Carlo Ancelotti has granted an interview to Italian radio and, inevitably, his quotes are being picked up across the country’s media.
Most significant for Everton fans was the manager pouring cold water on a move for Sami Khedira, and insisting the Toffees did their transfer business for this season in the last window. Whether that’s true or a negotiating tactic remains to be seen.
Ancelotti also spoke about various issues at Napoli, insinuated Christian Eriksen needs to reignite his ambition, and was quizzed on Nicolo Zaniolo.
The AS Roma player has once again been in the media after pictures were published of him dancing with his mother over the Christmas period. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, but Roma fans were concerned he wasn’t taking his recovery from a knee injury seriously enough.
Zaniolo has since taken a break from social media, trying to find some ‘tranquility’, and the Everton manager is quoted by Corriere dello Sport as saying: “It was once said that dirty clothes must be washed at home and it should be the same in football. The personal aspect must be managed as best he sees fit, but advertising it can harm everyone.
“Today social media has distanced us and made personal relationships more difficult, and this also affects the life of all of us. I call it the loneliness of the smartphone. At Everton we have rules of conduct but it is impossible to prevent the use of social networks, it then depends on the intelligence of the players to know how to manage them.”
Zaniolo is just 21-years-of-age and at times it’s felt like he’s had the whole pressure of Roma’s future on him. Like his friend Moise Kean, on loan at PSG from Everton, he’s found himself involved in repeat dramas, and the social media break can only help.
