'Money doesn't bring trophies'
Claudio Ranieri returns to Stamford Bridge with a warning to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich that money can't buy success.
The Italian's Juventus side will face his former club in the first round of the knock-out stage of the Champions League, anxious to inflict another blow during a disappointing campaign for the Premier League club.
The match inevitably triggers memories of Ranieri's four-year spell as Chelsea manager that was controversially ended by Abramovich in 2004 just 12 months after the Russian had taken control of the West London club.
The fact that the manager had steered his side to a Champions League semi-final wasn't enough to save his job, and while Ranieri insists he bears no ill feeling towards his former employer, he fears the Russian's impatience has hampered long-term progress.
Since Ranieri left the club, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari have all filled the position before Guus Hiddink was installed in temporary charge until the end of the season just two weeks ago.
"I agree with (Manchester United manager) Sir Alex Ferguson when he says football is changing here in England," said Ranieri, who was known as the 'Tinker Man' when he was at Chelsea for the manner in which he rotated the starting line-up.
"In the past, one would have had time to build a team, bring in young players, get them experience. But in a lot of clubs now, that's no longer possible.
"We've seen new owners come in - from the US, Arabs, and from Russia - and put their money in and they want an instant return.
"But football isn't like that. You need time for players to bed in, to make their mark and for a manager to make your impact felt.
"Money helps to buy players, but it's not all about money. Money isn't what makes you win, which is probably just as well."
Ranieri admitted he knew he would be sacked even if he had steered the club to a first ever Champions League final but Frank Lampard insists the Italian should take credit for laying the foundations of Chelsea's recent successes.
The midfielder believes Ranieri's contribution in reshaping the Chelsea squad was crucial in transforming the fortunes of both the player himself, and the club as a whole.
"He should take credit," Lampard said. "He brought a lot of important players to the team.
"He signed good players even before the Roman Abramovich era. He elevated John Terry to captain and he's become one of the best in the world since.
"A lot of things have happened at this club, and Claudio Ranieri is part of that history. From taking Chelsea from a side who finished in the top six to one of the top four. He should take credit for what he did in his time here."
And the player added: "I don't think I would be sitting here if hadn't been for him. He spent 11million pounds on me, which seemed a lot of money at the time.
"He's a great man as well as a great manager. I saw that as soon as I met him. He helped me develop from a West Ham player who maybe hadn't seen the real world in footballing terms, and he opened my eyes to things."
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