Carlo Ancelotti has discussed some of his plans as Chelsea manager after facing the media for the first time today.

Speaking in English, Ancelotti was beginning his first full week in charge by answering questions at a Stamford Bridge press conference.

There was a wide range of topics covered, and the 50-year-old also shared a number of jokes with the journalists he faced.

'It is nice to be here I am very happy to be here and start a new adventure and opportunity and I want today to speak English and learn English. For me today it is important,' he began.

'I think in one month or two months I will speak better, it is not easy but I want to do this because I am in England now and I want a good relationship with all the press.'

The former AC Milan coach will also meet some of his players for the first time today as pre-season kicks off at Cobham this afternoon, but naturally he was asked about some of those he has been linked with bringing into the club.

With the signings of Daniel Sturridge and Ross Turnbull also complete, and Yuri Zhirkov on the verge of joining them, the club has started its summer recruitment drive, with more possibly to follow.

'I think naturally he is a left player,' he said of the Russian wide man. 'He can do all the wing, he can play in defence, also in midfield.

'We are not in a hurry, the market closes 31 August, and if there is a good opportunity for us we can do it,' Ancelotti said. 'If there is not, at the moment we have a great team.

'Chelsea is a great team now, it is a team that did five semi-finals sin six years in the Champions League, this means that Chelsea is a great team now. If you can improve this it will be better for me and the club. Chelsea have a lot of chances to win.'

He believes it is important to win some silverware quickly as he hopes to be in west London for a long time after eight years at the San Siro.

'I think so; Chelsea has the right quality for this, a great club, great team, great players. They were very close last year and I think that we have to do a little step to win, it will not be easy but with great teamwork we can win,' he explained.

'I hope to stay here a long time. I come from a good experience, eight years in a team is very important and I want to stay as long as possible. I will [give] all my energy for this.

'In England it is not easy, there are great teams, it is a very difficult championship but Chelsea can win the Premiership and the Champions League. In all the competitions we have to do the maximum to win.

I am here for this, to win the Champions League, I would like this, I think it is a great competition and I trust because Chelsea arrived very close to win, I remember 2008 and I think really there is a possibility to do this,' he continued. 'The Champions League is very difficult to win, it depends on many factors but Chelsea I think have more possibility than other teams now.'

Asked about some of the specifics surrounding his plans on the field, Ancelotti responded that he is keen to get some of the pre-season schedule under his belt before making certain decisions on formations and styles.

'I want to do a good pre-season, look, and after put a system that will be good for the players,' he said.

'I would like that Chelsea have an identity to play and this identity we want to build, and use the quality of the players, I would like that Chelsea play the same way.'

Ancelotti is hoping to be the latest in a long line of Italians that have made their mark at Stamford Bridge.

'In Chelsea [there were] great players, Di Matteo, Zola, Vialli, I can speak with them, I spoke with Luca Vialli 15 days ago and he spoke very well for the club,' he said. 'They stayed very well in Chelsea and I hope to do the same.'

Names such as Alexandre Pato and Andrea Pirlo have been linked with following Ancelotti to SW6 from Milan, but he remained tight-lipped over their futures. He was though happy to explain the situation with Andriy Shevchenko, who is due back at the Bridge after his loan spell with the Rossoneri.

'Shevchenko is a Chelsea player and I [will] speak with him, Shevchenko will come to London on 9 July and work with us at pre-season and in this moment we will speak with him to do a right solution for him and for us,' he said.

Ancelotti now heads to Cobham to meet some of his players and more staff as pre-season gets underway.

You can keep up with all the developments here on chelseafc.com, Chelsea TV and Twitter.

Chelsea TV will have an exclusive one-on-one interview with Ancelotti in tonight's Blues News at 6.30pm. You can also watch his first game in charge on the pre-season tour, live and exclusive only on Chelsea TV.