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Now finish the job! Chelsea ready to take on Bayern in quest for Champions League glory

Chelsea are ready to take on Bayern Munich in their bid to be crowned champions of Europe.

The Blues take on Bayern in their own stadium on Saturday night in the mouthwatering Champions League final.

Owner Roman Abramovich has long dreamed of winning the world's best club competition and now they stand just 90 minutes away from lifting the trophy.

Chelsea touched down in Munich just after midday and were whisked to their hotel in the city centre.

They later held a press conference involving Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and manager Roberto Di Matteo, who may be taking charge of the club for the final time in his caretaker role.

The squad - including banned captain John Terry - then trained inside the Allianz Arena as they polished their preparations for the big match.

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Here we are: Chelsea's players are put through their paces at the Allianz Arena on Friday night

After eight managers, an outlay of £700million in transfer fees and an estimated £2billion overall, Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has promised Roman Abramovich his Champions League odyssey will eventually reach its glorious destination.

For the second time in Abramovich's nine years as owner, Chelsea will contest the most important club game on the planet tomorrow.

The lure of the Champions League is what brought the Russian billionaire to Stamford Bridge, his hunger to win it has arguably cost half a dozen managers their jobs.

Smiles better: Roberto Di Matteo wants to win the Champions League for Roman Abramovich

The lure of the Champions League is what brought the Russian billionaire to Stamford Bridge, his hunger to win it has arguably cost half a dozen managers their jobs.

Now Di Matteo finds himself in the bizarre position of knowing victory over Bayern Munich may not save him the axe either.

But he hopes, as do all those wearing blue who will cheer on the club Roman built, the journey will reach its end in the Allianz Arena, living in the absolutely certainty that one day Abramovich's dreams will be realised.

'We can win it,' said Di Matteo.

'We have to believe and have the confidence to do so.

'I don't know how somebody else feels. I can only guess he (Abramovich) is excited.

'Sooner or later it will come.

'We hope it's tomorrow. But with the quality that's been at this club before and will certainly come into this club again, it will happen.'

Final preparations: Chelsea's players looked relaxed as they trained inside the stadium

The 68th richest person in the world, according to Forbes, Abramovich's Champions League history is scarred by ill fortune.

Luis Garcia's ghost goal for Liverpool in 2005, John Terry slipping as he lined up the penalty that would have secured victory over Manchester United in 2008, Andres Iniesta scoring a semi-final winner for Barcelona in injury-time 12 months later.

No amount of money can ease the pain of being kept apart from that elusive prize.

Circle of life: Chelsea's squad go through their stretches as part of their session

'I haven't had direct message from the owner,' said Frank Lampard.

'The general message is always there.

'He has put a lot into this club. Without him, we wouldn't be sitting here now.

'He's always been behind us. You don't get into a final very often. We want to win it now.'

Running the show: Frank Lampard takes control during training

Meanwhile, Di Matteo insisted keeping his job was the furthest thing from his mind ahead of Chelsea's Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

Interim Blues boss Di Matteo will go into the biggest match of his life tomorrow knowing it is currently set to be his last game in charge, regardless of the result.

Opposite number Jupp Heynckes earlier summed up the sense of incredulity that Chelsea could dispense with the man who had rescued their season when he urged Roman Abramovich to sign the Italian up.

Will he stay or will he go? Di Matteo's future at Chelsea is in doubt

But Di Matteo said he had not even spoken to Blues owner Abramovich about the prospect of being handed the reins full-time.

'We haven't had time, or it wasn't relevant, to have that conversation,' he said.

'We're all focusing on being successful.'

He added: 'I don't know what the future will hold. I'm entirely focused on this game.'

Leading the way: John Terry (left) trained with the squad despite being banned from the final

Di Matteo cannot afford to get sucked into the emotion.

'You make your own destiny and fate,' he said.

'Reaching the last stages of this competition is difficult enough and you always need a bit of luck in a cup competition.'

Chelsea's fortune came in the acceptance of Di Matteo to take charge on an interim basis following the dismissal of Andre Villas-Boas at the beginning of March.

Raring to go: David Luiz has recovered from injury for Chelsea

It has been suggested that the decision to make a change followed expressions of discontent from senior players.

'People think that we ring up the owner now and again and decide who comes and who'll be sacked," said Lampard.

'That's not how it works at this club. It shouldn't be like that at any club.

'A decision like that is taken out of your hands.'

Here we go: Chelsea players (from left) David Luiz, Didier Drogba and Ramires preparing to fly out to Munich

However the conclusion was reached, it worked.

Chelsea are reliant on winning Saturday's game in order to qualify for next season's Champions League.

The mere fact they have that chance, having lifted the FA Cup a fortnight ago, is confirmation Di Matteo not only stabilised the situation but managed to get the Chelsea ship moving forwards again, thanks chiefly to a memorable night against Napoli in a last-16 tie that, under Villas-Boas' watch, appeared to have drifted out of reach.

Touching down: Didier Drogba steps off the plane with the Chelsea squad in Munich

'We have had a difficult season,' said striker Didier Drogba.

'We had a lot of criticism. But when big teams don't perform that is what you expect.

'We've shown everyone that we're still a very good team and, if we win tomorrow, everybody will just remember we won the cup.'

Let's go! Raul Meireles, Michael Essien, Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel leave the plane

 

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Chelsea will have to win it without inspirational skipper John Terry, who is suspended, along with Ramires, Raul Meireles and Branislav Ivanovic.

Thankfully for Di Matteo, David Luiz and Gary Cahill have recovered from their respective hamstring injuries and although Lampard sparked a worry when he did a few stretches during training, the veteran midfielder appeared unconcerned.

So now Di Matteo, who spent six seasons with the Blues as a player, will try to engineer the best day of Abramovich's footballing life and Chelsea's entire history, with Lampard accepting it would have been virtually impossible without the Italian manager.

Leaders: John Terry and Frank Lampard walk off the plane

'You can see his importance in the results,' said Lampard.

'Roberto has been very clever managing the situation.

'We were struggling for confidence and rather than come in and make drastic changes, he spoke to everyone individually and created confidence in the group.

I recognise the hair, sir: David Luiz has his passport checked by police at the airport

'We got wins - the Napoli game changed everything - and from then on quietly he's done a perfect job.

'If anyone deserves to win this game, it's him.'

Lampard, who played alongside former Germany talisman Michael Ballack for four years at Chelsea, added: 'He was one of those players who you could probably take the wrong way in the beginning, but he was so determined, confident and wanted to win.

This way, boss: Roberto Di Matteo was in a good mood as he stepped off the flight

'The German teams I have played against all seem to have that individually. That's why they will be such a force at the Euros as well this summer.

'They are very technically intelligent. Maybe it's the set-up and the system they have with the young kids there.

'We talk about England and what we need to do - the Spanish have shown it, the French have shown it and the Germans with their under-21s.'

Welcome: Juan Mata and Fernando Torres step off the team bus at the hotel

Bayern are the flagship German club and Lampard was under no illusions about the task facing Chelsea, branding it 'a huge challenge'.

He added: 'They have great players up front - I've watched them a few times.

'(Mario) Gomez's goal record is amazing and his all-round game and his finishing is fantastic. And the wingers we all know about anyway.

Blues brother: Chelsea fan Chris Morris made sure he was at the Allianz Arena in plenty of time

'In (Toni) Kroos and (Bastian) Schweinsteiger, they have two fantastic midfield players.

'I can't speak highly enough of them actually. Kroos has come on and really impressed me. And then (Thomas) Muller played behind the front man.

'It's going to be a battleground because they are very strong in there.'

Passion: A Chelsea fan shows off his tattoos at a caravan park in Munich 

Bayern have been weakened by three suspensions for Saturday's clash but Chelsea have been affected by four, including to centre-backs John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic.

But Lampard was confident the fit-again Gary Cahill and David Luiz would fill the void.

He said: 'John is obviously the captain and a top defender but we're fortunate that in Gary and David looking like they are going to be fit, we have good cover.

Desperate: There is a big demand for tickets on the eve of the big match in Germany

'A lot of teams losing their centre-halves would not be so confident but I'm pretty confident in them.

'And then Ashley Cole - say no more, you know what you get from him. And whoever we play at right-back, Jose Bosingwa or Paulo Ferreira.

'We have to be on our game to stop them but I have confidence in the players to do it.' 

All ready: The Allianz Arena in Munich hosts the Champions League final on Saturday night

Didier Drogba was forced to deny he was an 'actor' as he prepared for what could be his Chelsea curtain call on the biggest stage of all.

Drogba insisted the Blues had not blown their chance of convincing him to sign a contract extension after tomorrow's Champions League final, saying he was prepared to listen to any new offer they made.

The striker otherwise refused to let speculation about his future distract him from his bid to finally achieve Chelsea's and his dream of European glory.

That was not the only sideshow Drogba had to face at Friday's pre-match press conference after Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes earlier appeared to hit out at his reputation for play-acting.

Heynckes claimed the 34-year-old sometimes 'overdoes it a bit', adding: 'Sometimes he's an outstanding actor on the pitch.'

Bayern later moved to claim their manager was mistranslated, insisting the word 'actor' should have been 'performer'.

All over: Oracle dachshund Sissi chooses the Bayern bowl for food at a stunt in a Munich shopping centre - predicting defeat for Chelsea

But the damage was done and pressed whether he was indeed an actor, Drogba said: "Oh, no, I don't think so. No, no, no."

Drogba has spent all season dodging questions about his future since snubbing Chelsea's offer of a one-year contract extension in a bid to secure a new two-year deal.

Friday was no different, although he did confirm he would take up chief executive Ron Gourlay's invitation to sit down at the end of the season in an 11th-hour attempt to reach an agreement.

Main men: Frank Lampard (left) and Didier Droga at the press conference

'We'll sit down with him and we're going to talk,' said Drogba, who refused to criticise the club for failing to make him an offer he could not refuse.

'I don't think about this. Tomorrow's game is so important.

'My future, my contract, are not important.

Future in doubt: Drogba looks set to leave Chelsea this summer on a free transfer

'I want to give everything to the team and the fans.

'From there, we'll see what happens.'

Drogba has been linked with no end of clubs from across the globe, with even Barcelona reportedly interested in what would be a free transfer.

Target practice: Fernando Torres is likely to have to make do with a place on the bench

'There are a lot of rumours about me being offered to Barcelona,' Drogba said.

'It's not true. It's not true.

'The kind of moment I'm living now, the excitement of a big Champions League final game, is more important than thinking about Barcelona approaching me.'