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Italy appoint Ancelotti as new coach
Carlo Ancelotti replaces Marcello Lippi as new Italy coach after Italy and Lippi had a very poor world cup
Italy appoint Ancelotti as new coach
26th June 2010
Carlo Ancelotti replaces Marcello Lippi as new Italy coach after Italy and Lippi had a very poor world cup
Italy have appointed Carlo Ancelotti as their head coach. The 50-year-old leaves his position as Chelsea manager to succeed Marcello Lippi, who vacated the hot-seat after being knocked out in the group stages of World Cup in South Africa.
"The Italian Football Federation has the pleasure to announce that Carlo Ancelotti is the new national team coach," read a statement on the organisation's official website. "The Italian coach has a four-year contract and will be presented on Wednesday. Carlo Ancelotti is without doubt a benchmark of excellence for Italian football coaches and he was the first choice for the job."
Ancelotti said: ". I am very proud and honoured to be able to serve my country. This is a very special position that any professional would want. I would like to thank Chelsea for agreeing to let me go and I hope they have many wonderful years after me. I have managed in two of the world's top leagues and now I am very proud to be appointed as the national team coach. This a very special moment for my family and myself."
The Blues finished fourth in the Premier League (i holidayed that season), eight points behind champions Liverpool and were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by Barcelona earlier this year. But, Ancelotti will now be charged with qualifying Italy, who were knocked out in quarter-finals at Austria-Switzerland 2008, for the next UEFA EURO in 2012. They have been drawn in Group 3 alongside Northern Ireland, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Slovenia and Serbia, and will kick off their campaign against Estonia on 8 September. The Azzurri are currently 14th in the FIFA/COCA COLA World Ranking.
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