ANDRE Villas-Boas insists having Roman Abramovich at the training ground this week has not caused him any anxiety.
Predecessor Carlo Ancelotti admitted this week he used to feel it 'intolerable' whenever the Russian owner turned up at Cobham, but the current Chelsea boss says he is relaxed about it.
“Regarding the presence of the owner, you can speculate all you want, but for us, it's fantastic to have him here,” Villas-Boas said. “I don't find it distracting at all.
“We had talks, which were short and accurate and precise. The objectives we have for this season are pretty much outlined – we have two competitions where we look better placed and one where we have to dilute the damage and try to finish fourth at least.
“This is not a very honourable position for the dimension of this club, but there was a lot of focus on next year's project as well.”
Villas-Boas added: “Just because he is physically present, it doesn't mean that the conversations have just started now. Conversations have been ongoing in different modes, but with physical presence, you get your ideas across better, so it's good to have him here.”
The Portuguese boss has made it clear he does not feel extra pressure from Abramovich on the basis of the recent audit outlining the amount of compensation paid out to the former manager to bring him to the club, either.
“Regarding the compensation that they've had to pay, it was based on a decision they took and when they take these decisions, they must be clear in their mind that it's the best decision for the club,” Villas-Boas said.
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