Chelsea can do what Porto did in 2004 says Paulo Ferreira

CHELSEA believe they can pull off a surprise Champions League triumph inspired by the against-the-odds success of Porto in 2004 which catapulted Jose Mourinho into the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge.

After the 1-0 win at Benfica on Tuesday took them to the brink of this season’s semi-finals, recalled full-back Paulo Ferreira also claimed that Liverpool’s victory in 2005 when they were fifth in the Premier League – like Chelsea now – was proof there could be another upset.

Benfica come to London for the second leg of the quarter-final on Wednesday and Chelsea’s stand-in coach, Roberto Di Matteo, has warned the tie is far from over. But veteran Ferreira, who made only his third start of the season in Lisbon, said: “In 2004, I won with Porto when maybe no one expected to see us win the Champions League instead of all the top, big clubs.

“Can we win the Champions League? Why not? We have to believe in our players and our work. We have a wonderful squad. Anything can happen.

We have to believe in our players and our work. We have a wonderful squad. Anything can happen

Paulo Ferreira

“It’s going to be difficult for us in the league now but we’re still in the Champions League and the FA Cup.

"We still believe we can win them.

“But Benfica are still dangerous opponents. They can score goals away from home so we have to be careful.”

Salomon Kalou, who scored the winner in Lisbon, has insisted he wants to stay with Chelsea and believes he was frozen out by deposed boss Andre Villas-Boas because he refused to sign a new deal.

Ivorian Kalou, 26, made only four starts in seven months under Villas-Boas but has been picked four times in three weeks by Di Matteo.

His re-emergence is being seen as a sign of how Di Matteo has harmonised the squad after the conflicts which erupted under Villas-Boas. “Robbie has come in and given me the opportunity to play more,” he said.