Football
ESPN staff 8y

Carlo Ancelotti 'embarrassed' by visit from Chelsea's Roman Abramovich

Carlo Ancelotti has said he felt "a little bit embarrassed" when Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich paid the side's dressing room a visit in the lead-up to his sacking.

Ancelotti was sacked as Chelsea boss in 2011 after the club finished second in the Premier League, having won a league and FA Cup double the year before.

The Italian's departure from Stamford Bridge followed a trophyless 2010-11, with the side suffering a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

In an interview with FourFourTwo, Ancelotti was asked how it felt when Abramovich came into the dressing room following their loss to United and whether it undermined him.

The current Bayern Munich coach replied: "It is usual for the owner to come into the dressing room after a game to say hello.

"But at that moment, after losing that game, everyone was a little bit embarrassed. There was total silence. I tried to break it with a little speech."

Asked whether he preferred working for Abramovich, Silvio Berlusconi at AC Milan or Florentino Perez at Real Madrid, Ancelotti said: "I spent eight years with Berlusconi and I still have a good relationship with him.

"The fact that these owners sacked me doesn't mean that our relationship is broken. I still get on well with Florentino, and although I haven't spoken much with Abramovich since I left Chelsea, I have no problem with him."

Antonio Conte is the current Chelsea boss following his appointment this summer, and Ancelotti is expecting his Italian compatriot to impress having managed him while in charge at Juventus.

He said: "Conte is a hard worker: really serious, really professional and always focused on his job.

"Chelsea are getting a top manager who will look at all the little details. Coming to England from Italy, he will find a different world: less pressure, no violence, a great atmosphere, full stadiums -- just totally different from Italy at this moment. He can definitely be a success at Chelsea.

"The club has a lucky relationship with Italian managers. There was Gianluca Vialli, me, and then Roberto Di Matteo, who helped them to win the Champions League."

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