[lfc-news] Dudek slams 'anything goes' Chelsea - Observer

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The Observer, 17 April 2005
Dudek slams 'anything goes' Chelsea
By Kaz Mochlinski and Denis Campbell

Liverpool's Jerzy Dudek has joined Arsenal and Manchester United in
criticising Chelsea's off-field behaviour. Speaking to Observer Sport,
Dudek, the Liverpool goalkeeper, made a strongly worded attack on the
champions elect and accused them of deliberately trying to undermine
opponents before a big game by targeting one of their key players.

Dudek cited Chelsea's widely reported interest in prising Steven Gerrard
away from Anfield this summer as an example of 'a notorious Chelsea
tactic'. His comments follow Arsenal's alarm at Chelsea apparently
trying to 'tap up' Ashley Cole, and Sir Alex Ferguson's fury that
Chelsea had shown 'contempt' for Manchester United when chief executive
Peter Kenyon had dinner with Rio Ferdinand at a London restaurant last week.

Dudek revealed that he and his team-mates expect Chelsea to resort to
underhand tactics to try to destabilise Liverpool ahead of the Champions
League matches, on 26 April and 3 May. 'We know it won't be easy. We
expect the Steven Gerrard situation to come up again, but we're used to
it and realise that this is a notorious tactic to lower a rival's morale
before a big tie', he said. 'I get the impression that with them
anything goes, any method is acceptable to break an opponent's spirit,
make them feel uncertain or upset. But it won't bother me in any way.
We'll expect more of it as the games approach and we'll be ready for them.'

The 'Colegate' saga, persistent rumours about Gerrard, manager José
Mourinho's attacks on referee Anders Frisk and now the Ferdinand affair
have led many to accuse Chelsea of high-handed and dishonourable conduct
that damages football's integrity. Uefa have already punished Mourinho
and Chelsea for various indiscretions.

Dudek's comments come as Ferguson tries to persuade the Old Trafford
hierarchy to lodge a formal complaint about Kenyon and Ferdinand's
encounter with the Premier League, who have already charged Chelsea,
Cole and Mourinho over their meeting at a London hotel in late January.
A three-man independent commission will conduct a hearing into that,
probably before the season ends. Ferguson declined to accept Chelsea's
assurances that the Ferdinand encounter was 'a chance meeting'. Pini
Zahavi, the influential agent who is close to Kenyon and helps Chelsea
sign players, was involved in both the Cole and Ferdinand talks.

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