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‘Had a chat with Liverpool owners’: Carlo Ancelotti reveals he was up for Anfield job before Jurgen Klopp
Speaking ahead of the blockbuster Merseyside derby in the FA Cup, Carlo Ancelotti revealed he spoke with Liverpool owners after leaving Spanish giants Real Madrid but things didn’t materialise.
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has sensationally claimed he was up for the Liverpool job in 2015 before the Anfield side eventually deciding to appoint German trainer Jurgen Klopp. The decision has since proved to be a masterstroke for the 18-time English top-flight champions as they have assembled one the best sides in Europe and also lifted the Champions League trophy last year in Madrid.
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Speaking ahead of the blockbuster Merseyside derby in the FA Cup, Ancelotti revealed he spoke with Liverpool owners after leaving Spanish giants Real Madrid but things didn’t materialise and they ended up bringing in former Borussia Dortmund trainer Klopp.
“It was after (I left) Real Madrid, I had a chat with the owner,” Ancelotti told reporters during pre-match press conference. “They were looking for a new manager but I think they made a right choice with Jurgen. He is doing fantastic work at Liverpool, so well done.”
Ancelotti also said his team must produce the perfect game in their FA Cup third round match at Liverpool on Sunday if they are to end two decades of disappointment in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.
Everton have not won at the venue since September 1999 and were hammered 5-2 in the Premier League this season, which led to Marco Silva’s sacking as manager before Ancelotti took over last month.
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Victory will also give Everton a first win over European and World champions Liverpool since 2010.
“A normal performance is not enough against them. Everything has to be perfect,” Ancelotti said. “No mistakes, hard work, sacrifice, intensity. To beat them, the game has to be complete... The best way to prepare is to be focused on what you do on the pitch. Be focused on the game. Don’t look at different things.
“The last trophy Everton won was the FA Cup (in 1994-95) so we have to have confidence... Everyone knows how Liverpool play, fantastic in counter-attack... we have to attack well because you can’t defend for 90 minutes and we don’t want to.”
((With Reuters inputs))
