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Sven-Goran Eriksson has revealed how he managed to convince Roman Abramovich to buy Chelsea instead of Tottenham in 2003.
The former England manager advised the Russian billionaire to opt for the Blues because he would “have to change the whole team” to win trophies with Spurs.
Eriksson suffered embarrassment on his first encounter with Abramovich though, mistaking the oligarch for a chauffeur.
“We met at Les Ambassadeurs (a casino in London),” Eriksson told The Times. “There were three men standing there. One is properly dressed, the other is so-so and the third, I thought he was the driver. Of course that was Roman.
“He wanted to buy a club in Moscow so we went to Moscow for three days. We saw all the clubs and I said buy Dinamo. They had the best facilities.
Show all 21 1 /21100-81: Century countdown 100-81: Century countdown The Century countdown This week, The Independent is counting down the 100 greatest players of the 21st century. We will be revealing 20 players per day, starting with the players who ranked 100-81.
100-81: Century countdown 100. Yaya Toure A brilliant midfielder who had everything: skill, tenacity, power, goals, energy. His defensive capabilities brought him to the fore at Barcelona before his attacking prowess made him such a weapon for Manchester City. He won two Ligas, three Premier Leagues, one Champions League, captained Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations and was African Player of the Year four times. LO
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100-81: Century countdown 99. Harry Kane His raw statistics are simply phenomenal. 130 Premier League goals for Tottenham Hotspur, in just 186 appearances. 27 in 42 for England. Twice a Premier League Golden Boot winner. A World Cup Golden Boot winner. Tottenham’s talisman. England’s captain. And still just 26 years old. In 10 years’ time, expect to see Kane in the top 20 of a similar list. LB
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100-81: Century countdown 98. Daniele De Rossi A ferociously competitive and combative midfield hard man, who made over 600 appearances for his beloved Roma and over 100 for his national team. A complete midfielder, who could in one passage of play win the ball, race forward and either release a team-mate with a pinpoint pass or score himself. And do not be fooled by his combustible reputation: in 2016, he placed his treasured World Cup winner's medal in the coffin of Pietro Lombardi, Italy’s kit man at the tournament. LB
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100-81: Century countdown 97. Bastian Schweinsteiger The meticulous German orchestrated Bayern Munich's midfield to eight Bundesliga titles and a Champions League, making over 500 appearances for the club. He was also one of the leaders in Germany's 2014 World Cup-winning campaign and carried an aura in the centre of the pitch few players can claim to have replicated. TK
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100-81: Century countdown 96. Vincent Kompany It’s difficult to define his importance to both Manchester City and Belgium but it’s safe to say he was one of the most important players of a generation. There may well be a handful of technically better centre-backs but his intangibles were vital to the culture at club and country where there was not a legacy of winning previously. JR
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100-81: Century countdown 95. Karim Benzema One of the few strikers on this list who can truly claim to be the complete forward, able to play wide or central, deep linking play or on the shoulder of the last defender, with the ability to sniff out scrappy goals and score beauties too. His medal haul speaks for itself, and he is approaching 300 career goals. But for his strained relationship with the French national team, he would have scored even more. LO
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100-81: Century countdown 94. Sol Campbell The heartbeat of Arsenal's defence in the Invincibles season, a double-winner in 2002 and a mainstay of the England team for almost a decade, Campbell is one of the defining defensive figures of the Premier League era. TK
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100-81: Century countdown 93. Pepe One of the great villains of the game but a nasty, hard centre-back that would be very high on any great striker’s list of defenders he least wanted to play against. While his grit and determination stand out, nobody lasts a decade at the Bernabeu without possessing exceptional quality, with three La Liga titles (which has eluded the club since his departure) and as many Champions Leagues, Zinedine Zidane would be wise to acquire a similar player now. JR
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100-81: Century countdown 92. Edwin van der Sar The four-time Premier League winner made over 300 appearances in England and made an enduring habit of thriving under pressure, winning the man-of-the-match award in Manchester United's Champions League final victory in 2008. TK
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100-81: Century countdown 91. Arturo Vidal Only the finest players in the world enjoy long and fruitful stints at clubs such as Juventus, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. Il Guerriero has matured into a splendid holding midfielder, aggressive and dominant in the middle of the pitch but equally as effective arriving late into the box to complete attacks. A hero in his native Chile, for his role in the 2015 Copa América victory. LB
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100-81: Century countdown 90. Angel di Maria A key player in the glorious Real Madrid side that won La Liga in 2011/12 and the Champions League two seasons later. Widely considered a flop when he left Manchester United after only one miserable season, but the Argentine completely reinvented himself at Paris Saint-Germain, the starring attraction in one of the most expensive squads ever assembled, containing the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Edinson Cavani. LB
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100-81: Century countdown 89. Diego Forlan A figure of fun in his early Premier League days at Manchester United, Forlan went on to have the last laugh with a stellar career both internationally with Uruguay and in Spain, where he racked up goals for Villarreal and Atletico Madrid, twice winning the European Golden Shoe. LO
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100-81: Century countdown 88. Radamel Falcao In his pomp Falcao was probably the best striker on the planet. In a prolific four-year spell playing for Porto and Atletico Madrid he scored 142 goals in 178 games, and had injuries not hindered his career there is little doubt that Colombia's record scorer would be much higher up this list. LO
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100-81: Century countdown 87. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Has excelled in a thoroughly mediocre Arsenal side for two seasons now, scoring at a rate better than a goal every other game in a side that has struggled since the departure of Arsène Wenger. But it is primarily for his achievements at Borussia Dortmund that he makes this list. He scored close to 150 Bundesliga goals for that wonderfully attacking team – including 31 in one season – winning the Bundesliga Player of the Year and Top Goalscorer awards. There have been few strikers as rapid or as decisive in front of goal in the last two decades. LB
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100-81: Century countdown 86. Robin Van Persie One of the best left foots in Premier League history graced two of its most revered clubs, becoming a star at both Arsenal and Manchester United. The Dutchman had a penchant for the spectacular but suffered with injuries, and it is a sign of what could have been that in the two Premier League seasons he played more than 30 games, he won the Golden Boot in both. LO
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100-81: Century countdown 85. Carlos Tevez A real pest of a striker who thrived in the hottest atmospheres and regularly overcame adversity. He scored plenty too, 116 league goals in eight seasons with United, City and Juventus (who probably all enjoyed prime Tevez), but it was the way he would trigger his teammates by forcing the first mistake or sparking counterattacks that really made him such an invaluable player. JR
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100-81: Century countdown 84. Gaizka Mendieta The midfield maestro could control games and decide them too, and was at the heart of the brilliant Valencia team which reached back-to-back Champions League finals in 2000 and 2001. He became one of the most expensive players of all time when he switched to Lazio, but he would never again reach the heights that made him a legend at the Mestalla. LO
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100-81: Century countdown 83. Virgil van Dijk The defensive talisman cast a spell of leadership over Liverpool's 2019 Champions League-winning side and went the entire campaign without being dribbled past. Few defenders have carried such an overarching influence on any side in recent memory. TK
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100-81: Century countdown 82. Hernan Crespo One of the finest finishers of a generation but perhaps his best quality was his movement; particularly in the box, where nobody was more lethal at finding a yard of space and punishing opponents. Strong and an aerial threat, he was perhaps unfortunate to follow Gabriel Batistuta with Argentina, otherwise he would have been appreciated even more. Certainly as talented as Sergio Aguero and with perhaps more composure in the biggest occasions - an underrated player. JR
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100-81: Century countdown 81. Rio Ferdinand A gem of a centre-back, who was perhaps ahead of his time, right now he would be even more valuable due to his versatility to thrive under any manager, no matter the philosophy or style of play. Became a real winner and leader at United and formed one of the greatest partnerships in international football history alongside John Terry with England - who should have obviously achieved much more with such an outstanding foundation to their team. JR
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“I went on holiday and his right-hand man phoned. Roman changed his mind. He wants to buy a club in London.
“Tottenham or Chelsea? I said, ‘What does he want to do?’ He said he wants to win.
Roman Abramovich almost opted for Spurs over Chelsea (Getty) “I said, ‘So buy Chelsea. You have to change half the team. Tottenham you have to change the whole team.’”
The pair remain friends, with Abramovich winning 16 trophies in his time in west London, with Spurs picking up one trophy since the Russian’s takeover at Stamford Bridge.
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