole kicked the ball out as he spoke. Crespo headed in but Baynes reacted quickly and headed the ball over the goalline. Jewell quipped: "A world-class team with world-class players beat us. Their greatness lies in knowing how to play dirty. ”

It's normal to have strife on the field, but people suddenly find out. It turns out that Chelsea's brand new training base has been in operation for almost four months. It provides a good guarantee for Chelsea's readiness.

The imprint of the changing times is quietly engraved on Cobham, a leafy hamlet on the outskirts of Surrey. Last week, Glenn. Johnson (a Chelsea player) and Melinda (a British supermodel) were present at Cobham's annual Christmas lighting ceremony, but unfortunately the glamorous Melinda failed to light the lights.

However, as long as the two men are under the mistletoe together, the local Rotali Country Club has plenty of talking points.

Since Abou bought Chelsea two and a half years ago. He has changed a lot of the face of English football and society. And Cobham, which has been self-sufficient for 9 centuries, even the pond on the side of the mountain. It also stirred up the ripples of the wave of innovation.

A year after the world's swankiest club set up a new £20 million training base on the sleepy Moore River, the 11,633 local residents still can't find a proper way to express it: shy faces from fascination, sincere anger, snobbish contempt abound.

This qiē is like the attitude of ordinary people towards celebrities. Forget the mills, there are rumours of rumours such as Johnson's investment in a restaurant and Frank Lampard's purchase of a nightclub.

The people of Cobham are not unseen, but as Terry and Robben move to the neighbourhood to facilitate training, the boundaries of tolerance among the residents are broken.

They felt a real grievance: traffic jams were getting bigger and bigger, and Frank Lampard unfortunately liked to park his Ferrari in the bus lane. John Terry sensed the problem and after gathering all 22 of his Chelsea companions to his home for the PS2 Invitational, he felt compelled to give some courtesy greetings. "I had to shove some chocolate through the crack in their door."

Walking down the streets here on a winter morning, you'll notice how much Cobham has changed over the years. Isn't it getting better? It is still up in the air.

In the early years, lunch options were limited to a pint of milk, but now there are plenty of restaurants, as well as a range of expensive specialty stores and jewellery galleries – with a clear target: the players' wives. A lucky jeweller recently returned £45,000 in cash for selling a set of silver candlesticks to Abu's Russian friend.

Because of these famous customers, local businessmen have enjoyed the benefits. Others, however, disagreed.

"Cobham used to be a village, but now it's no different from other high streets," says Juliens, a local teacher, "all the shops sell things we can't afford, and the only car dealers are now full of Aston Martins and Ferraris, which are of no use to us".

Real estate agents are also a group of people who don't complain. Cobham now has 12 real estate agencies, all of which are now thriving as Essien and Duff join Terry and Robben in buying million-dollar homes here. Essien had a hard time waiting, and he looked at a six-bedroom house and snorted, which he felt was too small.

In all the inflation triggered by the Chelsea effect, Trench Properties' Simon Barr believes the arrival of the player has only accelerated the trend. In fact, its proximity to London and its location at the crossroads to the South Coast have expanded its charm thanks to celebrity. "It's determined by the location and the arrival of celebrities. Chelsea didn't trigger changes at Cobham, they just accelerated those that were already underway. My daughter is happy because she gets a lot of autographs from the stars and the local businesses are not complaining."

Chelsea have corrupted the soul of Coalham? Maybe it's like Abu is to the Premier League, where a lot of people have become unstandard because they have kept the bottom line. (To be continued......)