Carlo Ancelotti offered HIMSELF to Arsenal 15 months ago… why was Napoli manager shunned?

CARLO ANCELOTTI was ready to become Arsenal manager last year.

Posted Friday, April 12, 2019 by Dailystar.co.uk

But instead the highly-regarded Napoli boss will be sitting in the opposition dugout at the Emirates tonight.

The Gunners host the Serie A giants in north London this evening in their Europa League quarter-final first leg.

Arsenal have the advantage of being led by the competition's serial winner in Unai Emery.

The former Sevilla and PSG manager lifted the Europa League trophy in 2014, 2015 and 2016 while in Spain.

And the 2018 Ligue 1 champion was far from a downgraded choice to appoint as Arsene Wenger's successor last summer.

Ancelotti, though, would have been a real presence in world football to lure to the Emirates instead.

The 59-year-old was out of work after parting ways with Bayern Munich in September 2017, and Arsenal DID make their move.

Napoli manager Carlo Ancelotti was approached by Arsenal before Unai Emery last year

Ancelotti has as impressive a CV as possible in European football, having managed Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid, Bayern and now Napoli.

He took over in Naples last summer as Maurizio Sarri departed for west London and his old club, Chelsea.

But during the eight month spell he spent away from the dugout, the three-time Champions League winner as a manager was approached by the Gunners.

According to the London Evening Standard, Ancelotti was among the names initially discussed in January 2018 when the likelihood of Wenger stepping down at the end of the campaign became more concrete.

Ancelotti is said to have made it known to senior figures at Arsenal he would, in fact, be keen on taking up the challenge of replacing Wenger following his near 22-year reign.

The 2010 Premier League champion with Chelsea spent two largely successful seasons at Stamford Bridge across the capital from the Emirates.

And he was interested in a return to English football with Arsenal due to his fondness for the Premier League and London.

Ancelotti was a popular figure among Chelsea fans during his time there and has delivered silverware on a regular basis throughout his career.

Ahead of his Napoli team's visit tonight, the London Evening Standard add Arsenal chiefs considered the Italian an appealing option due to his impressive trophy haul and experience of the continental head coach structure they were moving towards post-Wenger.

Emery's stunning interview process, forensic knowledge of Arsenal's squad and hands-on coaching style ultimately swung the position in his favour, though.

Ancelotti and Emery were among an eight-man list of serious candidates, and the Napoli manager will be on a mission tonight to leave Gunners fans wondering what might have been.