Carlo Ancelotti admits Liverpool is his 'dream' job as Real Madrid boss reveals he rejected offer from Italy national team

Following Brendan Rodgers' dismissal in October 2015, Ancelotti was reportedly in discussions about potentially stepping in as Liverpool’s next manager. However, the club ultimately appointed Jurgen Klopp in what proved to be a defining moment for the Reds. Shortly afterwards, Ancelotti agreed to succeed Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich, a role he officially began at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

Though he never got the opportunity to coach the Reds, Ancelotti eventually found his way to Merseyside when he accepted the Everton job in 2019. Speaking with ItalianjournalistArmando Ceroni on Swiss station RSI, the veteran coach expressed admiration for the Toffees and also reminisced about the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.

Ancelotti said: "My dream was to coach Liverpool, but then I found myself at Everton and I experienced their rivalry, and now I am absolutely an Everton fan. I really liked the environment, because there is a spectacular passion for the colours. You also notice the suffering that the fan has for Liverpool, which for many years and still today is the best in the Premier League."

The Real Madrid boss also shared that he turned down an opportunity to manage the Italy national team in 2018 before Roberto Mancini was ultimately appointed.

“I said no to the Italian national team because I didn't feel like it," he said. "I really like being on the pitch every day preparing for training, and the national team seemed like a part-time job that made me lose a bit of passion. Just for this reason”.

Ancelotti’s current contract at Real Madrid runs until 2026, but the path ahead looks challenging. The Spanish giants are four points behind arch-rivals Barcelona in La Liga and face a daunting quarter-final second-leg tie against Arsenal in the Champions League. After suffering a 3-0 defeat in the first leg, Los Blancos must mount a stunning comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday to keep their European hopes alive. If they stumble, Ancelotti's reign in the Spanish capital could potentially come to an end in the summer.