Tuesday, 16th September, 2014



Chelsea defender Brainslav Ivanovic has insisted that his team are ready and excited to be part of the Champions League again this year.

The Pensioners were knocked out from the semi-finals of the tournament last year after losing 3-1 on aggregate to Spanish outfit Atletico Madrid.




Jose Mourinho's side are therefore eager to better their performance this year, as they look to repeat their 2011/12 heroics.

Ivanovic insists that the motivation remains remains equally high, no matter whether it is the group stage or the knockout stage and his team are prepared to give it their best shot everytime they play in the Champions League.

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"I think the Champions League is a competition that everyone wants to win, all the players and all of the football people", Ivanovic told his club's official site.

"It’s special for all of us, we are ready and we are excited the Champions League is starting again.

"Motivation remains the same whether it’s the group stage or knockout rounds, it’s different to any other competition but all I can say is that the motivation is always high.

"The games are different every year, you can’t compare them, last year we were very close to the final.

"At the moment we are playing with a lot of confidence so we can do better [than just reaching the semi-final], but the season is long, this is just the first game, it’s a very difficult match for us."

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