Why Carlo Ancelotti is the top manager in the world as he chases Champions League title with Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti is the best coach in the world today. This may seem like a bit of a strong statement, but it is reality. Ancelotti has an unprecedented opportunity on Saturday against Borussia Dortmund, where his Real Madrid face the German side in the UEFA Champions League final at Wembley (as always, you can follow all the action on CBS, Paramount+CBS Sports Golazo Network and CBS Sports Network). Ancelotti is already the most decorated coach in the history of the Champions League, having won the competition four times as a coach (twice with AC Milan and twice with Real Madrid). By winning the final on Saturday, he can win his fifth Champions League as a manager. These numbers speak for themselves.

Aneclotti’s uncertain start as a coach

Ancelotti is a serial winner as he is also the first and only manager to coach teams in six Champions League finals. As a player, he won the Champions League twice in 1989 and 1990 with AC Milan, becoming one of only seven people to win the competition as a player and as a manager. However, his coaching career did not start with the same credibility and winning path. Carletto, as they call him, took his first steps as a coach as an assistant to his former coach and mentor Arrigo Sacchi in the Italian national team, where he lost the 1994 World Cup in the USA on penalties in the final against Brazil.

He began his career as a first-team coach at Reggiana, in the Italian second division, and then at Parma, a team accustomed to competing for and winning European trophies. However, Ancelotti was fired after his second season at the club and waited six months before finding a new job at Juventus. The Bianconeri’s spell was not successful and, despite winning the Intertoto Cup, Ancelotti’s side lost the Italian Serie A to Lazio in his second season at Juventus, albeit only by a point after defeat to Perugia in the last journey of the season. After two and a half seasons, the Juventus chapter ended a year later.

Ancelotti’s winning story begins at AC Milan

Ancelotti’s winning era as a coach began at AC Milan, where he was appointed in autumn 2001 to replace Fatih Terim. Step by step, and also thanks to an incredible team that included Paolo Maldini, Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta and Andriy Shevchenko among others, Ancelotti finally won his first major trophy as a coach, and also his first Champions League in 2003 , after defeating city rivals Inter in the semi-finals and his former club Juventus on penalties in the final held in Manchester. A year later, Ancelotti won the Italian Serie A title with AC Milan, while in 2005 he was the coach of one of the most dramatic finals in Champions League history, when Liverpool came from 0-3 down to 3-3 in Istanbul. . final and later won on penalties. Ancelotti and AC Milan waited another two years before getting their revenge and winning the Athens final against the same team coached by Rafa Benitez. Ancelotti left AC Milan in 2009 after winning a Serie A title, a Coppa Italia, a Supercoppa Italiana, two Champions League titles, two European Super Cups and a Club World Cup.

Following his spell at AC Milan, Ancelotti was called up by Chelsea owner Roman Abrahmovic to become his manager. In his two years in the Premier League, Ancelotti won the Community Shield once, the Premier League in his first season at the club and the FA Cup. It took six months to find a new club, as in January 2012 PSG appointed Ancelotti to join him. become the new coach. In a year and a half at the club, Ancelotti won the LIgue 1 title, but in the summer of 2013 he became Real Madrid’s new coach for the first time and left the French giants.

Ancelotti’s first spell at Real Madrid

The Real Madrid chapter was an immediate success as Ancelotti managed to manage a team full of stars such as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and many others. In Madrid, Ancelotti won the historic Tenth Champions League against Atlético de Madrid in Lisbon, before stepping down and being replaced by Zinedine Zidane, his former assistant at the club. After his first spell at Real Madrid, Bayern Munich appointed Ancelotti, where he trained until September 2017 and won the Bundesliga before leaving the club. Afterwards, Ancelotti managed Napoli and Everton, where for the first time since his experience at Parma, he did not win a single trophy. They were different experiences, where Ancelotti was called upon to revive both teams, and seemed to begin his downward experience as a coach. It seemed as if the great administrator was ready to ride off into the sunset. However, Ancelotti showed us otherwise.

A triumphant return to Real Madrid

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez decided to appoint Ancelotti again in the summer of 2021, in one of the smartest decisions in the game. Ancelotti has recovered his winning mentality and also the human relationship he maintains with his players, one if not his best strength as a coach. In three years, Real Madrid won two La Liga titles, two Spanish Super Cups, a Copa del Rey, a European Super Cup, a Club World Cup and, most importantly, a Champions League. His relationship with the players, his attitude and also the fact that he managed to return to the highest levels of the game make him the best coach among the top players. Saturday’s final against Borussia Dortmund can only be further confirmation.