Fry Ups Could Keep Chelsea Coach in England - 11-17-09

November 17 - As there were no English Premier League games on the weekend, we thought we'd share a story about Italian-born coach, Carlo Ancelotti who, according to reports, may be offered the chance to coach the Italian National Football team next year, but doesn't want to leave England.


The reason why the 50-year-old former Italian player and coach doesn't want to leave gray, miserable and rainy Blighty for the beautiful sun-dried hills, valleys and fields of Italy is that he has grown fond of English fry-ups. For those of you not well-versed in English culture, a fry-up is a greasy English breakfast.

Now I could understand if Ancelotti was an American, a citizen of the nation famous for its own version of the greasy English-style breafast, but improved upon with the addition of sickly sweet maple syrup-drowned pancakes. But he isn't American. He's from Italy, home of food that the Gods themselves enjoy.

That the Chelsea FC manager has admitted to being a fan of the fry-up is astounding, especially considering the rich food heritage he was born into. As is the fact that he is turning his back on his home cuisine for a meal only rivalled in grease by a deep fried Mars bar, another English culinary masterpiece.

If you think we're making this up, think again. When asked by the British media about the possibility of leaving Chelsea, a club Ancelotti seems to have grown very fnd of, this what he said. 'I'm fine here in London. I have a three-year contract and I love everything about Chelsea, their fans and English football.

'And the results, also, aren't bad. In the English Premier League we've won 10 out of 12 games, and 3 out of 4 games in the Champions League. Even at the dining table I haven't had any problems. I am captivated by English cuisine and especially with breakfast. I have become a big fan of bacon,' he said.

Well you know what they say, one man's prosciutto is another man's bacon. During his career in Italy, Ancelotti played as a midfielder for Palma, Roma and Milan. A few years after retiring as a player, he became a manager and has since steered Reggiana, Parma, Juventus and Milan. This year he joined Chelsea.