Carlo Ancelotti has been appointed Everton manager on a four-and-a-half-year deal.
The Italian will be in the stands at Goodison Park with the club’s owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright for Saturday’s lunchtime game against Arsenal, with Duncan Ferguson continuing his caretaker role.
Ancelotti will then meet his new players and start his new role from Sunday, with his first game in charge against Burnley on Boxing Day.
Ferguson and Ancelotti’s son Davide will work as assistants to the 60-year-old.
Ancelotti said: “This is a great club with a rich history and a very passionate fan base. There is a clear vision from the owner and the board to deliver success and trophies.
“That is something that appeals to me as a manager and I am thrilled at the prospect of being able to work with everybody at the club to help make that vision a reality.
“I have seen from the performances in the last two weeks that the players are capable of so much. The work Duncan has done is a great credit to him.
“Strong organisation, strong discipline and the right motivation are some of the key ingredients in football and I’m pleased that he will be part of my backroom team moving forward.”
The appointment of Ancelotti is a major coup for Everton, who sit 16th in the Premier League table, three points above the relegation zone.
He is one of only three bosses to have won the Champions League three times – twice with AC Milan and once with Real Madrid – as well as winning domestic titles in Italy, England, France, Spain and Germany.
Ancelotti won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield during his spell at Chelsea between 2009 and 2011.
He has since managed Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich before a troubled start to his second term at Napoli came to an end last week.
Marcel Brands, Everton’s director of football, added: “Following a rigorous process conducted by all of our directors, it is a pleasure to now welcome Carlo Ancelotti to Everton.
“He is one of the finest managers in world football and a proven winner, having achieved a remarkable level of success in each of Europe’s major leagues.
“He is the perfect appointment for us. He embraces our vision for the club and we are sure that his enthusiasm to take the helm at Goodison together with his tactical abilities and well-renowned man-management will make him successful in this role.
“This was a clear and exciting decision for the board to make. It was a unanimous choice and one we were all fully united behind throughout.
“Carlo has proven time and again, he knows how to build a trophy-winning side and we share the excitement of our fans at the prospect of him leading our team in the years ahead. We’re all greatly looking forward to working with him.”
Ancelotti comes in as a permanent replacement for Marco Silva, who was relieved of his duties following Everton’s 5-2 defeat in the Merseyside derby earlier in December.
Interim boss Ferguson, who was placed in temporary charge after Silva’s departure, oversaw a 3-1 victory over Chelsea, a 1-1 draw away at Manchester United and a defeat to Leicester on penalties in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
