Former boss Scolari blasts Chelsea three

Jun 29, 2009, 9:19 GMT

London - Former Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari blames goalkeeper Petr Cech, midfielder Michael Ballack and forward Didier Drogba for costing him his job, according to newspaper reports on Monday.

Scolari was sacked in February after an unsuccessful seven-month spell in charge of the west London club.

'The real owners of football today are the players,' he told O Globo.

'They are the ones who decide everything.

'Coaches on most of the big European teams are not strong enough to disagree with their demands.

'Who do the teams prefer to sack? The stars - who earn 4-9 million euros (5.6-12.6 million dollars) a year with contracts of up to five seasons - or the coach?

'Of course, the first to be dismissed will always be the coach. And the major footballers already perceive their power and do what they wish.

'This was my major problem at Chelsea. Drogba, Ballack and Cech did not accept my methods of training nor my demands.'

The three, he claimed, all made specific requests that went against his general policy.

'Drogba appeared with a muscular contusion and said he required two months to take care of it - in Cannes,' he said.

'And Ballack, alleging he had chronic pains in the soles of his feet, asked to go to Cologne.

'With Cech, there was another problem. He had a personal trainer for goalies but only for himself and I was totally against this.

'Look, the goalie trainer has to train all the goalies of the group, not only one.

'He became furious and began to treat me coldly. In the dressing room it immediately became apparent I had strong opposition.

'And they ended up backed by the directors of Chelsea.'

Scolari became coach of the Uzbek side Bunyodkor earlier this month.