Petit shows no pity

By Xavier Rivoire

It has been a strange few weeks for Chelsea FC midfield player Emmanuel Petit. Sidelined by a series of injuries, he watched from the stands as his side knocked his old team Arsenal FC out of the UEFA Champions League with a 2-1 win at Highbury.

Old friends
Now the Frenchman is wishing misfortune on another former club, as Chelsea face AS Monaco FC in the semi-finals. "My mobile phone hasn't stopped ringing," he told uefa.com. "A few people from Monaco are apparently trying to reach me! I will be extremely pleased to see some old faces there."

Disappointing campaign
While Petit has had a disappointing campaign by his own high standards and attracted controversy in England after hitting out at the big-spending culture at Chelsea which has seen many of his team-mates removed to the sidelines, there was no doubt where his loyalties lie.

Loyal supporter
"You are asking me if my heart is blue? Not at all. Deep down, I say to myself: 'Go Monaco, go Reds!'," he joked. "Of course, my heart is blue. Even though I won't be available until the end of the season, I will be at Stade Louis II to support Chelsea and sing for my team."

Good judge
Having played for both sides, and having played alongside Monaco coach Didier Deschamps with the French national team, Petit is well-placed to judge what spectators can expect from the game. "Both matches will be explosive because both teams love to attack," the 33-year-old said.

Deschamps characteristics
Petit has been impressed with the Deschamps revolution at Stade Louis II. "Didier has built a team that mirrors the player he was - hard-working and talented," he said. "A team that likes working out of the limelight. Everyone works for one another yet the individual talent has the chance to shine.

Coaching alchemy
"He knows how to make players achieve greatness, both individually and as a team. With him, the average players become good, the good ones reach excellence and he turns the very talented ones into established internationals. It is the mark of a great coach."

Monaco frailties
However, much as he admires their style, Petit knows Monaco have their weaknesses too. "The team can be fearsome one minute and shaky the next," he said. "Up front they are very quick but have lapses of concentration."

Favourite team-mates
Nor is there any doubt that Petit believes in his team-mates, as he recites a list of his Chelsea favourites. "I very much like the way Eidur Gudjohnsen plays," he said. "He is packed with talent and he is a very good foil to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. And then there is Adrian Mutu. I call him 'the snake' for his ability to penetrate opposition defences."

'Pure instinct'
"As for Hernán Crespo, he makes me think of [former Monaco striker] Delio Onnis," he added. "He is a cold-blooded animal in the box. I also enjoy watching Frank Lampard who is a little bit like Fredrik Ljungberg at Arsenal, but my favourite is Damien Duff. He is pure instinct. When he is having a good day, no one can stop him."

'Chelsea will be in the final'
As far as Petit is concerned, no one can stop Chelsea either. His old team may have knocked Real Madrid CF out of the Champions League to reach the semi-finals, but Petit believes Chelsea will overpower them. "I am rubbish at betting," he said. "All I will say is this: Chelsea will be in the final."