Carlo Ancelotti in his tell all autobiography "Preferisco La Coppa" or "I prefer trophies" reveals that Abramovich, in an extraordinary moment of candour confessed:
"My Chelsea team don't have a personality. My ambition is to win every competition but at the moment I don't even recognise my team." Ancelotti was meeting up with Chelsea's owner as he sought out a replacement for Avram Grant.
The Independent even conjectured that this revelation could jeopardize Ancelotti's future employment at Chelsea.
Ancelotti comes for some goodly amount of praise for thumbing his nose.
"With his amusing revelations about Roman Abramovich's inner circle, especially the Russian billionaire's depressive take on his malfunctioning Chelsea team, Carlo Ancelotti has demonstrated that he is no Milan coaching clone. His insights into Chelsea in his autobiography, detailed in The Independent today, show that he is a lively character who would be an interesting addition to the Premier League."
A vignette describes Ancelotti's vivid recall of the Abramovich meeting:
"I was like 007 sat behind a driver with the face of a killer. More than a taxi this is like a time machine, taking me from Milanello [the club's training ground] to Stamford Bridge.
Ancelotti also shows his dislike of Jose Mourinho who he sarcastically calls His Mourinhity.
Describing in his book a moment when he turns on his television and sees the former Chelsea coach, he wrote: "We looked up and there was 'His Mourinhity' comparing himself to Jesus. I thought, 'Forgive him his sins, he knows not what he is talking about'."
Which leads us to an interesting angle, would he consciously try and be Mourinho's antithesis? Lets put it this way, Ancelotti can build himself as the anti-Mourinho. The easiest part: Ancelotti's fairly poker faced but as this book shows also has a sly and witty side. So there will be plenty to compare in sideline behaviour and media relations. Ancelotti's interaction with Frank Arnesen, Chelsea's powerful chief scout who had a frosty relationship with Mourinho, could be another area of improvement. Ultimately, winning the CL playing attractive attacking soccer will replace Mourinho's legacy with another one.
The proceeds of the book benefit one of Ancelotti's Rossoneri team mates, Stefano Bergonovo, stricken by Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Bergonovo never reached the heights that Ancelotti achieved as a player and manager. But the gesture shows Ancelotti values old friends and associates, an admirable quality which should stand him in good stead with Abramovich who is drawn to Russia for the same reasons even while spending substantial amounts of time in London.
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