Maruda: Ancelotti taught me a lot at Chelsea, he was a victim of the team

Chelsea veteran Maruda recalled the ups and downs of his journey to the Blues in an exclusive interview with Sport Post, talking about Mourinho and Ancelotti.

Malouda bid farewell to Lyon in the summer of 2007 for a £17m move to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea were still shocked by their first defeat in the Premier League title battle under Jose Mourinho. Mourinho's Blues, who missed out on a third consecutive title in 2006/07, are determined to take it back the following year. However, Maruda was the only player they spent a fortune that summer, and before that, tensions between the grumpy Mourinho and the angry Abu had already begun to strain.

A seven-game win-three earlier in the season gave Abu the first time he pulled the trigger, and Mourinho was sacked a month into the start of the new season. For Maluda, he had a good start to his career with the Blues, scoring one goal and three assists. Sacking Mourinho is a shock to the whole system.

He recalled that when it happened, everyone was shocked because of everything Mourinho represented. He is inextricably linked to Chelsea's success. He said: "He's a successful coach, so firing him is shocking to me. But I would say that at the club everything is business as usual because we have to do well in the next game. I remember when I came to the training ground the next morning, there were paparazzi in front of the training ground and helicopters in the air. But in the dressing room, it's business as usual."

"We said goodbye to the manager and then we were suddenly ready for the next game. It was a very strange experience, but in reality, at Chelsea you have to learn to deal with it very, very quickly. ”

Two months before Mourinho's departure, Abramovich appointed Grant as director of football, which somewhat weakened the Portuguese's influence. The arrival of the former Israeli boss has belittled Mourinho's influence in the transfer market. So when Grant was temporarily brought into the top position after the people they admired were stripped of power, Chelsea fans expressed their displeasure.

Speaking about the 2007/08 Champions League final, he said: "It was a valuable experience because it was my first time in a Champions League final but the result was disappointing. Especially in Moscow, it's a gift for our boss, it shouldn't be, for this team I think it's also a motivator because when you lose the cup final and you're second, you feel like you're losing, but you're still doing well. ”

Subsequently, Ancelotti took office. Maluda formed a sensational offensive big three that year with Anelka and Drogba, scoring 15 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, which he credits Ancelotti's trust in him.

"I would say that on the offensive end at Chelsea, I'm the most consistent in terms of assists and scoring. My attack was very decisive and I really managed to win the trust and confidence of my teammates, and that's really thanks to Ancelotti for letting me work hard and trusting me as well. He treats me like an experienced player and puts me on a lot of responsibility and I'm ready. ”

"It's fantastic because I learned a lot from him, not only as a coach but also as a person, how to cope with pressure, how to deliver and how to trust others."

In 2009/10, Ancelotti's trio helped Chelsea score 103 league goals, while Drogba won the Golden Boot with 29 goals. As of 2018, it was the team's most goalscored in a 38-game season. Maruda continued: "Before joining Chelsea, I played with Drogba, but I never played with Anelka. For me, he's one of Arsenal's pioneers, he's a role model, being able to back him up front and Drogba, everyone is vying for the Golden Boot, it's great to have so many goals scored and to be involved in those attacking opportunities. ”

"Everybody was scoring that year and we were able to put so much pressure on us, maybe in an open game, maybe it was a set-piece, it could be a penalty. We have a lot of different ways of scoring, and if one person doesn't score, they'll help the other person score. We shared goals and it was a great feeling. ”

"I don't remember having that experience in other teams, in that moment we were just happy to play together, to score goals... A lot of times we're just talking about how to celebrate! ”

Just 12 months after winning the double, Ancelotti left after a trophy-free season, being eliminated by Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals, and having a mediocre performance in the defending title, despite second place in Sir Alex Ferguson's side. After the last game of the season against Everton, the Italian learned of Abramovich's decision in a tunnel in Goodison Park, Abu's most brutal decision.

Malouda said Carlo Ancelotti was a victim of growing expectations of Chelsea. He said: "I don't think the trophies that Ancelotti has won are enough for the board, even if you win a trophy, it's not enough, and that's the price to pay. We were supposed to win the trophy with our offensive style and scoring goals, but in this case it was always the coach who paid the price first. ”

Toward the end of the interview, Malouda insisted he didn't have any resentment about what happened to him at Chelsea, continuing: "I must say, it's not something you're prepared for. I just won the Champions League and then I was in the U21 youth team for a year and couldn't even play. ”

"But I don't regret it because that's how it happened. I think it's also part of my Chelsea career, so I'm not ashamed of it. It was a tough experience for me, but I guess I respected each other with the board and with the boss, and there really wasn't anything bad about it. The last time I came back to Chelsea, I was welcomed. Looking ahead, the doors are open, we have good relationships, we still keep in touch and I'm still a Chelsea fan. ”