Source: Daily_Mail
Crisis for Ancelotti: Abramovich lines up Barca coach Guardiola as Arnesen walks
Carlo Ancelotti was looking an increasingly isolated figure as Chelsea's management crisis took a fresh turn.[LNB] With the club forced to announce that sporting director Frank Arnesen will be standing down at the end of the season - following on from the sacking of assistant coach Ray Wilkins two weeks ago - owner Roman Abramovich is expected to look to Barcelona as the model to rebuild the club.[LNB]The Spanish champions' coach Pep Guardiola, out of contract next May, isseen as the No1 choice to replace Ancelotti at the end of the season if the current tension between the Italian manager and the board continues.[LNB] Blues brothers: Carlo Ancelotti (left) and Ray Wilkins before the split[LNB] With the Russian billionaire still demanding more exciting football, despite Chelsea's record 103 goals in their first ever Double last season, sources close to Abramovich have also suggested Barca's former sporting director Txiki Begiristain, 46, as a replacement for Arnesen.[LNB] Chelsea are keen to emulate the production line of world-class players raised through the Barca academy, such as Leo Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. [LNB]Ironically, Begiristain had little to do with Barca's youth team development but his stock has risen on the back of the success the team had during his seven-year stint as a director at the Nou Camp.[LNB]Though Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck insisted that Arnesen had requested that he leave 'to seek a new challenge', the Dane has been under pressure for more than a year after his expensive academy programme had failed to produce enough potential first-team players. [LNB] Change in fortunes: Lee Bowyer (right) scores to help Birmingham to victory over Chelsea last time out[LNB] [LNB]Arnesen is understood to have approached the board last week about leaving at the end of the season.[LNB]His departure confirms the extraordinary rise of new assistant coach Michael Emenalo, who does not yet possess the relevant UEFA badges to coach the first team and whose last coaching job was a girls' team in the US. [LNB]He is now seen by players at the club as the key influence on both Abramovich and the dominant director Eugene Tenenbaum.[LNB] Chelsea will attempt to draw a line under the Wilkins saga early this week when the League Managers' Association are expected to announcethat they have agreed a compensation payment worth £350,000 for Wilkins, but the fall-out from the saga shows no signs of diminishing.[LNB] Pep talk: Chelsea are keen on Barcelona coach Guardiola[LNB] The club are in danger of losing three successive Premier League games for the first time in 11 years - a defeat at Newcastle today would be their fourth loss in five games - and senior players say the atmosphere in the dressing room now resembles the final days of Jose Mourinho's reign, when the former manager fell out with Abramovich. [LNB]Players, united behind Ancelotti, report there is a sense of 'them and us', the team having to perform in spite of what they see as the ownership's poor decisions.[LNB] Asked whether he thought he would be at Chelsea next season, Ancelotti said: 'I think so, yes.' But it is understood that he is immensely frustrated about the changes at the club and the squad with which he hasbeen left to work. [LNB]The club, on their part, have made no attempt to secure Ancelotti beyond 2012, when his contract runs out. Serbia defender Branislav Ivanovic has become the first player to speak publicly about the shock of losing Wilkins.[LNB] Key player: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich[LNB] 'Ray was important for us and for Carlo also, because he was between us and Carlo,' said Ivanovic. 'He did a great job and Carlo was a little bit disappointed [that he left].[LNB] 'Everyone was a little bit in shock, everyone was surprised because no-one expected this. We came in one day and heard from the media, from the club. After that, we had to stay focused and look forward.'[LNB] On speculation over Ancelotti's future, he added: 'I cannot answer the question because at the moment Carlo is our manager. In his mind and ourmind is the future with him. We can't be thinking about ifs and whens. Ihope he is going to stay for a long, long time.'[LNB] Weather threat to Newcastle's Premier League clash with ChelseaChelsea and City on alert as Benfica prepare to cash in on wantaway Luiz Chelsea contract rebel Borini tipped for return to Italy with Lazio or Juventus[LNB] [LNB] Explore more:People: Bruce Buck, Frank Arnesen, Andres Iniesta, Leo Messi, Roman Abramovich, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti Places: Newcastle, Barcelona
