Ancelotti proud to boss Blues

Italian coach welcomes Chelsea challenge

By Chris Burton

Carlo Ancelotti admits he is 'honoured' to have been charged with the task of guiding Chelsea to glory.

The Italian moved to Stamford Bridge last summer, having cut his coaching teeth in his homeland.

Successful spells at Juventus and AC Milan helped him to establish a reputation as one of Europe's top bosses, bringing him to the attention of Chelsea.

The Blues have struggled to establish stability in the dugout since Jose Mourinho left the club in 2007, but have high hopes for their latest recruit.

Their judgement appears to have been well founded, with Chelsea continuing to lead the way in the Premier League title race and well-placed to launch an assault on the UEFA Champions League crown.

Much of the credit for their success this season has been laid at Ancelotti's door, with the Blues back to their free-flowing best.

The affable Italian insists owner Roman Abramovich deserves to take more credit for the upturn in fortune than he does, but admits he is loving life at one of English football's most prestigious clubs.

"This team is the owner's team, it's not mine," Ancelotti said after watching his troops hammer Sunderland 7-2 on Saturday.

"It is the team of Roman Abramovich and I am honoured to train this team.

"He likes to see Chelsea play like we did today.

"If we continue to play like we did it will be very difficult to lose a game."