Official: Everton hire Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has been named as the new coach of Everton, just days after he was sacked by Napoli to make way for Gennaro Gattuso. "There is a clear vision to deliver success and trophies."

The tactician was approached practically within hours of his dismissal on the evening of December 10 and has signed a contract to June 2024.

“This is a great club with a rich history and a very passionate fan base,” Ancelotti told evertonfc.com.

Carlo Ancelotti has been named as the new coach of Everton, just days after he was sacked by Napoli to make way for Gennaro Gattuso. "There is a clear vision to deliver success and trophies."

The tactician was approached practically within hours of his dismissal on the evening of December 10 and has signed a contract to June 2024.

“This is a great club with a rich history and a very passionate fan base,” Ancelotti told evertonfc.com.

“There is a clear vision from the Owner and the Board to deliver success and trophies. That is something that appeals to me as a manager and I am thrilled at the prospect of being able to work with everybody at the Club to help make that vision a reality.

“I have seen from the performances in the last two weeks that the players are capable of so much. The work Duncan (Ferguson) has done is a great credit to him. Strong organisation, strong discipline and the right motivation are some of the key ingredients in football and I’m pleased that he will be part of my backroom team moving forward.”

He could not accept a new role until he had terminated his contract with Napoli by mutual consent, as it was due to run until June 2021.

Following that meeting, Ancelotti waved goodbye to Naples by having lunch in the Marechiaro area of the city on Friday.

He'll be in the stands at Goodison Park for today's Premier League match against Arsenal, which kicks off at 12.30pm GMT.

Ancelotti had quickly emerged as the hot favourite for the role when he was dismissed by Napoli, suddenly putting him back on the market.

“It is a pleasure to now welcome Carlo Ancelotti to Everton. He is one of the finest managers in world football and a proven winner, having achieved a remarkable level of success in each of Europe’s major leagues,” said Everton Director of Football Marcel Brands.

“He is the perfect appointment for us. He embraces our vision for the Club and we are sure that his enthusiasm to take the helm at Goodison together with his tactical abilities and well-renowned man-management will make him successful in this role.

“This was a clear and exciting decision for the Board to make. It was a unanimous choice and one we were all fully united behind throughout.

“Carlo has proven time and again, he knows how to build a trophy-winning side and we share the excitement of our fans at the prospect of him leading our team in the years ahead. We’re all greatly looking forward to working with him.”

Everton are 16th in the Premier League and had been working under caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson after Marco Silva was sacked at the start of December.

It is a return to England for the 60-year-old, who won the Premier League, FA Cup and Charity Shield at Chelsea in 2009-11.

Since then, he has worked at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli.

Ancelotti had also been linked with the Arsenal bench, but that was formally handed to Mikel Arteta, who will also be in the stands of today's game.