Frank Lampard says Carlo Ancelotti can work "anywhere in the world" after Napoli sacking

Carlo Ancelotti

Frank Lampard has backed Carlo Ancelotti to bounce back from his Napoli dismissal.

Ancelotti was sacked by the Serie A side on Tuesday despite overseeing a 4-0 victory over Genk to book Napoli's spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League.

And Lampard, who worked under Ancelotti at Chelsea for two seasons, does not believe his former manager will struggle to secure another top job.

"I have huge respect for him, I am very sorry for him," Lampard said after Chelsea's 2-1 win against Lille.

"I know it was a tough job for him lately. I saw his interview before the game and I thought it was a very typically classy interview in what seemed a very tough time for him. He always handles himself brilliantly.

"I think he can work anywhere in the world at the top level, of course."

Ancelotti departs the Stadio San Paolo with Napoli seventh in the Serie A table, eight points adrift of Cagliari in fourth place.

And former Partenopei midfielder Jorginho, who joined Chelsea in summer 2018, says he is saddened by his ex-club's current woes.

 "I didn't know about it," he said. "I'm really sorry. I never met him but I heard a lot of good things about him from my former team-mates.

"They told me he is a great man and manager. I'm sorry for everything that is happening in Napoli. It's a difficult moment for them.

"I hope that they will be back at the top as they were for years until this bad moment. I'm really surprised. I was not expecting Napoli [to have] trouble and I'm sorry, because I'll always love Napoli."

The Italian outfit are expected to appoint Gennaro Gattuso as Ancelotti's replacement ahead of Saturday's clash with Parma.

Chelsea, meanwhile, host Bournemouth this weekend as they seek to increase their five-point lead over fifth-placed Manchester United.

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Greg Lea

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).