(foto: Getty Images)
Carlo Ancelotti has made a move that the English media are calling surprising. He is set to add a coach from English third-tier club Stockport County to his staff.
The new assistant is 38-year-old Andy Mangan, who has been part of the coaching staff in over 300 matches in the third, fourth, and fifth tiers of English football.
Mangan is a former striker who retired from playing in 2018. He made 425 appearances, scoring 118 goals, and represented ten different clubs. The highest level he played at was League One, with his best season in the third tier coming in 2015/16 when he scored five goals in 19 matches for Shrewsbury Town.
English media report that Mangan is a close friend of Davide Ancelotti (35), the son of Carlo Ancelotti, who is also part of Real Madrid's coaching staff. The two studied for their coaching licenses together and are not only friends but also former classmates. Once Mangan receives his work permit for Spain, he will officially join Real Madrid's coaching team.
It is also said that Davide Ancelotti plans to take over as head coach after his father retires, and he already sees Mangan as his first assistant. On the other hand, Carlo Ancelotti appreciates the structure of English coaching teams, where each coach specializes in a specific aspect of the game, which is reportedly another reason for bringing in the young English coach.