Chelsea wounded, the strongest in Champions

After ending "was Mourinho ', Chelsea reached its greatest heights in the Champions League with any technical or Avram Grant as Guus Hiddink. Now comes the turn to Di Matteo.

The data do not lie. The best records of Chelsea in Champions have come in unexpected situations in the most convulsive periods in which Roman Abramovich sacked so withering to their technicians.

The first was the now Madridista José Mourinho. The Portuguese, after winning main legacy bicampeonato league for the 2004/05 and 2005/06 and the FA Cup in 2007, was dismissed from office by Roman Abramovich, who did not tolerate the abuse of power by then accumulated and 'The Special One'. A series of poor results early in the season 2007/08 was the perfect excuse to 'Mou' had to abandon ship 'blue' by the back door to the amazement of her adoring fans. The Israeli Avram Grant, who accumulated just a few months as assistant to the Portuguese, was commissioned to take the reins.

With Grant at the helm the best beat Chelsea European registries of Mourinho with the Blues, who fell in the semifinals against Liverpool in 2005 and 2007 - to leave behind Olympiacos and Fenerbahce's affordable and in the semifinals to the 'coconut' of 'Mou', Liverpool to reach the final in Moscow, where succumb on penalties against Manchester United, who beat Barça in the semis, a game that still is cursed among the fans 'blue' by the unfortunate slip of Captain John Terry, who had of course the ultimate goal would have given the club's first Champions south London.

Despite reaching the Champions League final, Avram Grant would have no future at Stamford Bridge. Abramovich already had tied to his successor, Luiz Felipe Scolari. However, the commitment to coach five-time world Brazilian Korea and Japan 2002 did not go as expected, and Abramovich had no second thought to show him the exit door in February 2009 and try his luck with a classic of the benches of Europe: Dutchman Guus Hiddink.

With the Dutch coach Chelsea get planted in the semifinals after beating demanding rounds: round Juventus and Liverpool, who had run to Madrid at the crossroads of 'chorreo'-in quarters.

In semis expecting a Barça that had knocked Lyon and Bayern Munich after two exhibitions at the Camp Nou. The physical strength and good tactical approach would prevent Guardiola completasen a good game at home against the Blues. Everything was open for the return and, after a bad game the azulgrana, the 'Iniestazo' sentencing. To remember the indelible image of Guardiola bypassing the protocol in the technical area and congratulating the Dutchman a few minutes left, Iniesta seconds before touch the sky with a legendary shot. Hiddink would remove the thorn from the European phase conquering the FA Cup by beating Everton in the final.

Despite compete as equals against the best in recent times Barça, Hiddink, who was then combined his technical work with the post of coach of Russia, left the bench at Stamford Bridge on behalf of Carlo Ancelotti, landing in London with the intention of reissuing his successes on the bench for Milan, with two Champions (2003 and 2007) as the primary collateral.

But you would be lucky to Italian elusive, despite a double-win FA Cup, Premiership and in his first season, eventually convicted after two consecutive failures in the Champions League, in the second round against Inter in 2010 and the quarter against Manchester United in 2011.

With his departure last summer's promising draft tear André Villas-Boas, called to be at Stamford Bridge the great successor to José Mourinho. However, the irregular play of the team, alleged discrepancies with the heavyweights of the staff and especially the modest results in the Premiership and European elimination right around the corner, after the embarrassing defeat in the round of sixteen in Naples - ended up condemning the pupil of 'Mou', which would cede his post to his deputy, Italian Roberto Di Matteo. With him started the new European dream of Chelsea, after turning the tie against Benfica Naples and overcome suffered in two games, dreams take revenge now suffered the elimination against Barca in the semis in 2009. Chelsea wounded, the coaches of any, is the most dangerous in Europe. Guardiola's Barca will do well to take this into account. (via SPORT)

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