CHELSEA have been called out for ‘celebrating’ being drawn against Porto in the Champions League.
The Blues will face the Portuguese side in the quarter-finals after Sergio Conceicao’s team knocked out Juventus.
Thomas Tuchel has warned his stars against complacency when the teams meet next month, but Porto legend Paulo Futre learned of a different reaction.
The 55-year-old claimed the Premier League side already thought they had qualified for the next round after the draw, and has called on his old team to ‘sweat blood’ to win the tie.
He told Portugal’s CMTV, via Record: “It’s in the English press and I called later to confirm. Porto players have to run like never before in these two games.
“They think they have already won the tie. They celebrated!
“When I spoke to the person who told me, I was disgusted and would give anything to play against Chelsea.
“Porto’s players have to die on the pitch, [Chelsea] think they are already in the semi-finals.
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Porto can qualify, but they have to sweat blood.
Paulo Futre
“They celebrated in the morning when they saw that Porto were drawn against them. [Porto] can qualify, but they have to sweat blood.”
Futre knows what it takes to go all the way in the competition, having won the European Cup with the Portuguese giants in 1987.
The former winger also won two Primeira Liga titles in his three years with the club.
Despite Futre’s claims, Chelsea figures have been keen to distance themselves from the favourites tag ahead of the tie.
Boss Tuchel said: “Clearly many people will maybe now make us the favourites against Porto.
“That will not help us. You can ask in Turin what the opinion about this is, and if helps to be favourites.
“But we are self-confident, and that is strongly connected with our performances.”
Ex-goalkeeper Petr Cech, now Chelsea’s performance adviser, added: “It’s an opponent we need to respect.
“They have history in the Champions League and European Cup. It’s a team we will be prepared for and ready to play against.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
