Claudio is clearly not someone to be taken lightly and he has warned his star players that if they are not happy then they can stay at home!

He said "It is impossible to keep all the players happy. I have spoken to everybody and sooner or later they will all play, but I told them if they are unhappy they can stay in London.

"I want to see their answer on the pitch. They know what happens if the atmosphere is not good. I spoke very clearly to the players and this is a new era for Chelsea."

When questioned about his team of what are, technically, just 11 individuals, Claudio replied: "It is a risk. But we are ready. Every game is different. No match is like another and even during the same game different tactics are required. The Champions League is a very high standard but we have a lot of champions.

"I'd like Chelsea to be favourites but it's not possible. Maybe in two, three or four years Chelsea can be like Manchester United, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Deportivo La Coruna.''