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LONDON - Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko has denied saying he was prepared to leave the club because his style of play did not suit manager Jose Mourinho and reiterated his commitment to the English soccer champions.
Shevchenko, 30, who moved from AC Milan during the close season for £30 million ($87.79 million), was quoted by Thursday's Daily Mirror newspaper as saying: "I feel at home at Chelsea, and it's felt like my team for a long time, but unfortunately my game doesn't suit Mourinho.
"Everyone has been writing about me being sent on loan to Milan. I still haven't discussed this question with the management, but the bosses themselves probably still haven't decided.
"I'm not finished as a player. On the other hand, I have nothing to prove to anybody. Everybody already knows what Andriy Shevchenko is capable of."
Chelsea issued a statement saying the quotes had been mistranslated from an interview the Ukraine striker gave to Russian magazine ProSport.
Oleg Shamonaev, the reporter at ProSport who carried out the interview, said Shevchenko did not say that he wanted to quit Chelsea and a full transcript of the interview did not contain any reference to his game not suiting Mourinho.
A Mirror spokesman said the newspaper stood by its story.
In a statement issued by Chelsea, Shevchenko said: "I give 100 per cent all the time and I am committed and hungry for success with Chelsea.
"I have total respect for the Chelsea club and fans as well as for football in England and the culture of the country. There are always good and not so good moments in sport, that's normal. If that means there is opinion and criticism I respect that."
Shevchenko has scored three premier league goals this season and opened his Champions League account only in Wednesday's (NZT) 2-0 home win over Levski Sofia.
- REUTERS
