Chelsea confirm Ancelotti as manager

(GETTY IMAGES)

Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as their new manager.

The Italian has signed a three-year contract to succeed Guus Hiddink, whose short stint in charge ended after Saturday's FA Cup final victory over Everton.

Ancelotti left AC Milan yesterday after eight years at the San Siro, during which time he won two Champions League titles, the Serie A title, the Italian Cup and the Club World Cup.

The 49-year-old was also a successful player with both Roma and Milan, winning a total of two European Cups and three league titles.

A Chelsea statement read: "Carlo was the outstanding candidate for the job. He has proved over a long period his ability to build teams that challenged for, and have been successful in, major domestic and European competitions.

"He also had a highly successful playing career in those competitions and therefore brings unparalleled all round experience to the job.

"We are sure everybody at Chelsea will give him a warm welcome and we are all looking forward to working with him."

Ancelotti takes charge on July 1 and will become Chelsea's fifth manager in less than two years following Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Hiddink.

Ancelotti told Chelsea TV: "Milan for me was a great experience. For five years I played with a great team - we had a lot of success - and eight years to train a great team.

"Now I think it is time to change and Chelsea for me was a great opportunity, a great team.

"Now I think it is the right moment for a new challenge and I want to put all my energy for Chelsea."

Ancelotti will be charged with replicating his past European successes at Chelsea while also re-establishing the club on top of the Barclays Premier League.

The Champions League title is the only trophy Chelsea have not won since Roman Abramovich took over at Stamford Bridge.

"There will be the same pressure because Chelsea are a great team in Europe," Ancelotti added. "They want to win all the competitions.

"For me the Champions League is a beautiful sensation. When I played I won it two times, it was a fantastic moment and the same thing when I was a coach in Milan.

"The Champions League for me is the best competition in the world."

But there are question marks over Ancelotti, not least over his lack of English, given the problems that appeared to bring when Scolari was in charge.

And while Ancelotti delivered success for Milan on the European stage he did only manage one league title in eight seasons.

This year, Milan finished 10 points off the pace as Mourinho guided Inter to the Serie A title.

Ancelotti said: "For me (English) is not easy but I want to learn and I want to improve.

"I have the time and when we start the season I will speak well. It is important for me to speak with the players, the team, the assistant and all the operators that will work with me."

Hiddink, the Russia national coach who was hired on a temporary basis after Scolari's departure in February, has urged the Chelsea hierarchy to allow the new man time.

"This club needs the next manager to stay for a long while," Hiddink said before Ancelotti's appointment. "He needs to have a foundation."

Former Chelsea defender Ron Harris believes Ancelotti's experience makes him the ideal man to bring European glory to Stamford Bridge.

Harris told Setanta Sports News: "Look at his track record; he's been there and done it all. He must be a tremendous manager to achieve what he's done in the time he's been at AC Milan.

"Chelsea has been desperate over the past few years to win the Champions League and they've appointed somebody, that I think, will achieve that in the next year or two.

"If you look at the managers in the Premiership I don't think there's anybody that Chelsea would have entertained. The only people that fall into that category are the likes of Alex Ferguson.

"I think they've made the right decision and he will be a successful manager for Chelsea Football Club."