Claudio: Don't Be Stupid!

Last updated : 16 August 2003 By Rich Godden
You certainly can't knock Claudio for his straight talking. He tells it like it is and how it is. Credit to him for that.

Chelsea are the focus of nearly all the newspapers this morning. The big interview is with Claudio Ranieri. He reveals "Only a stupid man would think that we can win the title this season.

"An intelligent man would know that there are three big teams - Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal - who are settled and have been around for years. It's impossible to compare us with them.

"We have only just started building here and there is a big difference between them and us. Of course, I want to win the title and we are ambitious but they will be favourites and we are the outsiders.

"The players are coming here all the time but how long has Sir Alex Ferguson been working with his team? Sixteen years.''

Claudio has also told of his delight at his free spending new boss: "These amounts of money are beyond my wildest dreams. It's unbelievable what has happened. I could never have imagined things to have changed so much since last year.

"I am very privileged. I am the only manager in the world in this position. But if you wanted to win the title, you would have bought players aged 28 or 29. We are trying to build a team of younger players with some more experienced players. I said that I wanted to build in this way and Mr Abramovich agreed with me.''

He has also slammed bookmakers who have stopped taking bets on his to be the first manager sacked this season. He said "I am a very positive man. You know that you will die one day, but you don't think about that every single day. You have to live your life.

"If any bookmakers have stopped taking bets on me being the first manager to be sacked in the Premiership this season, they should open their books again to make more money as people would lose it if they bet on me."

Great stuff Claudio!