Chelsea owner looking for first UEFA trophy

The UEFA Champions League is the best trophy money can buy in world club soccer, but it's the one trophy that has eluded Chelsea under free-spending Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Chelsea has won the two EPL titles, an F.A. Cup and the League Cup since Abramovich bought the team in June 2003, but the oil baron didn't buy Chelsea merely to conquer England.

It's estimated that in the four seasons, Abramovich has spent in excess of $650 million on players and posted financial losses in the neighborhood of $450 million. That's not that much money for someone whose estimated worth is $18 billion, but it's enough to put the onus on coach Jose Mourinho to win Europe.

The 32-team group phase for the 2007-08 tournament begins this week, and by most appearances it appears Abramovich may have to wait another year before getting what he wants.

UEFA semifinalists three of the past four seasons, Chelsea opens Tuesday at home against Norway's Rosenborg, the weakest team in a group that includes Spain's Valencia and Germany's Schalke 04.

Chelsea should advance from its group, but unlike last year when it added Andriy Shevchenko from AC Milan and Michael Ballack from Bayern Munich, the Blues didn't do enough this offseason to stay the pace with its UEFA challengers.

Abramovich wanted to sign Ronaldindo from Barcelona to bring some desperately needed whimsy to an efficient Chelsea attack, but that was more wishful thinking than anything.

Instead, Chelsea's big signings were Florent Malouda, who replaced the departed Arjen Robben and Brazil center back Alex.

The defender Mourinho wanted most, Brazil left back Daniel Alves, who stayed in Sevilla, despite a $45 million offer to join Celsea.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid added Robben and fellow Dutchman Wesley Sneijder, Manchester United picked up Carlos Tevez, Barcelona got Thierry Henry, Inter Milan added David Suazo, Liverpool lured Fernando Torres and Bayern Munich signed Italy striker Luca Toni and France midfield engine Franck Ribery.

Improvement for Chelsea would come in the form of Shevchenko and Ballack performing at Stamford Bridge the way they did with their previous teams, but that window may have closed already.

Shevchenko looks unlikely to form a partnership with Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba and seems an ill fit in Mourinho's scheme.

Ballack's adjustment to Chelsea hasn't been quite as awkward as Shevchenko's, but he looked more at home in Germany.

He was left off the roster for the six-game UEFA group stage with an ankle injury and there was renewed talk he'd eventually end up at Real Madrid, which Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon quickly scuttled.

Chelsea still has the makings of a UEFA competitor with Drogba, midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Essien, defender John Terry, and goalkeeper Petr Cech to hold things together. It's not enough, however, to provide Abramovich with a victory party next May in Moscow, site of the final.

If not Chelsea, then who? Possibly Real Madrid under new coach Bernd Schuster. It would be the Spaniards' 10th European title, a number beyond all of Abramovich's billions.

Tartan power
Scotland has emerged as the biggest surprise in Euro 2008 qualifying after a 1-0 road win over France that left it ahead of Italy and the French in Group B. The lone goal came on a long-range blast by James McFadden that prompted the headline "FAD-Tastic" in the Daily Record tabloid.

"We have all made a nation very, very happy," said Scotland coach Alex McLeish, who received a congratulatory call from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

"I think this goal is one of the greatest and most important for Scottish football." France coach Raymond Domench saw it differently, noting drolly, "It's hard to do better than that, scoring off your only shot."...

David Beckham's quest to play 100 games for England (he's at 97) could be in jeopardy of happening. During Euro 2008 qualifying, Beckham missed England's 3-0 wins over Israel and Russia with a knee injury.

Given those impressive scorelines and the relatively short recovery time between games, there's a chance he could find himself out of coach Steve McClaren's roster when qualifying resumes next month. Michael Owen's two goals against Russia gives him 40 all-time for England, placing him behind Jimmy Greaves (44), Gary Lineker (48) and Sir Bobby Charlton (49) on the national team scoring chart....

The city of Collinsville just outside St. Louis approved plans to build an 18,500-seat soccer stadium that is expected to house an MLS expansion franchise by 2010.

Broadcast highlights
Today: Juventus-Udinese, 9 a.m., FSC; Manchester City-Aston Villa, 11 a.m., FSC. Tuesday: U.S.-Nigeria, 7:55 a.m., ESPN; Sweden-North Korea, 7:55 a.m., ESPN2; Porto-Liverpool, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2. Wednesday: Barcelona-Lyon, ESPN Deportes; Sporting Lisbon-Manchester United, 2:30 p.m., ESPN2.

By Jeff Rusnak