Carlo Ancelotti sat down for an interview with Ally McCoist and touched on a Chelsea player whose quality he puts up there with the best he’s coached.
Now in charge of the Brazil national team, Ancelotti still has a soft spot for the Chelsea side he managed for two seasons over a decade ago.
Estevao Willian, Andrey Santos and Joao Pedro are all vying for a place in the Italian’s World Cup plans next summer, and he has been quite vocal about the 18-year-old’s performances in particular this season.
Carlo Ancelotti has high hopes for Estevao Willian
“Estevao has incredible talent on the right. With him, Brazil has a guarnateed future.”
Carlo Ancelotti
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But when it comes to the best players he has coached, it’s a Chelsea legend who he can’t look past.
Carlo Ancelotti explains why Frank Lampard was so brilliant
Ancelotti has singled out John Terry in the past as a player he has great appreciation for, but it’s his long-time teammate Frank Lampard on whom he is heaping praise now.
Chelsea’s all-time top scorer was ahead of his time in how he played in the middle of the park, and he easily makes it into Don Carlo’s best team of players coached.
McCoist brought up Lampard in the interview for TNT Sports, saying: “You were picking your best team, and it was just full of talent. It was Baresi, Maldini, etc. And then your midfield, you said ‘Lampard, of course’. Now I understand Lampard, but why the ‘of course’?”
Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Lampard
Photo by Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Ancelotti responded: “Lampard is a modern midfielder. Really dynamic player, really important player, top scorer. Because Lampard scored a lot of goals, box-to-box. It’s a characteristic that after 15 years you see and you want from a midfielder.”
There’s no dearth of talent for him to pick from, either. Players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Andrea Pirlo and Xabi Alonso all played under Ancelotti, but he would want Lampard’s unique profile in any side.
Ancelotti predicts the Premier League title race
To wrap up the 30-minute chat, he was asked for his take on the title race.
Ancelotti and Maresca have respect for each other, but he doesn’t back the Blues. With 15 games played, the Italian tips the current league leaders to hold on.
Can Chelsea win the Premier League title this season?
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He remarks: “Arsenal. I am a fan of the Premier League, and I think Arsenal started really well. They built a fantastic team, really solid team. And of course, I am a supporter of Arsenal because I have Gabriel.”
He goes on to clarify that he supports all the Brazil players now, but it’s the Gunners who have convinced him most in the opening months of the season — wonder how the likes of Estevao and Pedro feel about that.
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