Italian strategist Carlo Ancelotti led Real Madrid to a magnificent triumph, securing the domestic La Liga championship and their 14th Champions League title in the club’s history. However, Real Madrid’s campaign was not always smooth sailing.
Carlo Ancelotti cemented his status as the greatest coach in Champions League history as his Real Madrid defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the final. Ancelotti has now claimed a total of four Champions League titles as a coach.
Amidst the tension with club president Florentino Perez, Ancelotti’s secret promise comes to light.
Prior to this, Ancelotti had already made history in Europe by becoming the first coach to win titles in the top five European leagues: La Liga (Spain, Real Madrid), Premier League (England, Chelsea), Serie A (Italy, AC Milan and Juventus), Ligue 1 (France, PSG), and Bundesliga (Germany, Bayern Munich).
Ancelotti also became the first coach to reach the Champions League final on five occasions. He guided AC Milan to the final three times in 2003, 2005, and 2007, winning it twice in 2003 and 2007. Ancelotti also won the Champions League twice with Real Madrid in 2014 and 2022.
Last month, Real Madrid clinched the La Liga title with four rounds remaining. Following an overwhelmingly successful season for both Real Madrid and Ancelotti, the hidden corners behind the scenes at Santiago Bernabeu stadium are now revealed.
Before their glorious triumph, Real Madrid experienced a tumultuous season despite maintaining an absolute lead in La Liga throughout. The success under Ancelotti during this season came unexpectedly.
Prior to the start of the 2021-2022 campaign, Real Madrid President Florentino Perez did not consider Carlo Ancelotti as a suitable replacement for Zinedine Zidane, who resigned at the end of the previous season.
Real Madrid found themselves uncertain about the next steps they needed to take. The club struggled to find a new head coach amid renowned managers finding success elsewhere.
Then, a chance phone call allowed Ancelotti to have a second opportunity to return to Real Madrid, something he never expected. Ancelotti returned to the Spanish royal club after guiding Everton to a top-half finish in the previous Premier League season.
Even with the remarkable victories in La Liga, doubts persisted about the sustainability of Real Madrid under Ancelotti, especially after the 4-0 loss to Barcelona in March.
Some believe that defeat signaled a power shift between the two arch-rivals, as Barcelona, under Xavi, showed much better form than Real Madrid. However, since that defeat, Real Madrid went on to secure two major titles, while Barcelona ended the season empty-handed.
The 0-4 loss to Barcelona even made President Florentino Perez anxious about the team’s future. In the midst of the national team break, Perez summoned Ancelotti for an urgent meeting to discuss the current situation at Real Madrid.
According to Marca (Spain), during this meeting, Ancelotti’s future at Real Madrid was not in jeopardy, but Perez expressed his deep concern and frustration over the team’s performance and poor results, despite sitting comfortably atop La Liga.
Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti is renowned for his calm demeanor and composed approach to handling situations. And he demonstrated that before President Perez with a prophetic statement. “Don’t worry, President,” Ancelotti reassured, “We will win La Liga and the Champions League.”
This comforting statement from Ancelotti occurred after Real Madrid’s fortunate victory over PSG in the Champions League Round of 16. From that point on, Real Madrid continued their journey, overcoming Chelsea and Manchester City in dramatic comebacks to reach the final and ultimately defeat Liverpool 1-0.
Carlo Ancelotti may not always convince others, but he has managed to convince himself, President Florentino Perez, and his players of what Real Madrid is capable of achieving, and they ultimately delivered.
Carlo Ancelotti is heading to Brazil! CBF reaches an agreement for the Real Madrid boss to take over the men’s national team.
CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues confirmed that an agreement has been reached with Carlo Ancelotti, who will assume the role in 2024.
CBF ensures Ancelotti will join Brazil in 2024.
Ancelotti rejected an offer to join this year.
He has a contract with Real Madrid until 2024.
WHAT HAPPENED? CBF has assured on Rede Globo that once Carlo Ancelotti’s contract expires at Real Madrid on July 1, 2024, he will take charge of the Brazil men’s national team. CBF chief Ednaldo Rodrigues reportedly wants to announce the deal even before his contract with the Spanish giants expires.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Even though CBF has guaranteed Ancelotti’s arrival, the Italian manager can only give his verbal consent to the federation because as per FIFA regulations, a player or a coach can only commit to a new team in the final six months of his or her contract. This means that Ancelotti can’t officially sign a deal before January 1, 2024.
AND WHAT’S MORE: CBF has been pursuing the Real Madrid boss since Tite left the managerial role after Brazil’s elimination from the 2022 World Cup in December. Ancelotti had denied joining the Brazil national team on multiple occasions, and earlier this month, it was confirmed that he would continue for one more season at Los Blancos.
