Just over two weeks ago, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly phoned club legend Frank Lampard, asking him to return and steady a team that was in disarray. In another universe, the call might have come from Carlo Ancelotti. Instead, Ancelotti will face Chelsea as an opponent, guiding Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter‑final second leg on Tuesday. The Italian’s second spell at the helm of Madrid was arranged by president Florentino Pérez after Zinedine Zidane’s departure in 2021.
In the first leg, Ancelotti’s Madrid built a 2‑0 advantage at the Santiago Bernabéu, with goals from Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio, and they dominated the match. Former Chelsea players Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rüdiger made crucial saves and blocks, leaving Lampard’s side empty‑handed. Ancelotti’s return to Chelsea conjures memories of the club’s golden era. He led a star‑studded side—featuring Didier Drogba, John Terry, Michael Ballack and Lampard himself—to the first league and FA Cup double in 2010, winning matches by 7‑0, 7‑1 and 8‑0 as they cruised to domestic glory. By contrast, Chelsea’s current patchwork squad lacks the leadership and quality of that legendary group, a shortfall exposed by the defeat in Madrid.
“I am sad, yes,” Ancelotti said before the clash. “I have fantastic memories of this club and the people still working here. I’m a supporter of Chelsea, of course, because I spent two really nice years there. I hope Lampard will do a fantastic job with them.” His words were generous, but Ancelotti will expect a less magnanimous performance from Lampard on Tuesday under the London lights. Ancelotti was dismissed by then‑owner Roman Abramovich in 2011, ending a brief but memorable two‑season spell.
Madrid are chasing a record‑extending 15th Champions League title, defending the trophy they won last season against Liverpool, and they appear far superior to the 2021 winners in the Spanish capital. Although not the first, second or third choice for the job, Ancelotti was selected as a “safe pair of hands” and also helped Madrid secure La Liga last season. Like Zidane before him, he emphasizes excellent man‑management as essential for Los Blancos, though he acknowledges it is not the only requirement. “I am ‘fantastic’ at managing, but there are other things, because this team is well‑trained,” he said before the first leg. “If we win the Copa del Rey, we will have won every title possible in two years, something many teams never achieve.”
Ancelotti has kept squad players such as Dani Ceballos, Nacho Fernández and Marco Asensio hungry and useful, with Asensio scoring again at Cádiz last weekend. Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard remains on the fringes, and his fans will hope he does not feature on Tuesday—if he does, it would likely mean Madrid have already secured progression and are resting key players. After the first‑leg loss, Lampard declared, “The door is open and it’s up to us to kick it open further,” signalling his desire for a comeback.
The 63‑year‑old’s experience will be music to his ears, as his side excels on the break against desperate opponents and he knows how to play to their strengths. Ancelotti has lifted the Champions League six times—twice as a player and four times as a manager—and is approaching his 1,300th game in charge. His stability stands in stark contrast to Chelsea’s chaotic project, and on Tuesday he may highlight the gaps that once allowed him to bring silverware and unforgettable memories to the club.
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