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Coming off the back of the club’s first ever double-winning season, it is hard to suggest that the Chelsea squad currently at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal needs too much of a facelift.

He has quality in the majority of positions in his first XI and, with reports suggesting Real Madrid manager-elect Jose Mourinho will not move to sign Frank Lampard again this summer, it is looking as though the Italian won't have to worry about persuading his main stars to remain at Stamford Bridge during the close season.

However, there are a couple of reasons to suggest that Ancelotti will be more active in this transfer window than he was in January — when he famously pledged to run around the club’s training ground naked if he signed anyone (he didn’t). As critics have long been quick to point out, the team’s average age is not getting any younger, and the former AC Milan coach will undoubtedly look to buy in some long-term successors to the likes of Didier Drogba and Lampard sooner rather than later.

As Joe Cole, Deco, Juliano Belletti and even Michael Ballack (all important contributors at times throughout the Premier League campaign) could all leave the club this summer, Ancelotti will also need to find a replacement or two for next year's title defence.

The Italian has already promised to blend "four or five" academy graduates into his first team squad, which will cover gaps in some areas. But with Roman Abramovich seemingly willing to finance certain signings in this window despite his continuing aim of self-sufficiency, it seems probable that Ancelotti will look to spend most of the minimum £22 million (the club's total spend last summer) that will almost certainly be made available to him over the next few months.

Goalkeepers

The club are fully stocked in this position, with No.1 Petr Cech coming off the back of a solid season (jointly leading the Premier League in clean sheets along with Liverpool's Jose Reina), and with two fine understudies in Henrique Hilario and Ross Turnbull.

Hilario might even be sold if a surprising offer comes in during or after the World Cup (he is in Portugal’s squad) — especially as young Croatian Matej Delac will finally arrive at the club to start his quest to be Cech’s long-term successor.

Defence

This is another area where Ancelotti is going to be in no hurry to make additions — simply because he doesn’t need to. Ashley Cole and Yury Zhirkov proved themselves this season to be two fine left-back options in Ancelotti’s system, while Branislav Ivanovic and the (hopefully) fit-again Jose Bosingwa — who will seem like a new signing after missing almost the entire campaign last season — offer the same luxury on the opposite flank.

Central defence might be a weakness, with only three solid first-team options (John Terry, Alex and Ricardo Carvalho) to call upon, at least two of them having valid injury concerns. Ivanovic can obviously come across to play his preferred position in the centre if needs be, but Ancelotti might look to add a young stopper to his ranks (at the right price), although academy graduates Jeffrey Bruma and Sam Hutchinson undoubtedly have the ability to be versatile back-ups, something they showed on occasion last season.

If he does choose to add a centre-back, he may well head to Italy for his shopping. Azzurri World Cup squad member Leonardo Bonucci might be of interest to Ancelotti, especially as he combined with Andrea Ranocchia at unfashionable Bari on loan last season to keep the best defensive record in Serie A (until the later got injured). Napoli’s Fabiano Santacroce might be another target, but Ancelotti is unlikely to demand the club part with the £10m-plus that might be needed to land either of the those targets, especially as they are destined primarily to warm the bench in major games for a few seasons.

Midfield

This is the first area that obviously need strengthening. Like Bosingwa, the return of Michael Essien next season will feel like having a new signing, but even with him to call upon Ancelotti will surely look to add another defensive midfielder to the squad — especially as two players he adapted to the role last season, Ballack and Belletti, could be leaving in the summer, while another, Mikel, proved not ideally suited to the position last season.

Roma’s Daniele De Rossi might be Ancelotti’s ideal signing, but again the price tag and reported interest of Real Madrid will probably scupper any chance of a deal. Yaya Toure of Barcelona might be a more achievable, and affordable, option (similarly Moussa Sissoko of Toulouse), while Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger has hinted he might leave the club in the next few months, in which case Chelsea would be foolish not to sound out a deal.

Wigan Athletic’s Mohamed Diame could be an eminently attainable option if Ancelotti prefers to stay in the division, especially as Everton’s Jack Rodwell has committed his long-term future to the club — but if no target is landed Nemanja Matic is another player ready to step up to regular first-team action.

Ancelotti might also have designs on reintroducing the diamond again next season, a formation that could certainly work more effectively with the addition of a natural ‘trequartista’ to play at the tip. Both Luka Modric and Yossi Benayoun have been linked, but Palermo’s Javier Pastore might be a surprise target for the Blues — the emerging Argentine has been likened to Kaka who, as no-one will need reminding, flourished under Ancelotti at Milan — and showed in his first season in European football that he has the necessary skills to be a great success.

With Palermo missing out on Champions League football, the 20-year-old could be an attractive option for the club at around £15m (nearly double what Palermo paid for his services last summer), and if he has a decent World Cup surely Abramovich will have no problem signing off on the deal.

If Ancelotti hasn’t got any designs on returning to the diamond, another solid central midfielder will still be somewhere high on his wishlist. Napoli’s Marek Hamsik has all the qualities Ancelotti might look for — physical enough to cope with the Premier League, and with the raw talent to grow into Lampard’s long-term successor. The club looked hard at the young Slovakian before January; now might be the time to make a bid for the £18m-rated creative midfielder.

Attack
With both Anelka and Drogba getting on in age, Chelsea clearly need to add a quality striker to the mix, which has seen them linked with players of the quality of Alexandre Pato, Sergio Aguero, Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez in recent weeks or months. A deal for one of those stars is not impossible (with the first two being most probable) but the expense might be somewhat prohibitive, especially as Abramovich can point to the likes of Salomon Kalou, Daniel Sturridge and even Fabio Borini as players who can have greater roles next season.

Gonzalo Higuain should be considered if Real Madrid finally lose any remaining rationality they have and look to offload him.

But let's face it — goals were hardly a problem for Chelsea last year, and with time to sit on the bench while Drogba and Anelka play out their final few years, 17-year-old star-in the making Romelu Lukaku could pique Ancelotti's interest. The Anderlecht man has been compared to Drogba for obvious physical reasons, and might be bought — with a loan-back arrangement — for around £10m.

Out wide, in an ideal world Ancelotti would love to add a right-winger of the quality of Angel di Maria. If a striker is not signed then the Benfica man might become a viable target, although it seems unlikely the club will be able to avoid the ‘bidding wars’ they have pledged to stay away from if they want to sign him. 

If Valencia finally realise their financial situation really is as bad as everyone else seems to think it is, then Pablo Hernandez, David Silva or even Juan Mata might become options; but with Miroslav Stoch returning from a very successful loan spell with Dutch champions FC Twente, Ancelotti might simply give the young Slovak a chance to play a back-up role to Anelka out wide — especially as it would also give young wunderkind Gael Kakuta a chance to see more action out wide.


IN (3): Marek Hamsik (Napoli), Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht), Yaya Toure (Barcelona)

OUT (3): Di Santo, Cork, Rajkovic.

LOANS OUT (4): Lukaku, Borini, van Aanholt, Sala.

"Dan katakanlah kepada perempuan-perempuan yang beriman supaya menyekat pandangan mereka (daripada memandang yang haram) dan memelihara kehormatan mereka dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka kecuali yang zahir daripadanya; dan hendaklah mereka menutup belahan leher bajunya dengan tudung kepala mereka; dan janganlah mereka memperlihatkan perhiasan tubuh mereka melainkan kepada

• suami mereka atau
• bapa mereka atau
• bapa mertua mereka atau
• anak-anak mereka, atau
• anak-anak tiri mereka atau
• saudara-saudara mereka atau
• anak bagi saudara-saudara mereka yang lelaki atau
• anak bagi saudara-saudara mereka yang perempuan, atau
• perempuan-perempuan Islam atau hamba-hamba mereka atau
• orang gaji dari orang-orang lelaki yang telah tua dan tidak berkeinginan kepada perempuan
• kanak-kanak yang belum mengerti lagi tentang aurat perempuan

dan janganlah mereka menghentakkan kaki untuk diketahui orang akan apa yang tersembunyi dari perhiasan mereka dan bertaubatlah kamu sekalian kepada Allah, wahai orang-orang yang beriman, supaya kamu berjaya." (Surah An Nur : Ayat 31)

"this is even bigger than the World Cup.." that what he (picture) said about the final clash between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich tonight in Champions League final tonight in Madrid. The epic battles between two big clubs, Inter, who'd already kicks Chelsea and Barcelona to get to final, and Bayern who'd kicks Manchester United and Lyon are gonna put their best effort to win the cup tonight. Bayern will be without their key player, Frank Ribery, who's on suspension because of red card on the semi final, have to rely on their other key player, Arjen Robben, who was absolutely outstanding in his first year at Bayern after fail to shine in Real Madrid and Chelsea in the past few years. Inter on the other hand, got every important player on their side tonight. Both team already wins their League title and, domestic cup and both will aiming fora treble if they wins this one tonight.

Match Facts from ESPNSoccer:


Bayern player in focus: Arjen Robben. The flying Dutch winger looks a completely different player to the one often seen on the sidelines at Real Madrid and Chelsea. A player of deep potential, Robben's goals have been a crucial part of Bayern's success in reaching the final and his pace, guile and trickery on the flanks will provide the Inter defence with their toughest test.


Inter player in focus: Wesley Sneijder. Dumped by Real Madrid in the summer, Sneijder has made the best of his move to Italy and emerged as one of the best players in Serie A. A great passer, his creative touch has made the difference for Inter in the competition and he provides a goal threat from outside of the box via his trademark free-kicks. 

Key battle: Martin Demichelis vs. Diego Milito. While there are intriguing battles across the pitch, the central one appears to be two Argentines who managed to make it into Diego Maradona's World Cup squad. After claiming he was homesick for his homeland in January (following a period out of the team), Demichelis has emerged as a central figure at the back for Bayern and will have to be at his best to stop the scoring-machine that is currently his opponent. Milito netted the goal that won Serie A for Inter and has bagged 22 in 35 games this season to become one of the leading strikers in Europe. His pace and strength will cause Bayern problems all night long. 

Tactics: A lot has been made of the two different styles of the coaches, as Van Gaal claims to play ''beautiful football'' with ''attacking style'' against Mourinho's negativity. Van Gaal likes a 4-4-2 with flying wingers and a lot of width, helped by the presence of Robben and full-backs like Philipp Lahm and Holger Badstuber, while Mark van Bommel and Bastian Schweinsteiger sure up the central areas. Mourinho will continue with his 4-2-3-1, keeping the game relatively narrow with two patrolling defensive midfielders and looking to counter with the pace of Samuel Eto'o and Milito. The battle of the four full-backs could be key, especially if Robben is given space to run at Javier Zanetti.



Bayern team news: Franck Ribery will miss the final after his suspension for being sent off against Lyon was repeatedly upheld. Hamit Altintop is likely to deputise, although van Gaal could call on the versatile Muller to make room for the likes of Miroslav Klose or Mario Gomez. 

Inter team news: Thiago Motta is also missing due to the red card he picked up against Barcelona and former Portsmouth man Sulley Muntari will come in. Mario Balotelli looks likely to be benched for such a big game, with Goran Pandev called in to play in a front three while Zanetti will continue his conversion into a left-back.

Probable Bayern team (4-4-2): Butt, Lahm, Demichelis, van Buyten, Badstuber, Altintop, Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, Robben, Olic, Muller. 

Probable Inter team (4-2-3-1): Cesar, Maicon, Lucio, Samuel, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Muntari, Sneijder, Eto'o, Pandev, Milito. 

Soccernet prediction: When the Mourinho factor is taken into account, Inter may be the ones to come away with the glory. It could be a tight affair though and don't rule out the chance of penalties to decide it.