DROGBA: FANTASTIC FANS

Didier Drogba learned a lot at the Bukit Jalil Stadium on Thursday, having for the first time sampled the enthusiasm of almost 85,000 Chelsea supporters in Asia.


Our sell-out at Malaysia's national stadium sets a new record for a Chelsea friendly, with the noise inside the arena reaching previously unimagined levels. For Drogba, who missed our 2008 tour of the region, it was an unforgettable experience, demonstrated by his filming of the crowd on his phone prior to kick-off.

The support clearly had an effect, with the 33-year-old Ivorian creating the game's only goal, his venomous free-kick rebounding off the post and in off the Malaysian goalkeeper.
'The reception was amazing,' Drogba said afterwards. 'People used to tell me we have a lot of fans here in Asia and what we saw today was unbelievable, and the whole time we have been here, the passion really was special.
'It is good to travel and feel who our supporters are. Now we know when we are playing we are not only playing for our Chelsea fans in England, we are also playing for these people.'

The forward's free-kick was the standout moment in a game made difficult by energetic opposition and an awkward pitch, not to mention the hot and humid conditions.

'I think it was a good opportunity to try and score, I'm not sure if the ball crossed the line but the most important thing is the result,' Drogba said. 'It's good for the team to win, even if it was a friendly and the game was very difficult.

'Everything made it difficult, our opposition, the heat, the pitch. We have had around 14 days of training since we started, not a lot, and our fitness is difficult starting again here.

'The pitch was not easy and also the weather, the humidity, the heat, it is really difficult. I've said before it is similar to Ivory Coast, so I am a little bit used to it even though it is very difficult. I think it's difficult for both teams, even though they are from here it must be difficult for them as well. That's how it is, it's a bit crazy.'

'Crazy' would certainly describe the levels of support experienced so far. Now it is on to Thailand and the Rajamangala National Stadium, where we will meet a local Premier League All Stars XI, once more live on Chelsea TV.

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REACTION: CONTINUING TO GROW

Andre Villas-Boas admitted after the 1-0 win in Malaysia that his team lacked the efficiency in front of goal that would have given a scoreline more reflecting of the play, but he saw clear signs of progress with four pre-season games yet to play before the league season begins.

It took a rebound off a post and then off the keeper for an own-goal winner after a well-struck Didier Drogba free-kick late in the game, but the Blues dominated throughout against a young Malaysian select side, who were reduced to two genuine chances to score. Chelsea had more.

'We cannot forget the heat and the conditions, but it is clear that result in the end seems short because we had some good opportunities,' said Villas-Boas after the game.

'At the end we had a couple of good moments regarding what we are doing in training. Things are happening for us in terms of our objectives in transition and without the ball.

'Of course we could have scored more because we made a lot of opportunities which is a good sign for us, but the most important thing is that we continue to grow as a team leading up to the Stoke game.
'Also there was a major display by the Malaysian goalkeeper.'

The Portuguese manager was not able to comment on whether the ball had crossed the line, it was a tight decision by the linesman, but he declared he is not worrying over a lack of goals from his forward players at this stage of the summer, even if he recognises a need for improvement.

'Gaining confidence to find the back of the net comes with training and that comes with patience,' he said. 'At Chelsea we are prepared to give our forwards this kind of patience because the most important thing for us is to win collectively.

'I will just let things happen naturally. In Chelsea every player finds extreme competitiveness to be successful and the best players performing in training will go into the games and hopefully help the team to be successful.'

With the intensity of the training sessions that run for 90 minutes, often twice a day, and the heat in Asia, Villas-Boas continues to limit the players to 45 minutes match action at a time. He does not see any player given 90 minutes in the immediate future so performances from half-to-half are likely to vary.

'In the first half we played a lot horizontally from side to side and we could not find enough vertical passes forward,' he said of Thursday's game.

'In the second half we finally found more vertical passes, we changed the structure to 4-4-2 with a diamond by playing Nicolas Anelka behind Daniel Sturridge and Didier Drogba, and there was the space that we were looking to find. It is not his position but he has done it before in the past and we created another couple of chances.

'We are trying to build a new way of playing and things don't happen in three weeks. That is our target and that is our challenge and hopefully they will happen in the future.

'4-4-3 for us is a modern system and we are trying to link what we have with this system. It has been a lot of information for the players and the players are magnificent at absorbing so many new ideas in such a short period of time.'

Speaking of the future, Villas-Boas predicts a bright one for teenage centre-back Nathaniel Chalobah who contributed 45 minutes to the clean-sheet performance.

'Nathaniel is very young but already he is very impressive. At the moment he can build on to a very successful career but at 16 you never know what is going to happen when you are 25 or throughout your career. Hopefully things for him will work out.

'I think he has a place in Chelsea's future for sure because he has enough quality and he shows already enough maturity to be a great central defender.'

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New Puma Cardiff City Home Shirt 2011/12

Cardiff yesterday unveiled Malky Mackay as their new manager, but also unveiled their new home kit for the coming season. Having once again lost out on promotion to the Premier league, Cardiff recently parted ways with manager Dave Jones which signalled a fresh start in the Welsh capital. Malaysian business man Chan Tien Ghee took over the club in May 2010 with the aim of getting the one time FA Cup winner into England’s top flight. Having faltered in the playoffs again the Bluebirds will be even more determined to go one better next year having see arch rivals Swansea City achieve promotion in only their second season in the npower championship. The clubs new tie to Malaysia is evident in their new shirt with ‘Malaysia’ appearing across the front of the shirt. With a new manager in place, a new modern stadium in the form of the Cardiff City stadium and an experienced championship side, next season will surely be Cardiff’s time to step up and become the second Welsh team in the Premier League.

Cardiff City’s have donned the Blue jersey since 1908 and the new kit is no exception. Manufactured by Puma it also features Cardiff’s second colours of yellow and white in the form of two stripes at the top of shirt. The V neck collar is in white as are the sleeve cuffs. Malaysia is represented across the front of the shirt, while the Puma logo is on the right chest and club crest on the left.

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Arsenal, Chelsea & Liverpool VS Malaysian Selection in July 2011

Treat for EPL fans

PETALING JAYA: Local football fans of the English Premier League (EPL) are in for a fantastic treat in July!

Three of the Big Four of the EPL – Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – will be in town for a 10-day EPL Festival. However, the exact dates have yet to be confirmed.

The three teams will take on the national side on three different dates in July.

Football fans can look forward to seeing the likes of Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres and David Luiz (Chelsea); Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie (Arsenal); and Steven Gerrard, Raul Meireles and Luis Suarez (Liverpool) in action.


Big guns: Three of the main stars from the English Premier League (from left) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea) and Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) will be in the country for the 10-day EPL Festival in July.
Manchester United, who make up the Big Four, enjoyed two hugely successful visits here in 2001 and 2009.

This will be the first time that three top English clubs will be in town since the inaugural FAPL Asia Cup in 2003. Then, the teams who came were Birmingham, Newcastle and Chelsea.

Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay had announced last year that they would be in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok in July for their Chelsea Asia Tour 2011.

Chelsea’s Asia Tour programme in Kuala Lumpur would include a friendly game against the national team at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, an open training session for the fans and community coaching programmes.

Source: Thestar

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Chelsea kick off ticket sales from May 20

Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Source: D5 Sports


Image © D5
Proevents International CEO Julian Kam( fifth from left) managing director San Boon Wah (sixth from left) presenting a mock ticket for the Chelsea Malaysia X1 to Senior Manager Brand Communication & Sports Marketing of adidas South East Asia Marcus Chew(fourth from left), watched by (from left) FAM general secretary Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad, National coach K. Rajagobal, FAM vice president Datuk Subahan Kamal and Khawari Isa (President of Sports Writer Association of Malaysia).

KUALA LUMPUR, (D5) - Exciting news for football fans in Malaysia! Chelsea will take on Malaysia's best footballers in July and tickets are being sold from May 20 onwards.

In promotion of the Blues' trip here, selected adidas outlets nationwide will chip in a free commemorative Chelsea Football Club training pass with every ticket purchased from May 20-29.

Ticket prices range from RM 58, RM68, to RM108. A limited VIP ticket priced at RM388 will be available as well.

Organised by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), the Malaysia XI vs Chelsea FC match will be held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on July 21, 2011 at 8.45pm.

And ProEvents CEO Julian Kam, is expecting a huge turnout from fans in the South East Asia region.

"In 2008, we had 55,000 football fans come and watch an excellent and exciting game of football.

"We expect more to come for this year's match, especially from neighbouring countries such as Brunei, Indonesia, Vietenam, Thailand, and Singapore," said Julian.

Apart from the match, other activities involving the Premier League team will be included such as an autograph session, soocer clinics, charitable events and a meeting with the official Chelsea Supporters Club.

FAM secretary general Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad was delighted to have Chelsea play Malaysia's best.

"This is a great opportunity for football fans to come and watch a top notch English Premier League team in action.

"Fans in Malaysia should not miss this golden opportunity," said Azzudddin.

Fans can purchase tickets at selected addidas outlets from May 20 onwards, and from Ticketpro outlets nationwide beginning May 30, or call Ticketpro's hotline at 03-7880 7999, or book online via their website at www.ticketpro.com.my

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Chelsea to visit Malaysia as part of 2011 tour

KUALA LUMPUR: English Premier League champions Chelsea have listed Malaysia in their Asia Tour 2011 itinerary and also for pre-season training, it was announced today.


VS


Disclosing the plan in a media briefing on Chelsea's Asia Tour 2011 here today, Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay said the club was planning to be in Malaysia for a week for a training stint prior to a friendly match in Kuala Lumpur.

"As a centre for pre-season training as well, our manager Carlo Ancelotti will require first class facilities and we know Malaysia will provide that too," he said.

Gourlay said Chelsea were confident of Malaysians interest in the club and were looking forward to getting closer to the their fans in the country.
"A huge crowd came to our game during our last Asia Tour two years ago and with next summer's match taking place in the 85,000 capacity National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, this is the chance for many fans here to came watch us again," he said.

During the 2008 Asia Tour, Chelsea played a pre-season friendly match against Malaysia in front of 55,000 fans at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil and won it 2-0, with the goals scored by Nicolas Anelka and Ashley Cole.

ProEvents International, a leading football marketing and management consultancy in Asia, has once again been appointed as the sole and exclusive tour promoter for the Chelsea Asia Tour 2011.

ProEvents International chief executive officer Julian Kam said a comprehensive programme would be drawn up to welcome Chelsea to Kuala Lumpur, together with match details relating to ticket pricing, venue and timing.

"We will announce them in the near future," he said.

Apart from Malaysia, Chelsea Asia Tour 2011 will among others include Thailand.-- BERNAMA

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