Gianluca Vialli talks about Chelsea's future without Brian Laudrup

The London club's managing director Colin Hutchinson said he wanted to stop the publicity surrounding Laudrup from overshadowing the club's immediate future.

However although he is leaving Chelsea he will not be moving full time from England until February since the Danish league is on a winter break until March.

The Dane scored the winner against Copenhagen in Thursday's Cup Winners' Cup tie but was a target for abuse from a minority of Chelsea fans.

Ken Bates makes his feelings known to a steward

Chelsea chairman Ken Bates demanded that one abusive banner be removed by stewards, and vowed to ban those responsible from future games.

He said: "These were not Chelsea supporters, they were scum of the earth and we will sort this out.

"Brian gave his answer on the pitch to the people who have been giving him a hard time."

Player-coach Gianluca Vialli chose to concentrate on Laudrup's performance.

"Football is a funny game. Brian has played 10 games without scoring a goal for Chelsea and then he comes to Denmark in front of his supporters and scores. He worked very hard - he got the right reward for being professional," said Vialli.

'Hype'

Hutchinson explained the move had been brought forward: "The intention had been to set Monday and Tuesday aside to sit down with FC Copenhagen and thrash out a deal.

"Overnight I thought about it, I had a quick chat with Luca (Vialli) on the flight back from Copenhagen and we decided with all the hype and the publicity going on, that it was time to draw a line under it.

"Sad though we are that Brian is going, we felt that the matter should be brought to a conclusion to let us get on with life," he said.

Hutchinson said the fee "beats by a mile" the existing Danish transfer record for an incoming player of £300,000.

Coach Graham Rix congratulates Laudrup

Chelsea will also be handsomely compensated should the 29-year-old leave Denmark for another club.

But Hutchinson did not rule out the possibility of him one day returning to Stamford Bridge, if he changes his mind and feels that he has quit top-flight football too early.

Copenhagen president Flemming Ostergaard later revealed that Laudrup would not be moving to Denmark full-time until February next year.

He will share his time between the English and Danish capitals - a compromise ironically put to him by Chelsea as they tried to keep him.

Laudrup will now have a month's holiday before going on Copenhagen's tour of Italy in January ahead of their return to competitive action in March.

Laudrup himself said after Thursday's game: "I was trying to do my duty to help Chelsea to win. We succeeded and actually I'm quite happy about that.