Big Phil pushes big Frank out the door

MementoMori

Oops - only a wet week in the job and Big Phil seems to have helped in convincing Frank to join Inter. Not exactly an auspicious start.

Frank Lampard set to quit Chelsea for Inter

Frank Lampard could be about to kiss goodbye to Chelsea and join Milan
Matt Dickinson, Martin Samuel

Chelsea turned down an £8 million offer for Frank Lampard from Inter Milan last night, but relations between the England midfield player and his club remained strained after a turbulent 24 hours. Luiz Felipe Scolari found himself at the centre of the row in his first media conference in England, with Lampard denying his new manager’s claims that he had committed his long-term future to Stamford Bridge.

Scolari has been at work in England for only a few days, but he finds himself at the heart of a dispute that has lasted for more than a year. Lampard has been insistent, at least publicly, that he wants to stay at Chelsea and yet he has stunned the club by not only refusing a deal worth about £130,000 a week, but also by repeatedly demanding a five-year contract.

Chelsea will offer only four years to a player who turned 30 last month and believe that term is the most Lampard will receive from Inter, who officially lodged their initial bid yesterday. Lampard’s problem is that he had wanted to keep his options open — including winding down the final year of his existing deal — without Chelsea fans thinking he was disloyal or greedy. But Scolari, wittingly or not, appeared to have flushed out the player’s intentions yesterday when he said that Lampard would definitely be staying — something the player and his agent disputed.

“I asked him if he wants to stay in Chelsea,” the former Portugal coach said. “Not only this season, but more time. And he said to me, after 15 minutes, that he wants to stay and he wants to play for Chelsea for many years. I was in that time very happy because I think Chelsea needs Lampard and Lampard likes Chelsea. Now it’s minimum questions to solve it and Lampard will be with us for more than one year.”

Lampard, who watched the press conference at the training ground in Cobham, Surrey, between double sessions, confronted Peter Kenyon in the canteen when the chief executive returned from the nearby Hilton Hotel, where Scolari had been speaking. Lampard’s agent, Steve Kutner, revealed that the relationship appeared broken beyond repair, although, after talks later in the day, it became clear that Lampard’s issue remained with the club and the contract offer rather than Scolari.

“Frank has spoken to Scolari by phone and then in person,” Kutner said. “He made it categorically clear that although he would love to finish his career at Chelsea, with the deal he has been offered that is not possible.

“Maybe there has been a misinterpretation, but people at the club know it and I don’t know why they didn’t explain that to Scolari. They have put Frank in an untenable position. He said that he dreamt of finishing his career at Chelsea but they haven’t offered him the contract that allows him to do that.”

It is possible that Chelsea could withdraw the contract offer, one that would make Lampard the best-paid Englishman in football, and force the issue if he continues with his delaying tactics. Chelsea have doubted Lampard’s intentions for some time, particularly since José Mourinho, their former manager, took over at Inter. The move now appears a matter of financial negotiation.

If Lampard does leave, he will not be the last out of the door. Scolari has told the club that he wants a a maximum first-team squad of 25 and the arrivals of Deco, José Bosingwa and Branislav Ivanovic take the number to 33. With Scolari insisting that Didier Drogba will stay, a number of players have reason to fear for their futures, including Shaun Wright-Phillips, Tal Ben-Haim and Juliano Belletti. Steve Sidwell will join Aston Villa soon and their departures will force Chelsea to write off millions of pounds.

Asked if he was worried about interference from Roman Abramovich, the owner, Scolari said that he was in charge of all team matters. He dismissed a move for Ronaldinho, the Barcelona forward.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article4297200.ece