Ancelotti confirmed as new Everton boss

The Toffees have been without a permanent manager since sacking Marco Silva on December 5, in the wake of a 5-2 defeat to Liverpool in the Merseyside derby which left them in the bottom three.

Duncan Ferguson has been in interim charge since then, guiding an injury-hit side to a win over Chelsea and a draw with Manchester United, though Everton did exit the EFL Cup with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out defeat to Leicester City on Wednesday.

However, Ancelotti – who was dismissed by Napoli on December 10 despite taking the Serie A club to the knockout stage of the Champions League and securing a second-place finish in Italy last season – has now been confirmed as Silva's permanent replacement.

It presents something of a coup for Everton, who sit 16th in the Premier League table, three points above the relegation zone.

| Introducing the new manager of Everton Football Club, @MrAncelotti! #WelcomeMrAncelotti pic.twitter.com/zNNoix8H5R

— Everton (@Everton) December 21, 2019

Ancelotti, who previously managed in England with Chelsea, winning the Premier League and FA Cup in 2009-10, will attend Everton's game with Arsenal on Saturday as a spectator before overseeing his first match in charge at home to Burnley on Boxing Day.

"This is a great club with a rich history and a very passionate fan base," said Ancelotti, who also confirmed Ferguson will be part of his backroom team.

"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 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."