Carlo Ancelotti would be open to a second spell at Chelsea but insists Jose Mourinho will remain in charge of the ailing Premier League champions.
Saturday s 1-0 loss at Stoke City was Chelsea s seventh in 12 league outings this season, increasing the pressure on Mourinho in the Stamford Bridge hotseat.
The only one of Chelsea s four Premier League crowns not won by the Portuguese was collected by Ancelotti in 2010, although he was dismissed by owner Roman Abramovich after finishing as runners-up to Manchester United 12 months later.
Despite this, Ancelotti – currently without a club after parting ways with Real Madrid at the end of last season – would not be put off by a return to the London club, although he believes they are doing the right thing in standing by Mourinho.
I would have no problem with Chelsea, the three-time Champions League-winning coach told the Daily Mail. They already choose to keep him, and I think they made a good choice.
I didn t get a chance to speak with Jose but we get on well. When we won the Decima [Real s 10th Champions League crown in 2013] at Madrid, he sent me a message of congratulations. And he knows better than anyone what is going on at Chelsea.
Ancelotti s assessment is that members of the Chelsea squad lack the motivation to repeat last season s triumphs.
The Italian predicts a long and arduous task for Mourinho if he is to revive the team s fortunes, but pinpointed the continued backing he enjoys from the Stamford Bridge faithful as a major plus.
I look from a distance at Chelsea and I think they won the title easily last year and I don t think they are so motivated this year, Ancelotti added.
It s true that the manager has to be able to motivate players but the manager cannot motivate a player if the player is not self-motivated. It s impossible. They have lost something and it s difficult to change like a switch. You have to work slowly to change.
But Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world, no doubt. I look at his body language and he s okay. He is not so worried.
He has confidence. During the Dynamo Kiev game the supporters were singing his name. He ll sort it out.
