Richarlison has claimed that Everton would be challenging for a Champions League spot this season if Carlo Ancelotti had not left to join Real Madrid.
The Blues finished 10th last season under the Italian coach, eight points off the top four and missed out on a place in the inaugural Europa Conference League by three points.
However, when Real Madrid came calling Ancelotti resigned as Everton boss in June to return to the club with whom he won the Champions League back in 2014,
Everton subsequently made the controversial decision to appoint Rafa Benitez as manager before hiring Frank Lampard last month, who has worked to rebuild the good-feeling around the club.
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The former Chelsea boss has won two out of his first three games in charge in all competitions but Everton still currently sit 16th in the table, five points above the relegation zone.
And Richarlison believes that the Blues’ season would have followed an entirely different trajectory had Ancelotti stayed at Goodison, with the Brazilian international feeling the upper echelons of the Premier League were just within reach. .
“Look, we got a coach who fit in the team, which was Ancelotti, unfortunately he had to leave. He went to Real Madrid,” the 24-year-old told TNT Sports, as reported by Sport Witness .
“He’s a guy who helped me a lot here at the club,” Richarlison added, who shared that Ancelotti still sends him messages.
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“He was a guy who arrived here, he managed to fix the team. He brought in James Rodriguez too, who helped a lot. And we almost got there.
“We were, if I’m not mistaken, 3 or 4 points from the Europa League. That was one of our goals.
“And for sure, if he stayed for this season, he’d ask for signings, we would reach the Champions or the Europa League.
“Unfortunately he didn’t stay, he had to follow his path there to Real Madrid. Like it or not, it was a very good proposition for him. So, we keep working.”
Further in the report, it is claimed that Richarlison stated that his mission was to play in the Champions League with Everton - not to link up with his old boss at the Bernabeu.
Though Richarlison did say that, were he to be in charge of a team himself, Ancelotti would be hired as manager and receive the largest salary at the club.
