Shevchenko management plays down Milan invitation

Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko's management company has played down the significance of an invitation from Milan for the Ukrainian to attend today's Champions League final in Athens as their guest.

Shevchenko has been linked with a move back to the Italian club, where he spent seven successful years, after failing to live up to expectations in his first season in the Premier League.

"Andriy is not in talks of any kind with Milan," said a WMG spokesperson in a statement. "He has a contract with Chelsea and that is the end of the matter.

"Milan has invited a whole host of former players to this showpiece match and Andriy is just one of those players."

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said this month that a space would be kept open in the squad for the player should he decide to return to the Italian side.

"Sheva remains in our hearts, he and his wife have been invited to Athens to follow the Champions League final," Galliani told a news conference.

"As for the future, let's see, he is a Chelsea player. Anyway, he knows, we will keep a place open for a few months seeing as after his marriage Kaka has freed up a non-European Union place."