Chelsea consider stunning return for former manager other than Mourinho with audition already set

Samuel Bannister 07 Apr 2023 12:51 PM

Chelsea could offer a second spell in charge to one of their former managers who may soon have the chance for an audition, according to a report.

Graham Potter was sacked earlier this month, prompting Frank Lampard to return as caretaker manager. In the summer, Chelsea will be on the lookout for a new permanent head coach.

Their plan is to explore several different options before making an informed choice. The main contenders include Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann, but there have also been links with Jose Mourinho in the background.

Of course, Mourinho has had two spells with Chelsea before, and the prospect of a third would be intriguing.

As it turns out, Mourinho might not be the only former Chelsea coach under consideration by the club. According to ESPN, they are also considering Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti previously managed Chelsea in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. In the first, he won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield. In the last, the Blues failed to retain any of those trophies, finishing as runners up in the former and the latter.

Since then, Ancelotti has managed Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton. He is currently undergoing a second spell with Real Madrid, where he won La Liga last season.

There has been growing pressure on the Italian tactician this year, though. Barcelona are 12 points clear of Real at the top of La Liga, which means they are unlikely to retain that trophy.

Expectations will therefore be turning to the Champions League, in which Madrid will be meeting Chelsea in the quarter-final.

According to ESPN, Ancelotti knows he is under pressure in the Spanish capital. The 63-year-old might lose his job if he fails to retain the Champions League trophy he lifted with them last season, so high are the expectations of the club.

Chelsea could take advantage if Ancelotti is sacked

In that case, Chelsea would give some thought to bringing Ancelotti back to Stamford Bridge.

No players remain in the Chelsea squad from Ancelotti’s previous stint with the club. However, he has worked with Thiago Silva at PSG and Kalidou Koulibaly at Napoli before.

Furthermore, Chelsea believe he would fit in well with their ideal setup alongside a technical director. In that role, they recently appointed Christopher Vivell.

Now, the attention is firmly on who will be Chelsea’s head coach from next season and beyond. In that regard, ESPN says up to seven names will be under consideration.

Should he become available, Ancelotti will be among those in contention to take the Chelsea job.

Previously, he won 67 of his 109 games in charge of Chelsea, at a win rate of about 61.5%. Much has changed since that time, but Ancelotti’s pedigree as one of Europe’s elite tacticians remains intact.

He will be deserving of a high-level job still even if Madrid move on from him. How likely a Chelsea return is remains to be seen, but it is certainly an interesting suggestion.

Chelsea Carlo Ancelotti