Chelsea misfit Andriy Shevchenko told he can leave Stamford Bridge

28 August 2009 14:34
Andriy Shevchenko has finally called time on his Stamford Bridge career after three miserable years in which his Premier League goals cost Chelsea £3.4million each, and is to return to his first club, Dynamo Kiev. Chelsea's record £30.8m signing scored only nine times in 48 top-flight appearances after his arrival from AC Milan in 2006 and, after being relegated to the outer fringes of their squad, he is in talks with his former club over an offer to become player-coach. Shevchenko, once owner Roman Abramovich's favourite player, has never lived up to the reputation he earned in Italy. The third-highest scorer in Champions League history he may be, but he was about to be left out of the Chelsea squad for this season's group stage. He had become the enigma who left his pace in Milan. Shevchenko's flashes of brilliance for Chelsea have been rare, back problems and disagreements with his first manager, Jose Mourinho, less so. Even Carlo Ancelotti, his boss at Milan in his pomp and the man who took him back on loan last season, no longer thinks he can get enough out of the Ukrainian. So Shevchenko, 33 next month and with a year left on his Chelsea contract, has decided to leave in search of regular football. ancelotti Be prepared: Ancelotti gets his players ready for the clash with Burnley With his £120,000-a-week wages about to be wiped from the payroll, he will go with the club's blessing. Ancelotti, who has given the striker only a four-minute cameo against Sunderland this season, said: 'He had a problem, a physical problem. He lost some reactivity in the play. 'I spoke with Sheva and he would like to play with continuity. But here it's difficult. I have a very good relationship with him but he wanted one thing that I cannot give him. 'I think he is making a good decision, to play in another team, to have a possibility to show his quality.' Shevchenko had a chance to join Fenerbahce but appears to have changed his mind on the player-coach deal Kiev offered him in the summer. He will not be granted a farewell Chelsea appearance against Burnley at Stamford Bridge today. Didier Drogba will lead the line and have the chance to banish memories of his antics against Burnley in the Carling Cup last November. Didier Drogba Top man: Didier Drogba is at his best, says Carlo Ancelotti He hurled a coin back into the Burnley section of the Stamford Bridge crowd and made an offensive gesture. 'It can happen that one player can lose his mind, his control,' said Ancelotti. 'But now I think he's very calm. It's the past. I've seen a very good professional and I don't think we'll have other problems. 'Didier has had a very good career up to now but he can do better. He is in the right moment to do his best. Physically, he's very strong and hasn't had big injury problems.' In January, however, Drogba's best will be reserved for Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations. With Salomon Kalou likely to join him in Angola, Shevchenko's departure could leave Chelsea a striker light. But Ancelotti, who denied making another bid for Franck Ribery, said: 'We have the time to think but I don't think we'll take another striker. If Nicolas Anelka stays well and Daniel Sturridge has the opportunity to play, I don't think it will be necessary.'

Source: Daily_Mail