Carlo Ancelotti is one of the best managers on the planet. He brings success wherever he goes. Only Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho have a better trophy haul than him in the last 15 years. Despite his undeniable success, Ancelotti has been a victim of trigger-hungry chairmen and has been harshly sacked from Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.
But those sackings were not down to a lack of success – quite the opposite, in fact. At Chelsea, he won the Premier League and FA Cup, delivering some of the best football in the club’s history; La Decima and a Copa Del Rey at Real Madrid; and a Bundesliga title at Bayern. His CV is littered with success – winning league titles in England, Italy, Germany, and France – so imagine what he could achieve at the right club, given time and the right funds.
But where could the Italian tactician end up next?
Chelsea
After a shaky start to the season and tensions between manager and owner, Conte’s number looked up. But the return of Eden Hazard saw their fortunes improve, only for David Moyes to come along and ruin the party. Rumours of Conte’s dismissal are now resurfacing and it appears all is not rosy at Stamford Bridge.
As mentioned, Ancelotti was a success at Chelsea. Unlike others Chelsea managers, including an arrogant Portuguese with a liking for spending, Ancelotti didn’t go crazy during his time at Chelsea. He inherited a great defensive squad and he moulded them into an exciting, expansive team with good old fashioned coaching.
Chelsea may be interested in reigniting this partnership, but the former Milan manager may not be so keen. After all, they treated him very poorly during his first spell at the club.
Everton
It’s just under two weeks since Everton appointed Sam Allardyce on an 18 month, £6m a year contract and fans are already asking who is next. The appointment split the fan base, with the majority of Evertonians unhappy and – with money to spend – Big Sam will need to deliver in the next six months or he could face the chop.
Ancelotti would be an ambitious appointment but – with the right offer – anything is a possibility in football. Any chance Everton have of pulling this off will depend on how desperate he is to return to management and how well they improve their squad between now and then. At the moment, a move to Everton would seem like too much of a step down for a ‘super coach’ that has achieved so much.
Arsenal
Arsene Wenger has 18 months left on his controversial extension and Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly interested in taking over the Arsenal job should the opportunity arise. Both Wenger and Ancelotti have held mutual admiration for a long time and it’s likely he would receive the Frenchman’s blessing to take over.
With major changes in Arsenal’s backroom in recent months, it’s clear they are planning for life after Wenger, with a view to backing the new manager. Of all the moves Ancelotti could make, this one makes the most sense.
Style wise, it’s a match made in heaven, both on and off the pitch, with the Italian possessing a similar dignified manner to Arsene Wenger. Ancelotti doesn’t need the money, so he’ll be in no rush to return to football, and an 18 month rest before taking over at the Emirates could be just what he needs to reignite the club.
