Joe Cole urges Chelsea on to Champions League glory

Joe Cole admits Chelsea have to win the Champions League to rival Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid as the biggest club in the world.

The Stamford Bridge club has reached the semi-finals in five of the last six seasons, including losing the 2008 final to Sir Alex Ferguson's side in Moscow on penalties.

And coach Carlo Ancelotti, who twice won the trophy with Milan, was brought in by Roman Abramovich to take the final step to reaching the club's Holy Grail.

Chelsea are in sparkling form at home after scoring 17 goals without reply in four games to sit top of the table before Sunday's showdown with Manchester United.

But Cole, who will make his first European start this year at Atletico Madrid tonight, admitted the double Premier League winners are obsessed with winning the bigger prize.

Speaking in the city where next May's final will be staged, the England midfielder said: "The Premier League is very important but, for this club, the Champions League is a massive target for us. We haven't won it yet. We've come very close in the last five years and maybe should have won it on one or two occasions. We've come very close.

"That remains the aim, to win it. We've got everything else: the players, the manager, the set-up, the experience. Everything's fantastic.

"If Chelsea are building itself as a club with genuine claims to be the biggest club we can be, as big as Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, then you have to win trophies. And you have to win major trophies. The Champions League will help us as a worldwide club to show we're here to do business."

Because of his serious knee injury, Cole could only sit and suffer as Chelsea were knocked out by Barcelona in the semis last season by an injury-time equaliser.

"That was the most difficult game for me to watch," he admitted. "I was convinced it was going to be our year. It didn't happen for us, and it hurt like it hurt every other Chelsea fan. But that's in the past. That's been and gone. Now it's a new season and a fresh chance to go on and win it."

Ancelotti is one of only six men to have won the Champions League as both a player and coach - and he shares his new club's view on the importance of lifting it again.

"Winning with Milan was the pinnacle of my career," he said.

"The Champions League, for me, is the most important trophy of a season."

After three wins without conceding a goal, Chelsea sit top of Group D and can book passage to the knockout stages with a win at the Estadio Vicente Calderon tonight.

But it is in Madrid's other stadium, the home of Real Madrid, where the club want to finish this campaign on Saturday May 22.

"Our dream is to return to Madrid in May to play the final," Ancelotti admitted. "It's a dream, and we have to make it a reality. We've started the competition very well, but to reach the final we have to work a lot. I don't know what will happen, but our dream is to return here."

Ancelotti is set to recall Ashley Cole and Alex after injuries in defence against an Atletico Madrid side still looking for their first Champions League goal this season despite fielding Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan up front.

Also in the La Liga relegation zone after only one win, coach Abel Resino was sacked after the 4-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge last month and replaced by former Valencia and Getafe coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

Portuguese midfielder Simao Sabrosa said: "We have to break Chelsea's reputation as favourites but to beat them we will have to play at 120 per cent. That's our only chance."