What is so special about Carlo Ancelotti?

AC Milan's Carlo has turned the job down twice now I think, but like a burning rash on your rude bits, Ancelotti just won't go away. Ironic, considering his name sounds a lot like the kind of cream a chemist would sell you to deal with a said embarrassing rash. Though the bookies have him at around third or forth favourite right now, I'd still put him as "number one most likely" to be the next Chelsea gaffer. Roman seems hooked on him. But why is he so obsessed? What's this Ancelotti all about?

Well, I've had a quick sniff through the Pies archives, and found out what there is to know about this chubby faced spaghetti chomper. His file makes good reading.

Despite looking older than a Routemaster double decker bus, Ancelotti isn't actually that ancient. I can remember him playing alongside ex Chelsea gaffer Mr Vialli in Italia '90, my favourite of all World Cups (I'm too young to remember '66). Despite not even being 50 yet, he's squeezed a lot of managerial success into his time.

Like The Special One, Ancelotti made his name in management with a teeny weeny club from the Italian lower leagues. In one year with A.C. Reggiana 1919 (who change their name all the time and might have been called something different back then) he got them promotion to Serie A.

He then went to his old playing club Parma where (thanks to Buffon in the nets) he won the UEFA Cup. Cue the old lady, or Juventus as she's known outside of Turin. Carlo's time at Juve wasn't great (though he didn't finish second in the league twice - good by any other Italian club's standards).

In 2001 he jumped shop to AC, and quickly became a saggy faced legend. Thanks to a certain Mr Shevchenko (remember him? The world's greatest striker, went to some club for a daft fee, and then vanished never to be seen again) won the Champions League in absolute style (twice). He of course also came runner up against Liverpool another time, bagged the Coppa Italia and took home the Scudetto a hatful of times.

Frankly the way he got his team to bounce back after that soul crushing Liverpool defeat would be worth a knighthood alone in England. The more I think about it, the more he seems a good choice. Ancelotti bases his teams around superb goalkeepers (just think what he could do with Cech) and rock solid defences (the one thing Chelsea already have). He also might be able to get the best out of Sheva. He certainly did before...

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Posted by Lee Coan on June 9, 2008 12:06 PM in Debate| News| Transfer Talk
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