02 June,2009 08:28 AM IST | | Agencies
As Carlo Ancelotti sped through Paris towards a meeting that would change his life, it became clear to the Italian that he was dealing with a club like no other.
Ancelotti was officially confirmed as Chelsea manager on Monday and will start work on July 1, but the deal had been 12 months in the making.
Ordinarily a chauffeur-driven journey in the French capital would be an opportunity to relax and take in the sights. Yet in mid-2008 Ancelotti was embroiled in a mission that he could only liken to something from a James Bond film.
Then manager of AC Milan, Ancelotti was about to meet Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to discuss the possibility of managing the Premier League club and secrecy was the order of the day.
To avoid being seen in public with Abramovich, Ancelotti, wearing dark glasses, was taken to Paris's George V hotel, where he was whisked to a private room far from prying eyes.
Abramovich was searching for a new manager after sacking Avram Grant following Chelsea's Champions League final defeat to Manchester United and Ancelotti was top of his list.
Like James Bond
They had already met once in Geneva and Ancelotti, writing in his autobiography, said: "The manager of Milan is on a secret mission. I, like 007, on my own. Sat behind a driver with the face of a killer".
Ancelotti spent several hours discussing his football philosophy with Abramovich and clearly impressed the Russian billionaire.
"Abramovich wanted to know everything about me, my way of working, my philosophy," Ancelotti wrote. "He was and still is looking for a team with a precise identity."
Although Abramovich was persuaded to appoint Luiz Felipe Scolari instead of Ancelotti, this time the Chelsea owner has finally got his man.
