EXCLUSIVE: Come in Carlo - Roman goes for Ancelotti after giving up on Guus

Proven winner: Ancelotti eyes the Champions League trophy in Athens after gaining revenge over Liverpool

Roman Abramovich has identified Carlo Ancelotti as the next manager of Chelsea after conceding he will not be able to keep Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of this season.

Abramovich has informed Chelsea’s players of the political complications in trying to extract Hiddink permanently from his role as coach of Russia before next year’s World Cup. The players stunned their Russian billionaire owner by urging him to bring back Jose Mourinho.

But Abramovich is in no mood to do that, and according to sources in Italy has instead opted for Ancelotti, a 49-year-old Italian who has guided Milan to two European Cups and a Serie A title in eight years at the San Siro.

Ancelotti’s deal with Milan ends this summer and Sportsmail understands the terms of a three-year deal with Chelsea have already been discussed.

The Milan boss’s lack of English has concerned some Stamford Bridge officials but Abramovich wanted Ancelotti before he eventually turned to Luiz Felipe Scolari last summer and this time he is determined to get his man.

Poor choice: Scolari's star faded at Chelsea after a lightning start

Last year Ancelotti confirmed that an approach had been made to him prior to Scolari’s appointment, but that he had opted to stay at Milan. Since then, however, the situation at Milan has changed.

His employers were prepared to sell Brazilian superstar Kaka to Manchester City three months ago in a world record £100million deal and yesterday Real Madrid president Florentino Perez vowed to lure the Brazilian to the Bernabeu this summer if he is re-elected.

Milan’s apparent lack of ambition and the power and influence of the Barclays Premier League now look like being enough to change Ancelotti’s mind, giving club owner Abramovich the manager he wanted all along.

Hiddink has impressed Chelsea’s players. He has restored some discipline to the side, even limiting his team-talks to no more than 12 minutes so he can hold their
attention.

He tells players to leave the training pitch if, in his opinion, they are not working hard
enough and his tough new regime has clearly revived a team that was floundering under Scolari.

But Abramovich has now realised it will be impossible to retain the Dutchman, even though he has rescued a Russian federation which was in financial meltdown and paid Hiddink’s wages.

As one source put it last night: ‘It is not worth incurring the wrath of the political machine in Russia over a football manager. I think the feeling in Russia is that the oligarchs need to be putting something back in rather than taking even more away.’

Once made aware of the situation, the players did suggest Abramovich go back for Mourinho and rescue him from what is proving a unhappy stay at Inter Milan.

But Mourinho went because of a breakdown in his relationship with Abramovich, leaving Ancelotti as the top Chelsea target.

Y_Shun

7 Apr 09, 14:11

Scholari made a bad choice in triming the squad, and what you get is bad results when players are off-form. :(

zocoss

7 Apr 09, 23:12

Originally posted by Y_Shun:

Scholari made a bad choice in triming the squad, and what you get is bad results when players are off-form. :(

I think he made many bad decisions... off and on the field... Off the field, the one you mentioned was just one of them, I think getting rid of Jose's assistant who knew the players well and has been there a long time was another... Also their training style as well... During his time in charge, the players didn't look fit.

On the field, too many bad decisions or choices... Changing from zone to man marking from match to match or even within one confused the players... His to and fro changing was weird... His insistence on playing Deco weekly was another bad decision too cos he wasn't performing and the other players felt he was practising favouritiem on the player he brought in... There were even rumous Deco being his "Blue eye boy"... I guess this can't be good for team morale...

And not accepting to place men on the line during corners or set pieces despite paying the price a few times was another... He's a manager probably not suited for the Premiership...