Ancelotti Appointed Chelsea Boss – Carlo swaps Milan for London but for how long?

Carlo Ancelotti has been named as the new Chelsea manager following the departure of Guus Hiddink.

The 49 year old has been a long time favourite for the job and finally put pen to paper on a three year deal after leaving AC Milan on Sunday.

Ancelotti comes with an impressive reputation, having won the Champions League twice during his eight seasons at Milan. Whether he will be able to transfer that success to the Premier League however, is another matter entirely.

Many successful foreign managers have tried and failed in English football and for a modern day Chelsea manager the risks are particularly high. Since the departure of Jose Mourinho, the post has become something of a poisoned chalice, with precious little room for failure.

Mourinho’s successor, Avram Grant, was a fluffed penalty away from becoming the first ever Chelsea manager to win the European Cup. Clearly that wasn’t close enough as he was sacked just 3 days later. Maybe Grant’s main problem was his low profile and perceived lack of presence but that would not explain the demise of ‘Big Phil’ Scolari. The former World Cup winner was appointed this time last year as the man not to be messed with – ‘Big Phil’ fared no better. He lost the dressing room and was out after 8 months.

Fortunately for Chelsea and Ancelotti, Russia boss Guus Hiddink steadied the ship. In just a few months he achieved a sense of team spirit and unity that had been missing since Mourinho’s departure. As a result, Chelsea’s new man in charge finds himself in the rarest of positions – his new team is not a side in turmoil but one very much on the up; even Roman Abramovich seems to have a new found interest.

With the manager now in place, talk will undoubtedly turn to the transfer market. According to reports, Franck Ribery and David Villa are up for grabs this summer and Chelsea could be in the market for both of them. One thing’s for certain – if Roman is ready to splash the cash again, it will be a crucial first summer for Ancelotti. All of his managerial nous may be required if he is to upset the Premier League odds and make it to a second.