John Terry adds power to glory at Chelsea

19 September 2009 17:20
Too blunt, too direct. Yet, amid the restructuring that has followed Peter Kenyon's departure as chief executive, the Chelsea captain has made an ambitious play for a share of political power at Stamford Bridge. Over the past week it has become quite clear how dissatisfied Abramovich had become with the destructive sniping of the various factions behind the scenes at the club. Kenyon, whose influence had been eroded by Frank Arnesen's elevation to the role of Director of Football, may not be the only casualty. Arnesen is himself vulnerable because of his role in the Gaël Kakuta affair. Chelsea have still not received the documents detailing Fifa's ruling but when they do they are sure to appeal. Should they lose that appeal, Arnesen will have to take the flak. In any case, he now has to report to a new chief executive, Ron Gourlay, as Abramovich attempts to bring the hierarchy back into working order. Enter the playground monitor. The real Chelsea power-broker, is Eugene Tenenbaum, Abramovich's adviser and confidant. Tenenbaum, born in Kiev but raised in Canada, goes back a long way with the Chelsea owner, having worked as his chief financial officer at Sibneft. He is the owner's eyes and ears at the club – and his fist, metaphorically speaking. He has an office at Cobham and he is expected to become increasingly involved in the running of day-to-day affairs. Tenenbaum can expect to spend a lot more time with Terry, who is determined to use his political clout to ensure the club gives key players new contracts. "These guys [the players] speak to me on a daily basis and I can then go to the club as a middleman and try to get things done," Terry explained. "Ideally, they want to stay and the club wants them to stay, so let's get in a room and sort it out rather than it taking six or seven months dragging on, unsettling them and unsettling the team – let's get it done. ''If I can help in that way then great for Chelsea football club." Key to Terry's emergence as a political player has been his signing of a lucrative new five-year deal this summer. As part of the negotiations he sought personal assurances from Abramovich about the club's ambition and also explored the possibility of becoming the manager when his deal expires in 2014. As well as making him considerably richer, the deal has given him political leverage and has cemented his relationship with Abramovich. Terry has a direct line to the owner. It makes him the most powerful player in the Premier League – can you imagine Steven Gerrard or Rio Ferdinand having the same political agency at Liverpool or Manchester United? It is a situation unique in the Premier League, born of Terry's personal ambition and the division of power behind the scenes at the club. Carlo Ancelotti can advise on which players he wants to keep, but is not himself involved in contract talks – "this is not my problem" was his response when asked about the subject. This is normal practice on the continent and Terry's growing influence is analogous to the kind of power Raul, with his direct line to the president, has exerted at Real Madrid in the last decade. Terry's frustration about negotiations "dragging on" no doubt relates to last year, when talks over Frank Lampard's contract limped along distractingly, with Jose Mourinho's Internazionale hovering in the background. Terry said it was "massively important" that the club have agreed new deals with Ashley Cole, John Obi Mikel, Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba already this summer. If the transfer ban survives an appeal, Chelsea will need to keep all the players they have. There will be plenty of opportunity for Terry to exercise his growing influence. The most pressing issue is getting a new deal for the fit-again Joe Cole, whose current contract expires at the end of this season. "I've pushed a little bit," Terry said. ''He needs to get fit. Joe's stressed to me and the club he wants to get back on the football field and let his football do the talking, but I'm sure that will be resolved as well." With Chelsea understood to have put a generous package on the table for Cole, a new deal should be done before Christmas. More complicated is the situation regarding Nicolas Anelka. The France striker is 30, his current contract expires in the summer of 2011 and he wants a deal that will allow him to finish his career at Stamford Bridge. "If I have the chance to finish here, of course I want to do that," he said. "I'm fit. I would be glad to sign a new contract, but I don't know how long. I have two more years, this one and one more. Of course I would be happy to sign for even longer. I know they [the players with new contracts] are all staying in Chelsea, so I need to be part of this team." There is certainly an excitement among this group of players that they can achieve a lot this season, a hunger reminiscent of the early days under Mourinho. Encouraged by Ancelotti's excellent start, the positive atmosphere engendered by Guus Hiddink's spell in charge last season has been maintained – and Fifa's transfer ban has only made the players feel embattled and drawn them closer together. "We spoke a couple of times over the last few years and felt as though that desire and fight had gone a bit among ourselves," Terry said. "Fighting for each other, covering, knowing that everyone is working their socks off to help me out. That's what we've got all over the pitch at the moment. I think we lost that but we've soon addressed it and we're looking the old Chelsea. "Anything that's thrown at us, that's one thing that we've always done. Now it's all about us players and the fans, and if we can close the door on everyone and focus on what's going on in the dressing room, on the training pitch, forget everyone else, that's the main thing. We can then bring it onto the pitch, as we've shown."

Source: Telegraph