Football: 5 facts on Chelsea

LONDON, England – Five facts on English side Chelsea who qualified for the Champions League semi-finals on Tuesday, April 8, by beating Paris St Germain of France:

1. Chelsea is now in the Champions League semi-finals for the seventh time in 11 years. They won in 2012.

2. Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich, who is worth a reputed $14 billion according to Forbes, took over Chelsea in 2003 and has since spent more than $1 billion on the team where he rarely misses a home game.

3. Abramovich has changed manager 10 times in his time as owner, clashing with top names such as Felipe Scolari, Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas.

4. Fernando Torres, the Spanish international who came on as a substitute for Chelsea against Paris St Germain, cost a then British record £50 million ($85 million) when signed from Liverpool in January 2011. He is now struggling to get a start for Spain’s World Cup team.

5. Manager Jose Mourinho, in his second stint at Chelsea, is bidding to become the first coach to win the Champions League with 3 different clubs after Porto (2004) and Inter Milan (2010). – Rappler.com