Chelsea in crisis after new £40million loss
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Chelsea in crisis after new £40million loss as Abramovich continues funding freeze
Troubled times: Carlo Ancelotti has no funds available for new players
Carlo Ancelotti, without a win in five Premier League matches, will not be allowed to bolster Chelsea's faltering title hopes by adding to his squad in the January transfer window.
Chelsea will announce in the new year that the club lost £40million last season despite winning the League and FA Cup Double.
Only if owner Roman Abramovich has a major change of heart and subsidises a new signing will Ancelotti be able to bring in new blood next month. And the Italian has been told that such an about-turn is not on the agenda.
The lack of funds will further frustrate a manager who is expected by Abramovich to improve on last season's performance, despite having to operate with a squad that captain John Terry admits is weaker than the one that completed the Double.
Ancelotti, who has insisted that despite recent injuries he cannot blood his youngsters at such a time of crisis, now faces Arsenal in a vital match tomorrow knowing that his principal rivals for the titles - Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal - have significant funds to strengthen in January.
City will make a further move for £35m Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, while United are monitoring Liverpool's £20m goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, and Atletico Madrid's £15m David de Gea, as Arsenal contemplate a £10m move for Bolton centre-half Gary Cahill.
Deep pockets: But Roman Abramovich will not fund extra player purchases
But potential Chelsea moves for a new striker, such as City's unsettled Carlos Tevez or Liverpool's Fernando Torres - either of whom would cost £40m - or for Benfica centre-half David Luiz, who is valued at £25m, are seemingly impossible.
Despite enjoying an historic season in 2009/10, Chelsea's financial figures are unlikely to see a significant change from the previous year's loss of £44.4m, taking the total amount of losses since Abramovich took over seven years ago to more than £500m.
The Russian has committed to reducing the club's annual deficits ever since announcing a record loss for a football club of £140.2m in 2005.
Chief executive Ron Gourlay has already told players, in a team meeting at the start of the season, not to expect major signings, as the club are now expected to generate their own transfer funds through sales rather than rely on hand-outs from Abramovich.
Gourlay has been instituting a number of economies this season, which included refusing to renew the contracts of Joe Cole and Michael Ballack and cutting the win bonuses of some players.
Chelsea need to show UEFA they are making progress in reducing their losses from next season. Europe's ruling body will monitor club accounts as part of new financial fair play regulations.
Expensive luxury: Joe Cole was one of the players to leave Stamford Bridge after the Double victory
Any club making persistent losses, such as Chelsea and Manchester City have done, will be banned from the Champions League from 2013.
Chelsea are confident recent cutbacks and improved sponsorship deals negotiated by Gourlay, including an eight-year kit deal with adidas worth potentially £30m a year, mean the deficit will be considerably reduced by the time the new regulations come in.
The rules will permit clubs to incur exceptional losses of around £38.5m in the two years running up to the 2013/14 season, if they are underwritten by shareholders and owners. The measures Chelsea have taken mean they should meet those criteria.
But to do so would mean continuing to run a steady financial ship until the club can significantly increase their income.
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I think Abramovic is feeling the heat from the Sheikh from City.
Anyway, the current Chelsea reminds me of AC Milan 06-07 under Ancelotti.
The backline was shepherd by the evergreen Maldini, Cafu, Nesta and Jankulovski with Simic, Favalli and Costacurta as backups.
Chelsea has Terry, Bosingwa, Ivanovic and Cole with Alex, Zhirkov and Ferreira as backups.AC Milan had midfielders Gattuso, Seedorf, Pirlo and Kaka.
Chelsea has midfielders Essien, Malouda, John Obi Mikel and Lampard.AC Milan had experienced strikers Inzaghi, Borriello and Gilardino.
Chelsea has experienced strikers Drogba, Anelka and Kalou.In that season, AC Milan splashed the cash on Yoann Gourcuff and it was a failed investment.
This season Chelsea splashed the cash on Ramires and it will soon be a failed investment.Just my opinion though.
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thank god for platini or if not, players will cost a billion someday.