Carlo Ancelotti admits that his move from Merseyside to Madrid ended up being a surprise for both him and the teams involved, with his initial plans to boost Everton's squad with transfers
Everton Head Coach / Manager Carlo Ancelotti films the stadium with his mobile phone prior to the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on January 18, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.
Carlo Ancelotti initially phoned Real Madrid for some transfer deals(Image: Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
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Carlo Ancelotti confessed that his move from Everton to Real Madrid in 2021 was an "unexpected" decision as he reflected on the exit in his new book. The current Brazil national team manager claims that he was initially calling the Spaniards up to convince some players to come to Merseyside - and he ended up going the other way instead.
Ancelotti spent a season-and-a-half at Everton, recording two mid-table finishes and one Premier League Manager of the Month award. After signing a four-and-a-half-year deal, Blues fans were expecting to have Don Carlo as their main man at the helm for another three years.
However, the veteran boss resigned from his position in the summer of 2021 following Zinedine Zidane's exit at Madrid, and returned to his former club. Describing the situation in his new book, The Dream, Ancelotti claims this offseason move wasn't actually planned beforehand.
He said: "As the season came to a close, I challenged some of the players who I thought were not as motivated as they should be. If they wanted to leave, they could and they should. I would go and find replacements who could make a more positive contribution.
"It was in search of such players that I got on the phone to Real Madrid, asking if they had anyone who I could take on loan. And the conversation went in an unexpected direction.
Everton's Italian head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks on during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Sheffield United at Goodison Park in Liverpool, north west England on May 16, 2021.
Ancelotti didn't have plans to leave Everton initially(Image: PETER BYRNE/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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"The answer was that they didn’t. Obviously, everyone knew that they were also in the market for a new manager since Zidane had resigned for the second time, citing a lack of support from the club. To replace him they had lined up Massimiliano Allegri, who had won so many Scudetti at Juventus and led them to two Champions League finals.
"But at the last moment he decided to remain at Juventus. The voice on the other end of the line complained that there were no coaches out there.
"'If no players,' I said, 'Could you use a new manager?' 'Do you know anybody?' came the response. 'Do you not remember what we did in 2014?' I responded. There was a silence."
Fans of Everton watch a message from former manager Carlo Ancelotti during the 'end of an era' ceremony during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Southampton FC at Goodison Park on May 18, 2025 in Liverpool, England.
But he ended up joining the Spaniards for a second spell in 2021
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Ancelotti went on to detail the conversation he had with Real Madrid's president, Florentino Pérez, and how the subsequent days went by in a whirlwind. He said: "'Maybe. I’ll speak with the president and get back to you.' The next day I was on a train when my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw that it was Florentino Pérez. My first thought was, Please don’t let the train go into a tunnel now.
"It didn’t and we spoke. In ten minutes, the deal was done. It was a Saturday. I went to my director of football at Everton and explained the situation. The club was a bit stunned because everyone assumed, me included, that I would stay at Everton for the three years remaining on my contract.
"But that is football. Coaches rarely get to decide when they leave a job – I certainly didn’t at Real – so they shouldn’t be criticised when they do. This was too good an opportunity to ignore. The two clubs quickly agreed compensation and, three days after I spoke to the president, I was presented to the Spanish media."