0:40 Here’s what Carlo Ancelotti said just minutes before he was sacked by Napoli despite securing qualification for the Champions League knockout stages with a 4-0 win over Genk.
Hirving Lozano, Kostas Manolas, Elif Elmas, Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Fernando Llorente all arrived in southern Italy, but Napoli have gone backwards.
The civil war that has been brewing between owner Aurelio De Laurentiis and the first-team squad has formed the backdrop to his latest demise and a dreadful run of nine games without a win certainly didn’t allay tensions.
But while his meeting with De Laurentiis at the Grand Hotel Vesuvio in Naples was brief after Napoli’s 4-0 win over Genk that secured their progress to the Champions League knockout stages, it was a long time coming.
Ancelotti constantly tinkered with his formation in search of improved results, and his relationship with De Laurentiis never really recovered from the latter’s refusal to sanction a move for James Rodriguez, a player Ancelotti worked with at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.
Having already complained about the state of the away dressing-room prior to the Champions League match at home to Liverpool, relations hit rock bottom when the owner ordered the team to take a retiro – withdrawing to a training camp following a 2-1 defeat to Roma in November.
Ahead of the clash with Red Bull Salzburg, an angered Ancelotti said: “I disagree but the club takes the decisions, I train.” With the side 17 points off the top of Serie A, a change was inevitable.
Is the right Premier League club available?
Ancelotti has previously hinted that he would like to return to England at some point in his career, if the right project is on offer.
“Napoli approached me and I wanted to go back to Italy, I did not make it an economic matter,” he revealed on his return to Italy in August 2018.
“England attracted me, but when I was contacted by Napoli, I told myself that the time had come to return, the last experience abroad had helped me.”
Replicating the trophy-laden eight-year stint as AC Milan manager has always been his goal.
After his troubled ending at Napoli, Ancelotti may opt to take some time out of the game to evaluate his next chapter, and never has the Premier League managerial landscape at the top felt more volatile.
Did you know?
Carlo Ancelotti is the only manager to beat Liverpool this season when Napoli defeated Jurgen Klopp’s side 2-0 at the Stadio San Paolo in September.
While the infrastructure and the draw of managing again in London would point towards Arsenal, he will be cautious of how difficult Unai Emery found replacing Wenger.
Sky in Italy reporter Valentina Fass said: “Our understanding is that Ancelotti has always appreciated the Premier League and would be looking to go back to the Premier League.
“Arsenal is a team that he always liked, and while we don’t have a clear understanding of his next move, he would like to go to a team like Arsenal and his agent will be looking at making at least contact with them.
“From our point of view, it is more Arsenal than Everton that is more likely.”
Could Everton be his surprise next port of call?
Sky Sports News reporter Ben Ransom said: “It’s my understanding that he has expressed an interest in talking to Everton, and I’m told those talks are expected to happen this week.
“Certainly, both sides are looking to see if they can come to any sort of agreement. It makes sense in terms of a return to the Premier League given that he speaks English and had plenty of success with Chelsea.
Man Utd vs Everton
December 15, 2019, 1:00pm
Live on
Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass
“However, there is the added complication that Arsenal are also looking for a new manager and he’s quite high on their list of targets as well. Coupled with the fact that he still has a residence in London means that seems the more likely destination.”
0:47 Former Everton striker Jermaine Beckford thinks it’s unlikely that Carlo Ancelotti will join Everton, but believes he would be the ideal appointment for the club.
For all of Everton’s problems on the pitch this season prior to the sacking of Marco Silva, their ambitious billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri will certainly see Ancelotti as an option.
Completing the curious triangle is the informal talks Everton have held with Emery – perhaps revealing a lack of clear planning – but were Ancelotti to make a sensational move to Merseyside, he would be returning to a club with a “family” culture as experienced at the San Siro.
He would be surrounded by support staff who have been at the club for years, while he would surely relish playing father figure to a young group of players needing direction on the pitch.
Has Ancelotti’s stock fallen?
Ancelotti will still consider himself in the top bracket of European managers despite his recent disappointments.
Manchester United were keen to hire him as Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement and then after David Moyes was sacked, and he was even on Liverpool’s shortlist before they opted for Jurgen Klopp. West Ham was also a mooted destination towards the end of Slaven Bilic’s reign at the London Stadium.
Upon hearing news of his dismissal, Chelsea boss Frank Lampard said: “I have huge respect for him, I am very sorry for him. I know it was a tough job for him lately.
0:24 Frank Lampard says his former boss Carlo Ancelotti is good enough to manage anywhere, following reported interest from Everton and Arsenal.
“I saw his interview before the game and I thought it was a very typically classy interview in what seemed a very tough time for him.
“He always handles himself brilliantly. I think he can work anywhere in the world at the top level, of course.”
Arsenal vs Man City
December 15, 2019, 4:00pm
Live on
Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass
Ancelotti will have no shortage of suitors, with two of England’s biggest clubs actively seeking a new manager. But as he was pictured driving away in Naples on Wednesday, a break may lie in store.
‘Quiet Leadership: Winning Hearts, Minds and Matches’, the title of his critically acclaimed book, is all about keeping calm under pressure.
The spotlight will now turn on the hierarchy at Everton and Arsenal to see if they can hold their nerve by making Ancelotti reconsider his own retiro.
Sign up for goal alerts with Sky Sports
The Premier League action keeps coming – make sure you don’t miss a thing by signing up for goal alerts with the Sky Sports Score Centre app.
Download the Score Centre app for iOS devices or Android , select ‘Notifications’ from the ‘More’ section in the app main menu, then toggle on for ‘Goals’ to get alerts straight to your phone.
This season, you also can watch Premier League match highlights for free – without being a Sky Sports subscriber. You’ll find highlights from every Premier League game – from 5.15pm on a Saturday or shortly after full-time on other days – in the Score Centre, as well as on the Sky Sports website and app plus the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel.
You can follow dedicated live blogs of every Premier League game on the Sky Sports website and app and track goals as they go in with our vidiprinter page.
Sourse: skysports.com
