Ancelotti Out: Mourinho In
Ancelotti’s job seems to be hanging by a thread, with the unenviable task of having to beat Man United at Old Trafford to save his job next Tuesday. Whether you believe it to be fair or not, with Roman’s ruthlessness showing no signs of relenting, it is hard to see Ancelotti occupying the Chelsea dugout come August next year. The signs are there already; with the unnecessary transfer of Torres supposedly going straight over Ancelotti’s head, Roman has clearly lost faith in the phlegmatic Italian.
There is a positive for Chelsea fans though, as many believe that the man to replace him will be none other than ‘the special one’ himself. Having spent the best part of four years away from the premier league, including a remarkable treble with inter, it seems Mourinho is losing patience with the style of European football. Controversy follows him wherever he goes, yet it seems that at Madrid, Mourinho has become isolated, branding them ‘the most difficult club in the world’ in an interview with The Sun. He has an indestructible bond with his squad, but it really is a ‘them vs. us’ situation, with them being the Madrid hierarchy.
It is widely appreciated that Mourinho and Jorge Valdano, general manager of Real Madrid, do not get on, but it seems in recent weeks that the relationship has become broken beyond repair. For Perez, the Madrid president, the choice is Mourinho or the club, and it is a very easy one for him; Mourinho’s days are numbered.
The holy grail of the Champions League is irrelevant because even if it ends Madrid’s barren spell, Mourinho will not want to remain in the Spanish capital in the foreseeable future. The attraction of the premier league will surely be too much to turn down, with Mourinho recently hinting at a return:
‘I miss England, and my next job will be in England. It was the most enjoyable time of my career’
In May of last year the speculation was that Mourinho would return to England to become manager of Manchester City, only to dash the citizens hopes by signing with Real Madrid. In the nine months that has passed since then, Abramovich and Mourinho have allegedly ‘made up’ and are now engaged in regular contact. Mourinho also talks to senior players at Chelsea via text, and although they are reluctant to see Ancelotti go, they believe Mourinho is the only fit replacement.
It is evident that way back in 2007 Abramovich made a rash decision, one he has lived to regret ever since, and with the Champions League trophy set to evade Stamford Bridge once again, and the John Terry penalty miss haunting them further, there is only one man who stands out to Abramovich as a saviour- Jose Mario dos Santos Felix Mourinho.
