Carlo Ancelotti has not ruled a second spell at Chelsea
Serial collector of silverware Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he has no problem with former club Chelsea, which has led to rumours he might be returning to Stamford Bridge as a replacement for under-pressure Blues boss Jose Mourinho.
Chelsea’s struggles this season in the Premier League have been well documented, as the reigning Premier League champions are 16th place in the table, having lost seven of their 12 league games this season.
Ancelotti has not ruled out a return to the Bridge, but he has also stated that he does not believe that Mourinho will be sacked either.
Mourinho won’t be sacked
In an interview with the Daily Mail, the Italian said: ‘I would have no problem with Chelsea. But Jose won’t be sacked. They already choose to keep him, and I think they made a good choice.’
Ancelotti seems to have a confidence in Mourinho’s job status that few have, despite the Blues struggles this season. The Portuguese boss looks to have lost the dressing room at Stamford Bridge, but Ancelotti has cited a lack of motivation from the players as the problem for the reigning champions struggles this season.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is famous for having a very itchy trigger finger. Ancelotti should know all about Abramovich’s habit of sacking bosses, having been dismissed as Chelsea boss in 2011 by the silent assassin.
Mourinho’s first spell at Chelsea ended in acrimonious circumstances, yet the Portuguese decided to return for a second spell, which has produced mixed results so far. I really cannot see Ancelotti volunteering for a second spell at the club.
Ancelotti has been mooted as a temporary replacement for Mourinho until the end of the season, when a permanent replacement could be found. Surely that would be an insulting offer, if true, to such a successful boss as Ancelotti?
A wanted man
This summer one of most highly-rated bosses of the modern era could be available, as Pep Guardiola’s contract at German giants Bayern Munich expires. Chelsea owner Abramovich is famous for his love of Guardiola’s work at Barcelona and no doubt the Blues will be monitoring his situation in Germany.
Guardiola is going to be a wanted man in the summer, with Manchester City reportedly set to offer him a record deal to move from Munich to Manchester. No doubt other clubs will be monitoring his contract situation.
However a move to the Premier League seems the next logical step for Guardiola, as there are not many other major European options left in Europe. Guardiola has already managed European giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich, which leaves his options at the same level rather limited.
Only Real Madrid can be considered in the same bracket as his previous employers. The staunch Catalan looks highly unlikely to ever manage the club from the Spanish capital.
That means that Guardiola will be looking for another club with a high-profile, which both Manchester City and Chelsea fit into that category. The Premier League pair both has the financial backing to help Guardiola become success as well.
This speculation seems to have happened every season since Guardiola decided to leave Barcelona, but with his Bayern contract reaching the end it seems the Catalan may really be heading to English football this summer.
Guardiola has expressed his desire to manage in the Premier League in his managerial career at some point and a move to the English capital may offer appeal to the Spaniard. The former-Barcelona boss is currently second favourite to be the next Blues boss at odds of 8/1, with only former-England boss Fabio Capello shorter odds at 6/1.
An English return
Anyway back to Ancelotti. The Italian revealed in his interview with the Mail that he would like a return to the Premier League. He said: “I would like to come back to work in England,”
“I love the football here, I still have a house in London, and I would like to be with a team that is competitive in England and in Europe”
Like Guardiola, the Italian’s options are going to be limited, despite being highly-rated. He is only likely to take on a job at a big club and there are not many of those in the Premier League.
Ancelotti is no doubt a talented boss, who has a history of winning trophies, but Chelsea re-hiring the Italian would probably be the wrong move for both the club and the boss himself. The saying about never going back, may just apply here, even if it worked for Mourinho for a while.
Should Carlo Ancelotti be the next Chelsea boss?
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