Deschamps in Chelsea claim

Frenchman says he is on the short-list

Last updated: 27th May 2008

Deschamps in Chelsea claim

Deschamps: Keen on Chelsea job

It would be hard to refuse Chelsea.

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Former Chelsea star Didier Deschamps claims he is on the short-list to succeed Avram Grant at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are on the lookout for a new manager after Grant was sacked last weekend just eight months into his tenure in West London.

A host of names including Frank Rijkaard, Guus Hiddink, Roberto Mancini and Sven Goran Eriksson have been linked with the role and now Deschamps says he is in the running to take over at Chelsea.

Former World Cup winner Deschamps, who spent one season at Chelsea during his playing career, has been out of work since leaving Juventus in the summer of 2007 and he says he is keen to get back into management.

"It would be hard to refuse Chelsea, unless I stop being a coach," Deschamps told Monaco-based radio station RMC. "I want to return to coaching.

"I needed to rest because I had no break between my playing career and coaching career. I feel capable of doing good things.

"The coach's market is complicated, there are not only the players.

Flattered

"Chelsea is different because the place is vacant. I am flattered to be a possibility.

"They are a very big club that I know. We will see in the next few days how it goes.

"Three or four managers are on the list, I am part of them.

"We speak about [Marcelo] Lippi as well but he does not speak English. All the famous managers who are free can interest them.

"We cannot forget that they sacked a manager not because of results but because they want to play a spectacular football, attacking, something different than in the next few years.

"[Roman] Abramovich and his directors decide, not the players."