Kidnap torment that haunts Chelsea target

The Kaladze family's ordeal began when Levan, a medical student, was attacked by three masked men outside a Tbilisi hospital and dragged away to a nearby car. The gang demanded a $1m ransom and though the AC Milan defender showed a willingness to pay the money his brother was not released. The Italian Prime Minister and Milan owner, Silvio Berlusconi, even became involved but to no avail.

After the initial onset of grief Kaladze's emotions turned to anger and he launched a furious attack on the "feebleness and indifference" of the Georgian Interior Ministry, for failing to secure his brother's release.

Such was his anger that he boycotted some of Georgia's qualifying matches for Euro 2004 and talked of taking up Ukrainian citizenship, where he had played with Dinamo Kiev after leaving Dinamo Tbilisi before joining Milan for £10m in 2001.

Indeed it was only the personal intervention of the then Georgian President, Eduard Shevardnadze, that secured the 27-year-old's return to the national team.

Kaladze said: "It's disgusting that every Georgian official considered it necessary to declare his personal participation to help find him but their interest is nothing but populism-The situation makes me ashamed of being part of the same people, to whom hundreds of unbridled bandits and hundreds of political prostitutes belong.

"Every day I wake up and think of nothing but my brother. I don't know if he is alive or dead and every day I ask God to bring him back alive."

The most remarkable aspect of the whole episode is that, throughout his turmoil, Kaladze maintained his form. The season after his brother's kidnapping, 2001/02, was the most productive of his career as he played 30 games for Milan as they narrowly failed to win Serie A. In the following year he made up for that disappointment, playing 27 games for the Rossoneri as they won the European Cup.

Paolo Maldini's return to left-back last year limited his opportunities in what looks like being his final season at the club, though they have made efforts to keep him. The Georgia captain was offered an extension to the year remaining on his contract but he turned it down because he wanted regular football, with Milan signing Udinese's Marek Jankulovski to take his place.

Kaladze has made it clear that he wants to join Chelsea and the feeling appears to be mutual, with Mourinho valuing his experience and versatility.

Kaladze is hoping that his relationship with Roman Abramovich, whom he met in Philadelphia last summer through Milan striker Andrey Shevchenko, will help swing the deal and is keen to stress the affinity between Georgians and Russians.

He said: "With Abramovich it is clear he has football fever. We got acquainted one year ago when our teams were in the USA and I think I caught the eye of Mourinho."

For all his dedication to his craft the Chelsea manager often makes the point that his family come first. After years of suffering Kaladze would surely agree.