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The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Why hiring Davide Ancelotti at Rangers would unlike Andrew Cavenagh
Ancelotti survived long enough to lead Reggiana in a make-or-break game against Venezia at the Mirabello Stadium. His team scored three times in the opening 45 minutes of an encounter Don Carlo later described as one of the most important days of his coaching career. Promotion to Serie A earned Ancelotti a crack at the Parma job. He lasted two seasons before he was sacked. That's the thing with football management. To hear people speak now, you'd think that the godfather of modern football won all those Champions Leagues, titles in Europe's top five nations and Club World Cups by spending the last three decades raising an eyebrow at just the right time. The truth is that elite coaches are not spoon-fed wisdom, expertise and excellence from the moment they leave the womb. Their know-how is shaped by those early days spent with their head perched on a guillotine waiting for the blade to fall. Davide Ancelotti clearly has the intelligence and potential to follow in his old man's footsteps in Glasgow. He speaks five languages. He is a smart, urbane, tactically astute coach respected by some of the biggest names in Europe. The problem here is clear. Even if the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree, no one has the first idea if it's ripe. Rangers are not Reggiana. Ibrox is not place where a young coach can make his mistakes away from the glare of media scrutiny or demanding supporters. Regardless of whether his previous clubs were Everton, Napoli, Bayern or Real Madrid, Ancelotti Jr was never the man responsible for the consequential decisions. He has never known how it feels to be the chosen one with thousands of eyes burning a hole in the back of his head as anxiety grows over the team's inability to break down a low block on a dry and bobbly – or artificial – pitch. In the hazy glow of a takeover, level-headed supporters speak of giving things time. If they see evidence of a plan taking shape, they'll make more allowances for the new people than they ever did for the old. How much allowance is contingent on what the naked eye tells them. If Ancelotti Jr finds himself heading into October trailing Celtic, with another title race disappearing down the plug hole, the good intentions might not last long. Read more: Stephen McGowan: Is Dermot Desmond absentee landlord or Celtic mastermind? Stephen McGowan: Aberdeen cup glory a throwback to golden days for a battered city In an open letter to supporters, new owners Andrew Cavenagh and Paraag Marathe identified thoughtful, disciplined investment – guided by a clear strategy – as the path to success. They wrote of decisions being made with sustainability and the club's long-term interests in mind. The appointment of Kevin Thelwell as sporting director might be the most important decision of all. Charged with forging a new strategy, identity and culture, there is no quick or easy way of fast-tracking the process. The patchy recruitment of Nils Koppen and others before him needs to improve. The arrival of former Everton head of recruitment Dan Purdy will help with the critical task of finally implementing a profitable player-trading model. If a decent offer comes for Nico Raskin or Cyriel Dessers this summer, they have to go. Put Ancelotti in charge and the new regime will mirror the direction of travel across Europe's top leagues. From Enzo Maresca to Fabian Hurzeler, more and more teams are under the control of a head coach who answers to a sporting director and overseas owners. If a young thruster is what they want then they should probably elbow Fiorentina out the way and lock Francesco Farioli in a room until he knows the words to 'Penny Arcade' off by heart. So long as he's drawing covetous glances from England or Italy, of course, that's easier said than done. Every candidate for the job has been spinning plates in the air, weighing up their options. Every one of them has pros and cons; every one of them comes with a level of risk. As things stand, Rangers are looking at a new chairman, vice-chairman, five new American board members, three old directors moving out and a new sporting director. With all that flux and change, there's a decent argument for minimising the level of jeopardy in the technical area. They could do that by simply giving the job to Russell Martin. It's a measure of the antipathy some supporters feel about that idea that they'd prefer to take the punt on Ancelotti. From time to time a gamble in Glasgow pays off. A late U-turn from Eddie Howe prompted Celtic to make a panicked call to Ange Postecoglou, a plan B with little or no knowledge of the Scottish game. When the Australian lost three of his opening six league games, his saving grace was good recruitment. He gave the team an identity, a culture and a recognised style of play. When he needed it most, his experience made the difference. Right now it feels as if Rangers are looking for a young Ange. A coach of conviction with plenty to prove who can find his feet in Scottish football quickly, forge a new team and give the folk on the other side of the city a run for their money. Given time and a fair wind Davide Ancelotti just might be that man. With the help and backing of the 49ers investment group, Thelwell and Purdy, standards will surely improve on and off the pitch. He might stamp his authority on the team from day one and be a game-changer. At this stage no one knows for sure that he even has the job. The only thing anybody can say with any conviction is that something has to change. A Celtic boardroom dominated by cautious, conservative men in grey suits has delivered 13 titles in the last 14 years and 21 of the last 27 trophies up for grabs. Far from aping the safety first strategy of their bitter rivals, Rangers are clearly going in a different direction. Study his track record and Andrew Cavenagh made his fortune in health insurance by limiting his exposure to risk as much as possible. Appoint Davide Ancelotti and the new owner won't just be making a big, ballsy call. He'll be casting away the habits of a lifetime.
Morocco World
4 days ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
Zidane Eyes France Job as Deschamps Exit Nears
Zinédine Zidane has once again made it clear he wants the France job when Didier Deschamps steps down. The 52-year-old, who won everything with France as a player and Real Madrid as a manager, spoke at an Adidas event in Paris and didn't hold back. 'Of course, it's a dream. I look forward to it,' he said. 'I feel qualified. I spent more than a decade with the national team as a player.' Deschamps is set to leave after the 2026 World Cup in North America. He's been in charge since 2012 and led France to the 2018 World Cup and the Nations League title in 2021. Zidane has been out of work since leaving Madrid in 2021. He's made it clear he's not in a rush but the France job is the one he wants. 'It's not the right moment,' he added. 'Out of respect for Didier and the team, we must wait. But if the chance comes, it'll be with great pleasure.' Zidane remains a huge figure in French football. His CV speaks for itself. Three Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles and a calm, no-fuss approach on the touchline. If he gets the job, he'd be working with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, now the star at Real Madrid. The idea of Zidane leading this golden generation is already exciting fans. It feels like the stars are aligning. And Zidane knows it. Tags: DeschampsFranceReal MadridWorld CupZidane
Fox Sports
5 days ago
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Former Real Madrid defender Arbeloa takes over as "B" team coach
Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Former defender Alvaro Arbeloa is replacing Raul González as coach of Real Madrid's 'B' team, the club said Wednesday. Madrid announced that Arbeloa was taking over, one day after former star Raúl said he was leaving after seven years coaching in the youth academy. 'Arbeloa is a legend at Real Madrid and in Spanish football, and one of our club's most iconic homegrown players,' Madrid said. 'Arbeloa has always been an exemplary representative of our club's values and has passed these on during his time as coach of our youth teams.' Arbeloa had been coaching Madrid's youth squads since 2020. With the under-19s he won the treble in 2022-23 — the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey. The former right back came through Madrid's youth squads and played 238 matches with the first team between 2009 and 2016. In his seven seasons, Arbeloa helped Madrid win two Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, one European Super Cup, one Spanish Super Cup, one Spanish league and two Copas del Rey. He made 56 appearances for Spain, helping it win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. Arbeloa joined Madrid's first team from Liverpool, where he played 98 matches in three seasons. ___ AP soccer: in this topic
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Real Madrid defender Arbeloa takes over as "B" team coach
MADRID (AP) — Former defender Álvaro Arbeloa is replacing Raúl González as coach of Real Madrid's 'B' team, the club said Wednesday. Madrid announced that Arbeloa was taking over, one day after former star Raúl said he was leaving after seven years coaching in the youth academy. Advertisement 'Arbeloa is a legend at Real Madrid and in Spanish football, and one of our club's most iconic homegrown players,' Madrid said. 'Arbeloa has always been an exemplary representative of our club's values and has passed these on during his time as coach of our youth teams.' Arbeloa had been coaching Madrid's youth squads since 2020. With the under-19s he won the treble in 2022-23 — the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey. The former right back came through Madrid's youth squads and played 238 matches with the first team between 2009 and 2016. In his seven seasons, Arbeloa helped Madrid win two Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, one European Super Cup, one Spanish Super Cup, one Spanish league and two Copas del Rey. He made 56 appearances for Spain, helping it win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. Arbeloa joined Madrid's first team from Liverpool, where he played 98 matches in three seasons. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
5 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Former Real Madrid defender Arbeloa takes over as 'B' team coach
MADRID (AP) — Former defender Álvaro Arbeloa is replacing Raúl González as coach of Real Madrid's 'B' team, the club said Wednesday. Madrid announced that Arbeloa was taking over, one day after former star Raúl said he was leaving after seven years coaching in the youth academy. 'Arbeloa is a legend at Real Madrid and in Spanish football, and one of our club's most iconic homegrown players,' Madrid said. 'Arbeloa has always been an exemplary representative of our club's values and has passed these on during his time as coach of our youth teams.' Arbeloa had been coaching Madrid's youth squads since 2020. With the under-19s he won the treble in 2022-23 — the Champions League, Spanish league and Copa del Rey. The former right back came through Madrid's youth squads and played 238 matches with the first team between 2009 and 2016. In his seven seasons, Arbeloa helped Madrid win two Champions Leagues, one Club World Cup, one European Super Cup, one Spanish Super Cup, one Spanish league and two Copas del Rey. He made 56 appearances for Spain, helping it win the 2010 World Cup and the 2008 and 2012 European Championships. Arbeloa joined Madrid's first team from Liverpool, where he played 98 matches in three seasons. ___ AP soccer:
