On paper at least, there are more than a few similarities between Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho.
Both have led Chelsea and Real Madrid to glory, establishing themselves as two of the most successful and respected coaches in the game. And, between them, the Italian and the Portuguese have amassed five Champions League winner’s medals.
But while Ancelotti is the avuncular, amiable grandfather of modern football, Mourinho is, well, different.
Just ask Branislav Ivanovic; a battle-scarred centre-half who went to war for two legendary commanders.
“They call Mourinho the Special One, and I think he is,” Ivanovic told ESPN in 2017.
“Training was unique under Mourinho. He sometimes plays mind games with the press, but when it comes to the most important things, the matches themselves, he is always very serious. If you want to play for Mourinho, you have to follow his demands.
“Ancelotti is very different. If players had a choice, I guess they would prefer to spend the entire career with Carlo. He is very calm and takes all the negative aspects on him, allowing the players to be comfortable.
“The results are equally good with both coaches.”
And, according to Novosti, the 36-year-old Ivanovic could set for an unexpected return to the Premier League this summer with his contract at Zenit St Petersburg expiring after a second successive Russian crown.
But while Spurs have made a mockery of Mourinho’s reputation as the godfather of pragmatism, conceding goals at an alarming rate in recent months, it is Everton who are apparently closing in on the signing of a man who spent nine seasons at Chelsea until 2017.
A 12th place finish is the Merseysider’s worst in 16 years.
No wonder Ancelotti wants to add some steel and experience at the heart of another of the Premier League’s underperforming backlines.
After over a decade away from his native Serbia, Ivanovic might have planned to return home with Partizan Belgrade before swapping his studs for slippers.
But he knows better than most that resisting Ancelotti’s charms is easier said than done.
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