Carvalho - Hurt can spur us on

14 September 2009 16:59
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho believes past hurt in the UEFA Champions League can spur his side on to victory this season. The Blues were knocked out in the semi-finals of last year's competition thanks to an injury time goal from Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, in a highly charged game at Stamford Bridge. Having been beaten in the semi-finals four times in the last six seasons, and losing out to Manchester United on penalties in the 2008 final, Carvalho is determined to overcome past disappointments. "It hurts a lot," he said. "We have reached the final once but we missed that great opportunity. We were a little bit unlucky. "But it is important to get there, then you have more opportunities to win it. I hope this year we can get back to the final "To win the Champions League with Chelsea would be great but you need luck. You need to work very hard because in this tournament you can only play one game at a time. "We have reached the final once before and we want to do it again, but we have to take it one match at a time." The Stamford Bridge outfit kick-off their European campaign on Tuesday when they host Carvalho's old club Porto, and the central defender admitted the game will hold special meaning for him. "It's always special to play against Porto - I spent lovely years there and I grew up as a man and a player," he said. "It's great for them to always be at the top of the league and in the Champions League."

Source: SKY_Sports