Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti saddened by assistant Ray Wilkins’ axe
Despite a plea to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, manager Carlo Ancelotti could not save his assistant Ray Wilkins. The Italian admitted that it was a boardroom decision and he was powerless in this regard.
The Blues manager was addressing a press conference and used his words rather carefully as director Eugene Tenenbaum and chief executive Ron Gourlay were present in the room and monitoring the proceedings.
Ancelotti said: “The club has made a decision and I respect it. It was a difficult decision for everyone. We move on quickly and maintain our focus. Nobody will forget what Ray did. Ray was a fantastic assistant coach and I want
to say thanks to him because he has been a fantastic support last season, this season.”
The Italian further added: “He did not have the chance to say goodbye but he will have the opportunity to come and say hello to everyone. He is my friend, and I will still have a fantastic relationship with him.”
It is not yet clear what caused his exit as Chelsea are doing quite well in the league. They won the Premier League and FA Cup last season and are currently on top of the league and into the last 16 of the Champions League competition.
Recently in an interview, the Italian praised his former boss Silvio Berlusconi at AC Milan, saying that in times of crisis when the team was not doing well, Silvio Berlusconi was very supportive and fantastic.
The former AC Milan manager feels that Abramovich has similar qualities. Even though he was disappointed by his decision to let Wilkins go, he is relaxed under such ownership.
Now that the Stamford Bridge club is moving in the right direction and winning, the removal of a key figure like this
could prove to be harmful.
Former coach Jose Mourinho had a rocky relationship with the Russian. It all started when the billionaire owner removed the Portuguese’s assistant Steve Clark and tried to sign Avram Grant in his place. Some key figures in the
team have also shown their displeasure at the decision. Who will replace the former assistant remains to be seen but it is widely expected that it will be someone within the club.
Meanwhile, midfielder Frank Lampard’s comeback has suffered yet another setback. The England midfielder was recovering from a hernia operation and was set to play this Sunday. He got injured in Thursday’s training session when
he strained his groin muscle.
The 54-year-old Wilkins, who was also known as Butch, was once a key midfielder for England during the 1980s and has played for big clubs like Chelsea, Milan, Rangers and Manchester United.
Tags: