Ancelotti wants Alonso and Ribery at Chelsea
by Tom Kell , 27 May 2009
Carlo Ancelotti has pinpointed Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso as the players to inject the ‘personality’ into Chelsea that Roman Abramovich so craves.
Ancelotti, whose future with Milan appears increasingly up in the air, released his autobiography on Tuesday and laid bare Abramovich’s pursuit of his services last summer following the departure of Avram Grant.
The Italian is once again being tracked by The Blues following Guus Hiddink’s refusal to end his contract with the Russia national team but is yet to commit next season either to Serie A or The Premier League.
It would seem that the West London club’s Russian owner has already sounded out everything he needs to know about Ancelotti.
"Abramovich came after me, we sat down and started to talk," said Ancelotti in his book. “Always about football and only football. Abramovich wanted to know everything about me, my way of working, my philosophy.
"An hour went by during which we never talked about money. I have a contract with Milan. An eventual agreement with Chelsea can only happen if Milan is also in agreement.
"Again, we only talked football. How would I make Chelsea play in case they got me as a manager.
"President, your team is very physical, you have to put more quality in the middle of the pitch. I gave him two names, Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso.
"I can easily chat with Abramovich. He doesn't make me feel uncomfortable, not even when he says with a low voice: 'We've just lost the Champions League final, and the league, I can't be satisfied'.
"He thinks so much about the results and the beautiful game. Another 40 minutes fly by, 'Thanks Ancelotti, we'll meet again'. No financial offer.â€
Ancelotti went yet further with his revelation that his meetings with Abramovich had become so advanced that he has already started to contemplate life at Stamford Bridge.
"I confess that at certain points in 2008-09, I watched my DVDs of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba," he added.
"I was already the coach of the boys on paper. I thought, there are worse things in life than me and Abramovich together. The worst for him had already been and gone. He had already worked with His Specialness, Mourinho.
"Myself and Adriano Galliani [Milan vice-president] looked up at the television and there was his Mourinhoness, comparing himself to Jesus. I thought, 'Forgive him his sins, he knows not what he is talking about.'"
by Tom Kell , 27 May 2009
Carlo Ancelotti has pinpointed Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso as the players to inject the ‘personality’ into Chelsea that Roman Abramovich so craves.
Ancelotti, whose future with Milan appears increasingly up in the air, released his autobiography on Tuesday and laid bare Abramovich’s pursuit of his services last summer following the departure of Avram Grant.
The Italian is once again being tracked by The Blues following Guus Hiddink’s refusal to end his contract with the Russia national team but is yet to commit next season either to Serie A or The Premier League.
It would seem that the West London club’s Russian owner has already sounded out everything he needs to know about Ancelotti.
"Abramovich came after me, we sat down and started to talk," said Ancelotti in his book. “Always about football and only football. Abramovich wanted to know everything about me, my way of working, my philosophy.
"An hour went by during which we never talked about money. I have a contract with Milan. An eventual agreement with Chelsea can only happen if Milan is also in agreement.
"Again, we only talked football. How would I make Chelsea play in case they got me as a manager.
"President, your team is very physical, you have to put more quality in the middle of the pitch. I gave him two names, Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso.
"I can easily chat with Abramovich. He doesn't make me feel uncomfortable, not even when he says with a low voice: 'We've just lost the Champions League final, and the league, I can't be satisfied'.
"He thinks so much about the results and the beautiful game. Another 40 minutes fly by, 'Thanks Ancelotti, we'll meet again'. No financial offer.â€
Ancelotti went yet further with his revelation that his meetings with Abramovich had become so advanced that he has already started to contemplate life at Stamford Bridge.
"I confess that at certain points in 2008-09, I watched my DVDs of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba," he added.
"I was already the coach of the boys on paper. I thought, there are worse things in life than me and Abramovich together. The worst for him had already been and gone. He had already worked with His Specialness, Mourinho.
"Myself and Adriano Galliani [Milan vice-president] looked up at the television and there was his Mourinhoness, comparing himself to Jesus. I thought, 'Forgive him his sins, he knows not what he is talking about.'"
