Ancelotti: Champions League is Chelsea's 'destiny'

Carlo Ancelotti believes winning the Champions League is ­Chelsea’s “destiny” this season.

The Blues lost ­agonisingly on ­penalties to Manchester United in the 2008 final, and Ancelotti said: “If our players think about that game in Moscow, ­obviously they are not happy.

“John Terry is not happy about what he lost in that game and that could be a good motivation because this could be a destiny.

“It could be the real time that Chelsea do something in the Champions League.

“It is a little bit like when Milan played ­Liverpool in the final of the Champions League two years after losing to them – it was our destiny to win.”

And the under-pressure Chelsea boss certainly has a good record against United going into tonight’s first-leg game.

Ancelotti’s AC Milan side have beaten United twice in the Champions League and – under the Italian – Chelsea have chalked up three league wins over their Old Trafford rivals.

But Ancelotti added: “That is the past and now is a different story.

“We have to play against a fantastic team with ­tradition and history in the Champions League and that counts.

“The reason why Milan won the Champions League a lot of times is the ­tradition of the club and for Manchester United it is the same.”