Carlo Ancelotti is the new Real Madrid manager: official announcement

Carlo Ancelotti came from left field to be officially announced as the new Real Madrid manager to replace his former assistant, Zinedine Zidane. The Italian was not on the list of names that have been linked to the job when musings about Zidane's departure first came to light, but he suddenly entered the picture and was almost immediately confirmed on Tuesday.

Ancelotti will be returning to the bench at Real Madrid after amicably ending his contract with Premier League side Everton. According to Marca, he has agreed to a new three-year deal with the Spanish giants. This will be Ancelotti's second spell at the helm of Real Madrid after having been in charge during a memorable spell between 2013-2015.

When news of Zidane's was first speculated, Massimiliano Allegri was seen as a possible replacement before he was snatched up by Italian side Juventus FC last week. Antonio Conte, who had just left Serie A champions Inter Milan, was another contender but no deal materialised for unknown reasons.

Mauricio Pochettino was another target but Real Madrid did not want to damage a good relationship with Paris Saint-Germain by poaching their new manager. Real Madrid legends Raul and Xabi Alonso, who have now established themselves as managers were also linked to the job, but in the end, Ancelotti was the chosen one.

Real Madrid fans are relatively happy to welcome Ancelotti back to the fold, with many remembering the fact that he was the man in charge when they broke the Champions League curse to finally win "La Decima" in 2014 after a 12-year drought.

Apart from the 10th UEFA Champions League title, he led Real Madrid to one Copa del Rey, one Club World Cup and one UEFA Super Cup.

He was relieved of his duties at the end of the 2014/15 season after failing to win a major trophy that year, similar to the situation that led to Zidane's exit this summer.

Ancelotti left an indelible mark at the Santiago Bernabeu during his first spell, being the manager with the highest winning average to date. The club strung together a massive streak of 22 victories in a row between September of 2014 and January of 2015.

Just like this past season, Ancelotti's ill-fated campaign was marred by injuries. FC Barcelona won the treble, eventually leading to the Italian's sacking. At the time, players and fans were torn about the decision, with many believing that Ancelotti should have been allowed to stay. Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the big names who had been vocal in his support for the manager.

Ancelotti has a proven track record across Europe, having won so much during his coaching career, His most recent appointments have been with Bayern Munich, Napoli and Everton.