Soccer FA Premiership: Club chairman Bruce Buck believes Chelsea have not received the credit they deserve this season for their exemplary behaviour on the pitch.
Buck defended the Blues' reputation during a season dogged by controversy and issued a thinly-veiled dig at Arsenal and tonight's opponents Manchester United by pointing out that none of their players had either been sent off in the league or been guilty of "throwing pizza in the tunnel".
While that was a reference to the incident which occurred after Arsenal's defeat at Old Trafford last October, Chelsea have also been involved in controversy on several occasions this season.
They face a Premier League hearing for allegedly "tapping-up" Arsenal's England left back Ashley Cole in a London hotel in February, while Manchester United were unhappy with Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon for his apparently coincidental dinner with centre half Rio Ferdinand.
Manager Jose Mourinho was fined by the English FA for accusing United's players of "cheating" in their Carling Cup semi-final, first-leg tie.
And he was blamed by Uefa for playing a part in the resignation of Anders Frisk after claiming the referee held a private meeting with Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard during their Champions League clash at the Nou Camp.
"We take football and doing the right thing by football very seriously at Chelsea," Buck said. "We have had our fair share of bad publicity this year, so let me shout about a few things that we have not received sufficient recognition for.
"We have not had one player sent off in the Premier League, we are top of the fair-play table and no one at our club, as far as I know, has thrown any pizza in the players' tunnel. Even when we have been found guilty, as by Uefa after the Barcelona game, it later emerged that the facts were not as first painted."
Borussia Dortmund left back Dede claimed yesterday that he has been approached by Chelsea over the possibility of a summer transfer. However, it appears any proposed switch would hit a major stumbling block over a work permit for the 27-year-old Brazilian.
Dede has been outstanding for Dortmund in a difficult season both on and off the pitch and, even though he only agreed a new two-year deal in January, the Bundesliga club's spiralling debts could force them to consider offers.
"There has been contact on two occasions, the first one was one and a half months ago and the second one about two weeks ago," Dede said.
"In order to play in England I must have played in three quarters of Brazil's international games or hold an EU passport and I can't offer that, but Chelsea claimed that they'd look for ways to naturalise me in Germany."
Mourinho is again likely to ring the changes for the Premiership champions' match at Old Trafford. The Chelsea boss is expected to continue with Carlo Cudicini in goal, but may give some of his first team regulars a rest now that the title is won and the party over.
Frank Lampard is unlikely to want a rest as he looks to continue his unbroken Premiership appearances. His tally will reach 145 if he plays against United.
Chelsea remain without Scott Parker (broken foot), Paulo Ferreira (broken foot) and Wayne Bridge (broken ankle).
United manager Alex Ferguson says his players will give Chelsea a deserved guard of honour when they run on to the pitch this evening. Ferguson said his Chelsea counterpart Mourinho had done particularly well in securing the championship since joining the London club from European champions Porto at the end of last season.
"I think he has enjoyed it," Ferguson said. "It's not an easy league to get involved in for your first year in English football. The Premier division is very difficult so I think he has deserved his title. They have done very, very well and they are a very good, powerful team."
United will finish third in the league for the second year running and despite trailing Chelsea by 17 points, Ferguson said the gap between the two sides was not as wide as the points tallies suggested.United have drawn once and lost twice by single goal margins to Chelsea in league and cup games this season.
"There is nothing between the sides and leagues can be decided on little incidents like the penalty-kick decisions at Stamford Bridge and at Old Trafford," he said. "That's the thin dividing line we've got."
Ferguson said he was not looking for his side to strike an early psychological blow for next season's title race this evening. "Chelsea will know fine well that we will be one of their challengers next year and they will be one of ours," he said.
"There's no question it will be a very hard league next year. Liverpool are improving and Tottenham are improving and with Arsenal, Chelsea and ourselves it's going to be a fantastic league. I think you're going to see a very relaxed Chelsea team playing against us.
"They have won the league and we are looking forward to a cup final so we want to be in good form ourselves, so it should be a terrific match."
Goal-shy Manchester United expect to have Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy available for tonight's game.
United managed a miserable one goal from 27 shots in the dismal draw with West Brom on Saturday and Ferguson will look to the prolific hitman, now fully recovered from an ankle injury, to rectify the problem.
Gary Neville is available again after a three-match suspension, while Roy Keane, Wayne Rooney and Paul Scholes are expected to start.
Manchester United v Chelsea, Old Trafford 8.0, On TV: Sky Sports 1
