Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has given his full support to Frank Lampard to do well as manager of his former side Chelsea and unhesitatingly ruled himself out of a return to the Premier League club ahead of the two teams’ Champions League quarter-final first leg tonight.
Ancelotti was the prime mover who guided Chelsea to the Premier League and FA Cup double in 2009-10, and will be squaring up against his former player and Chelsea legend Lampard at the Santiago Bernabeu in the midweek clash tonight, after the Blues’ icon was appointed Chelsea’s interim manager most recently.
Chelsea have taken a tumbling to 11th in the Premier League after a dismal run with lamentable results and have also been bundled out of the FA Cup and League Cup, with the Champions League being their last chance for silverware this season.
“I feel sad (looking at Chelsea’s position in the table). I have a fantastic memory of this club, of the people that are still working there. I’m a supporter of Chelsea, because I spent two years there,” Ancelotti told reporters on Monday.
“Will I go back (as coach)? No, I hope Lampard will be able to do a fantastic job with them… Lampard has been a great player who I coached for two years.
“He knows these kind of games well and how to prepare his team. He has been here for a week, but he will do well in the time he is at Chelsea.”
Being the seasoned veteran campaigner that he is, Ancelotti is not taking the Blues’ poor run of form for granted and has urged his side to be wary of the English club, who have faced Real in the knockout stages of the last two Champions League seasons and beaten them twice in four games.
“We suffered a lot last year,” the Italian manager said ruefully.
“We have to respect the team and the club, they have very good players and even if they are not in a good moment they have great motivation and will bring out the best. It’s a squad of a very high level.”