Premier League: Veteran Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti 'thrilled at the prospect' of taking over at Everton

Carlo Ancelotti took one of the most challenging jobs of his illustrious and trophy-filled career on Saturday after being hired as manager of relegation-threatened English club Everton on a 4½-year deal. [caption id=“attachment_7812001” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Carlo Ancelotti. AP[/caption] The 60-year-old Italian secured a quick return to management — less than two weeks after being fired by Italian team Napoli — as the replacement for Marco Silva at Goodison Park. A winner of league titles in Italy, England, France and Germany, and also three Champions League titles, Ancelotti will take over one of the most storied clubs in English football but one that has not won a trophy since 1995 and is having its worst season in years. Everton are 16th in the 20-team Premier League, three points above the relegation zone, despite being one of the biggest spenders in Europe over the past 3½ years under ambitious majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri. Ancelotti’s glittering resume includes spells in charge of some of the giants of Europe, including Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. He is used to taking over already-established teams who compete for the biggest honours in the game, so he faces a very different challenge at Everton. “This is a great club with a rich history and a very passionate fan base," Ancelotti said. “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.” It was in the corridors of Goodison Park where Ancelotti was fired by Chelsea an hour after the final game of the 2010-11 league season, having won the Premier League and FA Cup double with the London club the previous season. Since then, he has won the French league with PSG, the Spanish league and Champions League with Real Madrid and the German league with Bayern. His previous two Champions League titles came with AC Milan. In his most recent job, at Napoli, he led the team to a second-place finish behind Juventus in Serie A last season. “He is the perfect appointment for us,” Everton director of football Marcel Brands said. “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.” Everton said Ancelotti was attending the team’s Premier League game against Arsenal on Saturday as a spectator, prior to meeting the players and taking up his new role.