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KALOU CAN'T WAIT

/noticias.info/ Still early in his career, Salomon Kalou has admitted his excitement before next week's Champions League Final, and has been discussing the improvements he has made under Avram Grant's tutelage.

The Ivorian has had an impressive season, with only Joe Cole making more appearances than Kalou's 47 in a Chelsea shirt, and he is hoping there is one more game for him yet.

'It is my first Champions League Final so I am really excited to be part of a great experience and we can't wait to get to Moscow and play that game.

'It doesn't matter if I start or come in, the most important thing is to bring quality in the game. I am working hard to be in the first eleven. We can do it with everyone, not only 11 players, so even if I am on the bench I will still focus on the game and try to make the difference,' he said, before adding that it is a starting berth he most craves.

'Of course yeah, it is my first big final and I am really excited to play. I am working hard on the pitch to show the manager I can start,' he said.

Beaten into second place in the league by Manchester United, Kalou is determined to come out on top in Moscow, and believes we need no extra incentive.

'We have to go to the final and try to win so we will give 200 percent - everyone knows how important it is for the club. We won't let the chance go,' he confirmed, yet his is wary of the United threat.

'I think they have a really good team and a really good season, winning the title and being in the final,' he began. 'They are a strong team, and the defensive part of Manchester is great, then you have people like Ronaldo who can score in any game, so they deserve to be where they are right now.'

Impressed with the opposition he may be, but Kalou believes there is plenty of quality within our own ranks for them to worry about, and that everybody will be fit for selection.

'The strength of the Chelsea team is that we have a compact team, we are pointing in the same direction. We have some important players, some people who when you need them will deliver a good performance, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. When the moment will come we are counting on them and they will make the difference.

'To have John Terry and Didier on the pitch gives more power to Chelsea, more confidence to attack a great final. We need them and when the day comes they will be ready for the game.'

Finally, Kalou was asked about the man who must decide whether to select him at the Luzhniki Stadium - Avram Grant.

The 22-year-old described how his game has benefited from working under the Israeli.

'This season I played more on the left side, with José [Mourinho] I played more as a striker, so he tried to put me in one position and improve there.

'He talked to me a lot in training and there are a lot of things I can improve, that's the thing I didn't have before, I managed to defend and attack as well. That's something more I bring to my game.

'I think [Avram] did great, he came to the club and managed to get the team to the final, we fought to the last game for the final. That's a good season, everyone gets credit, and we know it wasn't easy for him with all the critics but he managed to stay calm and push his team to the next game.

'If I had to talk from my own feeling I think he did a great job. He is good [and brings] different opinions, bring extra of what José already did for the team, and brought every player to fight for his position.

'He brings that to the team, and is a really calm person, so we manage to be really calm and focus on our goal.'

Just one goal now remains this season, and Kalou will be hoping his 48th game of the season will be his most memorable.

You can order the new Salomon Kalou 2008/9 home kit here, or alternatively find our new range of Moscow merchandise. notas_de_prensa_archivo