Villas-Boas wants Chelsea players to 'die for the cause'

André Villas-Boas has stressed he will only succeed as Chelsea manager if he gets the squad to believe in his coaching methods so they will "die" for the cause.

The 33-year-old's treble success at Porto last season – the Portuguese club won the domestic title, cup and the Europa League – was built largely on his devotion to preparation and attention to detail. Villas-Boas will adopt the same approach at Stamford Bridge, in contrast to the more relaxed reign of his predecessor, Carlo Ancelotti.

"It's not the case that managers who approach the game in the other way are not successful," Villas-Boas told Chelsea magazine. "You can be successful in the game in various different ways. The most important thing is that the idea you want to sell, the players are able to buy it; that it doesn't seem something so out of the ordinary that they are not able to commit and die for you and for the cause."