Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti being considered for Chelsea manager role, according to reports in England

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has been linked with an incredible return to his previous role at Chelsea FC, according to sources that revealed the information to ESPN. In this parallel world we all now inhabit, with Spurs manager-less but somehow almost third, Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia, Tuchel at Bayern and Sergio Ramos still giving hi-fives to Lionel Messi at PSG, it makes sense to pour more weird into whatever it is that we’ve all been drinking and have Carlo replace Lampard, who is, again, at Stamford Bridge. I also want a new, egg-shaped ball for extra-time and goalposts that extend upwards. Bring back MLS penalty shootouts, while we’re at it.

Todd Boehly’s shelf above his bed must be quite long to hold all of those Chelsea FC annuals that stretch back to 2009, when Ancelotti was the manager. If he opens the book with Michael Ballack and Jose Bosingwa on the front cover, he will see that the Italian didn’t do a bad job, winning the league in his first season; but Boehly must be reading the books in reverse order, as Frank Lampard was made the new boss this week, having been there as recently as 2021. But it makes sense, if you think about it, given how well he knows the club. Nothing like knowing when the bin men come round to SW6.

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Lampard will only take charge of the club until the end of the season, where he will be replaced by one of the many contenders that make up the huge cork board that Boehly may keep hidden under his bed, with black and white photos from afar of various managerial candidates all joined together by red string, criss-crossing across the bedframe like a murder-mystery style investigation. Currently on Boehly’s board are photos of Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Mauricio Pochettino; I assume if he’s read as far back as 2009 to get to Carlo, then Champions League winner, Roberto Di Matteo, has been crossed off the list.

Carlo Ancelotti’s future at Real Madrid hardens and liquifies like some kind of super-state material, with nobody ever sure if he is set to manage at the Spanish club until he is of the age of Roy Hodgson or if he has already left with just a post-it-note remaining on his desk that says ‘ciao’. Brazil are keen admirers of the Italian, with the federation president openly declaring his love for the manager, as well as the players, who continue to say how much they enjoy working for him (even Carlo said he’d love it). After Madrid’s Clásico win in the Copa del Rey semi-final, a video of the dressing room went viral as the four-time Champions League-winning manager declared a “día libre mañana” (a day off work tomorrow), a declaration that was met with huge applause and celebrations from the squad.

If Ancelotti does end up back at Chelsea, then his job will be to fix a team that currently occupy a place at the top of the bottom half of the table (11th). Chelsea’s squad saw an influx of eight new players in January at a cost of over $350 million, which left poor Graham Potter unable to win both on and off the pitch. Ancelotti has always been known to be an excellent communicator, one who manages the egos of superstar players well and produces quality performances in the biggest games.

Whether or not he ends up at Chelsea, Brazil, or even Leicester City with the way things are going, Ancelotti will work his magic and take whatever team he controls to the next step. Todd Boehly might not have removed him from the cork board as of yet, but he’s got a lot more thinking to do in the meantime if he wants his parallel world dream to continue.

Chelsea

• Inglaterra

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Premier League 2022/2023

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10Fulham	39	11	6	11
11Chelsea	39	10	9	10
12Crystal Palace	30	7	9	13

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