The setting did not suggest it, a plush five-star hotel on
Baltimore's Inner Harbour reeking of all the trimmings of opulent
America, but Carlo Ancelotti
is still adjusting to life outside his comfort zone. Every day has
brought new experiences since he severed ties with Milan for life
at Chelsea, though
some perks are already clear. "Very good breakfasts, eggs and
bacon," he salivated. "In Italy it is only coffee and brioche. Then
there is roast beef, too. I had yorkshire pudding the other day. It
is lucky the players' diet is more controlled than mine."
That was delivered with a chuckle, yet his is a recognition that
the task ahead is nothing if not serious. Chelsea last visited the
United States in pre-season two years ago, but Ancelotti is the
club's fifth coach in the period since. It is 12 months since Luiz
Felipe Scolari sat in the lobby of Moscow's Kempinski hotel and
spoke of making this club "loved again". Within seven months Roman
Abramovich had lost patience and the Brazilian was exiting stage
left, his reputation tarnished by failure. His permanent
replacement must maintain the momentum generated by Guus Hiddink,
but take Chelsea to another level still.
There is a relish to Ancelotti when he speaks of the job he has
taken on. The 50-year-old has never played or coached outside Italy
before and his eight-year spell with the Rossoneri as
manager, while illuminated by two European Cups, returned only one
Serie A title. As Abramovich and his players yearn for a return to
the league-winning ways of Jose Mourinho's teams, as well as
maintaining their reputation as a European powerhouse, Milan, who
Chelsea play in Maryland in the small hours of this morning, remain
the role model. Some might see swapping San Siro for Stamford
Bridge brave. The Italian considers it exhilarating.
"To go to a new world where they speak another language is not
easy, I agree, but this is not a 'courageous' choice," said
Ancelotti. "Sure, Milan had a history, a long tradition, and
Chelsea is a 'new' club. I know about the history here, too. They
gave me a book to read which I studied, but it is still a young
club – the new Chelsea, under Abramovich – with young people who
have fantastic enthusiasm. They have good players and facilities, a
very professional staff, but I want to build on those
foundations."
He has been accompanied to England by Bruno Demichelis, a key
player in the running of the celebrated Milan 'Lab' which has
consistently managed to extend the careers of top-class players.
The techniques developed in Italy will be transferred to the
impressive set-up at Cobham. "There is already good organisation at
Chelsea but, at Milan, it was about prevention rather than
treatment. We want to integrate some of the things we had at Milan
here. Some people are surprised when they hear that we solved David
Beckham's back problem by fixing his teeth, for example, but we
will look at everything.
When you are competing at the top level, it is the little things
that make the difference. I want to use all my experience at Milan
to do some fantastic work at Chelsea. I would like to create a new
history, a new tradition, for this club. Roman is looking for a
much clearer personality for the club, something he can point to
and say: 'This is our identity, this is our Chelsea.' This is what
I was told should be my goal. To find a clear identity for the
team. That is not about buying certain players for a lot of money.
It is about getting players who want to play the right way."
The quest for style as well as substance, allying the pizzazz of
an Arsène Wenger team with the trophy haul of a Mourinho side, has
eluded Abramovich's recent appointments. In his autobiography,
Preferisco la Coppa (I Prefer Trophies), Ancelotti
recalled a conversation with the oligarch in which Chelsea's owner
of six years made clear his dismay that the team had become
"unrecognisable" to him. The Italian, like his predecessors,
intends to construct the side's identity around its English core.
"I like their mental attitude," he said, offering another reason
for tying John Terry down to an improved contract upon the team's
return to London.
In many ways, even working for a trigger-happy Abramovich might
be considered a relief. Ancelotti's previous employer, Silvio
Berlusconi, would buy players as "gifts" and expect them to be
integrated smoothly into the first-team picture, and once even
published an open letter in an Italian newspaper demanding his
coach played two strikers. Ancelotti denies he caved in – "He saw
Kaka as an offensive midfielder, and I saw him as a striker" – but,
in that context, the thought of having to appease Abramovich is far
from daunting. The Italian prime minister, after all, is a very
public figure who revels in the media spotlight, and far removed
from the intensely private Russian.
"My impression of Abramovich is that he loves football, his club
and his players," said Ancelotti. "He wants to know everything that
is going on and is very passionate. Berlusconi, too, loves his club
but he was a man of the people and conducted his life in public.
Like with Roman, we did not speak every day. He had other problems,
a country to run. But the most important thing is to have the
support of the owner. Nothing else matters."
He should have the backing of his players. There is no arrogance
to the Italian, which is surprising given that he is one of only
six men to have won the European Cup as a player and a manager. How
he will cope with the smoking ban in English stadiums remains to be
seen, but everything about him seems refreshingly down to earth. He
leapt into conversation at mention of Robert de Niro, enthusing
over films such as Once Upon a Time in America and The Godfather
trilogy. "Il Padrino, fantastic," he gushed. He is happy for his
squad members to call him "Carlo" and has traditionally been close
to those in the ranks.
"For me, discipline is about other things. I have my rules and I
will enforce them, but I want to respect the players and I want to
earn their respect. Calling me Carlo is no problem. If they want to
go for a meal with me, it's fine, but I know they don't have a lot
of time with their families. I took David [Beckham] to a restaurant
in Parma owned by a former team-mate of mine from 30 years ago,
someone who knows me well since we were kids. David was alone in
Italy, so we ate together. I think he actually went back
afterwards."
The testimonies of players past and present who have featured
under his management are invariably complimentary. Scolari enjoyed
similarly glowing reports a year ago, though there is cause for
optimism even if, like the Brazilian, Ancelotti has no experience
of life in the Premier League.
There have been notable scraps with English clubs. The memory of
Istanbul and a three-goal lead, and European Cup, surrendered to
Liverpool still lingers despite the revenge success secured in
2007, while there have also been victories over United. He shared a
bottle of wine with Sir Alex Ferguson after his Kaka-inspired
Rossoneri dismantled the visitors at San Siro en route to
winning the competition two years ago.
"It was a surprise for me because, in Italy, the coach of my
opponents was usually angry if they'd lost," he said. "But, with
Alex, he happily drank some wine with me after the game." Not that
he will be indulging in any of the Scot's infamous mind-games over
the season ahead. "Little things worry little minds. I don't care
about things like that. For me, the Premier League is full of
quality and the clubs competing at the top are the same who compete
at the top of Europe every year. So it will be hard. But we will
try to win both the Premiership and the Champions League this
season. That is our aim." This club may still crave an identity,
but it appears to have found a personality.