Carlo Ancelotti Was Offered Liverpool Manager's Job, Says Harry Redknapp
Liverpool supporters seem unanimously delighted to have drafted in Jurgen Klopp as their new manager, but according to former Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp, things could have been different, as he’s claimed the position was offered to Carlo Ancelotti.
As reported by Joe Moore of talkSPORT, Redknapp was speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast when he suggested he had it on good authority the Italian didn’t want to take the job despite the Reds' proposal. He also revealed he’s excited to see how Klopp fares in the Premier League:
"I have heard from good sources that he [Ancelotti] was offered the Liverpool job. I don’t think [he wanted it]. They spoke to him at some stage.
I do like the look of Klopp, he’s a good appointment. He’s looks bright, with great enthusiasm and he looks like he could be a really good addition to the Premier League. I’m looking forward to watching Liverpool play over the next few years.
"
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
As pressure mounted on former manager Brendan Rodgers, Ancelotti was among the rumoured targets to replace him, per Neil Ashton of the MailOnline. Eventually, the Reds ended up with Klopp, but had they recruited someone of Ancelotti’s massive pedigree, with three Champions League title wins to his name as a manager, Anfield wouldn’t have been too disappointed.
David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com thinks Liverpool did eventually make the right appointment in bringing in Klopp:
Still, looking at the Reds in their current state, Ancelotti's managerial style would have had its virtues. While Klopp will appeal to the romantics on the Kop with his bravado and break-neck brand of football, Liverpool could have certainly done with a steady hand to come in after what have been a turbulent few years on Merseyside.
Ancelotti has since revealed he would be keen to get back into management from January onward, telling Corriere dello Sport (h/t Sky Sports) he would love to work in England again after a previously successful spell at Chelsea.
“It’s got to be a big club for him, he’s a manager of Champions League clubs so he’s not going to take any job,” Redknapp said on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast. “There are only five or six jobs he could take in the Premier League, so it’s very interesting to see what he’s got in mind.”
As we can see here, courtesy of Sky Sports News HQ, as Redknapp notes, Ancelotti typically opts for the very top jobs in European football:
At the moment, Liverpool isn’t quite in that bracket. Sure, the Reds have a proud history and a massive fanbase, but currently, they are trying to establish foundations which will see them challenging toward the summit of the English game once again. Klopp himself even suggested the Anfield job is the “biggest challenge” in world football, per LFC TV (via BBC Sport).
It’s definitely a rebuilding job, and as noted by Bleacher Report’s Adam Digby, that’s not something Ancelotti has a history of overseeing:
Klopp has, on the other hand, and all of the indications following Rodgers’ departure seemed to point to the German being first choice. It’s been reported Liverpool did contact Ancelotti about the vacant position, per Sky Sports, and that’s no surprise given his calibre and his availability. But the former Borussia Dortmund boss is the most natural fit for the club and their current status.
Ancelotti back in the Premier League would be wonderful. Wherever he has been as a manager, he’s acted with class, and his teams have played with attacking intent. Nevertheless, you don’t imagine the Reds would trade their new boss in for any other manager in world football at this juncture.
