Liverpool deny making approach for Ancelotti

Ian Watson
Carlo Ancelotti TEAMtalk

Carlo Ancelotti: Was heavily linked with the Liverpool job

Liverpool have denied reports that Carlo Ancelotti has been approached  over the possibility of taking over from Brendan Rodgers at Anfield. 

Rodgers’ position is under scrutiny following a poor start to the season, with many fans having now lost patience with the Northern Irishman after a run of four Premier League games without a win.

The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that former AC Milan, Juventus, Chelsea and Real Madrid coach Ancelotti has been contacted over the possibility of taking over at Anfield.

However, that was immediately rubbished by the club with sources suggesting such a move would be completely out of character with the way the Americans have run things to date.

Rodgers survived a robust end of season review after a dismal finale to a campaign which reached its nadir with the 6-1 humbling at Stoke on the final day.

Having retained the backing of FSG – despite losing his assistant manager and close friend Colin Pascoe and coach Mike Marsh in an enforced backroom shake-up – he was then given the best part of £80million to spend on new signings, splashing £32.5million on his primary target Christian Benteke and a potential £29million on Roberto Firmino.

Ancelotti left Real Madrid last season, only a year after guiding the Spanish side to their 10th European Cup triumph. He has also won the Champions League with AC Milan; led Chelsea to the domestic Double; and won the Ligue 1 title in his only full season in charge of PSG.

The 56-year-old was close to returning to AC Milan during the summer but opted against a return to the San Siro, saying he intended to take a year out to undergo surgery on a long-standing back problem.

Jurgen Klopp has also been linked with the manager’s role at Anfield, but The Independent last week reported that FSG have been “warned against hiring the German, presumably by someone with first-hand practice of working with him.”