Ancelotti leaves Chelsea

[celeste]

Chelsea have confirmed they have parted company with manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Ancelotti left his post less than two hours after Sunday afternoon's final Barclays Premier League game of the season at Everton, which the Blues lost 1-0.
That heralded the end of their worst season since Roman Abramovich bought the club in 2003, with Ancelotti failing to win a trophy in what was his second year at the helm.
The club said in a statement on their official website: "Chelsea Football Club can confirm that Carlo Ancelotti parted company with the club today (Sunday, 22 May).
"The owner and board would like to thank Carlo for his contribution and achievements since taking over as manager in July 2009, which included winning the Double for the first time in the club's history.
"However, this season's performances have fallen short of expectations and the club feels the time is right to make this change ahead of next season's preparations.
"Carlo will always be welcome at Stamford Bridge, where he will be given the reception and respect his position in our history deserves.
"Chelsea's long-term football objectives and ambitions remain unchanged and we will now be concentrating all our efforts on identifying a new manager.
"There will be no further comment until that appointment is made."

[celeste]

That's a lot of pressure for any incoming manager to take whoever it will be,  how many other clubs would want to lose their manager after he had made their club runner-up in the Premiership?

[Cupcake]

I would imagine a fair few would risk it, given the massive salary and the fact that they are starting with a great squad.  I'd give it a go if they rang me.....
 
In football, there does come a point where a manager has lost everyone's faith.  At that point, he can't continue.  If the players and management feel that his steering of the club contributed to the fact that they failed to achieve the maximum, even if they did quite well, then it's the right decision to let him go now instead of dragging it into next season and changing managers half way through.   

[celeste]

I think the players would like Mourinho to come back but I don't think Abramovich would have him, he probably finds him 'difficult'

[Cupcake]

There was some clash of personalities, wasn't there? As I recall, the gossip mill (which is usually spot on in football!) said they didn't get along at all.  Happens in all companies at times, and there's no solving it, is there?  Someone has to go, and in those cases, it's never the Russian billionaire they want to throw out!