Andy Mangan’s dream move to Real Madrid is officially off after the Stockport County assistant was denied a work permit, according to the Sunday Times journalist, Jonathan Northcroft. The attacking specialist was offered a role with Carlo Ancelotti’s side recently, sending shock waves through football as it quickly became one of the most surprising moves of the summer.
Unfortunately, the coach won’t have the chance to actually work with Los Blancos. The move fell through at the last minute due to work permit issues, as reported by Northcroft via a post on X, and instead, he will remain at Stockport as the club look to earn their fourth promotion in six years. Having only been at the club since March, Madrid’s interest in Mangan seemingly came out of nowhere, but it is a case of not what you know, but who you know.
Mangan Previously Worked with Ancelotti’s Son
He earned his coach’s badges alongside him
Considering he currently works for a League One team, it’s hard to imagine that Mangan just stumbled onto Madrid’s radar. No, instead, the club’s interest in his services came after he was recommended to Ancelotti by his son, Davide. The 35-year-old, who is working as an assistant manager for his father at the Bernabeu actually studied for his coaching badges alongside Mangan and during their time together, the Englishman clearly left a lasting impression.
Ancelotti was determined to try and freshen up his coaching staff at Madrid this summer and as a result, his son recommended Mangan. His opinion clearly mattered a lot to his father too, as the former Chelsea boss then reached out and tried to offer the former striker a role in Spain.
Mangan is an Attacking Specialist
He joined Stockport in March
The last few years have been monumental for Stockport. Just five years ago, they were playing in the National League North, but following a surge in fortunes on the pitch, they’ve been promoted three times since 2019 and are currently in League One. It’s smart business off the pitch and excellent performances on it that have seen the club thrive recently.
Last year, in their first season back in League Two, the club decided to hire Mangan and it only made things even better. The coach joined the team as an attacking specialist in March and the impact was tremendous. Heading into the month, the side were winless in their previous four matches. After his arrival, they wracked up 11 straight games without a loss. The only match they lost after his appointment was the final game of the season to Wrexham when they had already confirmed their promotion.
Furthermore, the club hadn’t scored for three games in a row before he joined the club and then they scored at least one goal in every single game throughout the remainder of the campaign. Stockport have started the current season in strong form too. They are currently unbeaten in League One and find themselves sitting second in the division after four games. Mangan’s impact on the team can’t be overstated and it’s easy to see why Ancelotti was willing to listen to his son.
Mangan’s Move Fell Through
He was refused a work permit
When a club like Real Madrid come calling, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. Especially for someone coaching in League One, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for Mangan and the deal fell through after he was denied a work permit ahead of the appointment. It’s a major setback and means he’ll remain at Stockport for the foreseeable future. It’s a cruel twist and denies him the chance of working with one of the greatest managers of all-time.
According to the Daily Mail, Madrid were looking for a coach with experience in the English football league, but will likely have to look elsewhere now that the 38-year-old has been denied the chance to move to Spain. It’s also been implied that the move would have seen Davide Ancelotti take Mangan as his assistant manager whenever he decided to try his hand as a manager on his own away from his father’s watchful eye.