Chelsea boss demands Champions League glory

Chelsea's new chief executive Ron Gourlay has set out his objectives for the club, demanding of the players that they "shoot for the stars" and win the Champions League twice over the next five years. This echoes the target set by his predecessor Peter Kenyon, who placed a ten-year deadline for the achievement, five of which have now passed without Europe's premier club trophy being gained.

"In our ten-year plan there were two Champions Leagues in there and we've been very unlucky," Gourlay told the Times in his first interview in the job. "Over the next five years we've still got to shoot for the stars. With no disrespect to the competition, which is an incredibly high standard, I'd still like to think we can win the Champions League twice in the next five years. That may sound aggressive but I think we can do it."

Gourlay, who replaced Kenyon at the west London club last week, also indicated that Chelsea were likely to remain at their current location for the foreseeable future - though whether it would continue to be called Stamford Bridge was up for grabs. The 46-year-old, who like Kenyon was recruited from Manchester United, did not rule out selling the naming rights.

"Retaining the heritage of the stadium is paramount to considering such a move, but we think that is achievable and on that basis we would enter into discussions over naming rights with the right partner for Chelsea," Gourlay said. In recent days, fans of Championship leaders Newcastle have been up in arms at plans to sell such rights to St James's Park, but as Arsenal showed when they moved from Highbury, this type of deal can be a major earner.

The Gunners made £100m from their 2004 deal with Emirates, and Chelsea could hope to earn upwards of £150m. With losses for the year ending June 30, 2008 of £65.7m and a wage bill of almost £150m a year, the move looks distinctly possible, not least because owner Roman Abramovich has apparently demanded that the club become self-financing within the near future.

Kenyon's departure, which was announced in September 2009, was believed to have been enforced against his will. Its timing came just days after the club was provisionally banned by Fifa from making any transfers until 2011 having been found guilty of illegally inducing Gael Kakuta to sign for them from the French club Lens. ·