People always have their favourites and football fans always love a good debate.

Who is better Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

When discussing this era’s best manager some will claim it’s Jurgen Klopp, others will be adamant it’s Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte will have his backers, Zinedine Zidane will get a shout, Diego Simeone’s work doesn’t go unnoticed and Jose Mourinho will still have people screaming out his name.

There’s obviously no definitive answer and different metrics will be used to support certain arguments but saying that I will make a case for Carlo Ancelotti.

As a player he played for that famous AC Milan side of the late 80s and early 90s, working under great coaches Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello.

The Italian boss has just returned the La Liga title back into the hands of Real Madrid. That was that last league crown that the sixty-two year old needed to complete the managerial ‘Grand Slam’ in Europe.

By ‘Grand Slam’ I mean he has managed a club in each of the top five leagues (Serie A, Premier League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga and La Liga) and secured a top tier title in each of those nations.

That shows us that Carlo can coach anywhere.

In terms of the Champions League, Only Zidane can say he has won the same amount of winners medals as a gaffer in that illustrious competition (each winning it three times). Unlike Zidane though Ancelotti has won it with more than one club, only Mourinho and Jupp Heynckes can say the same since 1993.

Nor can we say that Carlo can only gain limited success before moving on. At Milan he was there for over 400 games in charge. In that time he expertly managed an ageing team and won various trophies.

At Chelsea, the Emilia-Romagna native was the first boss to gain domestic success in the Premier League since the departure of Jose Mourinho in 2007.

He helped PSG win their first title in almost twenty years. Ancelotti was the man who helped give the Ligue 1 giants a sense of respectability amongst the game’s elite, convincing the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to join him in Paris.

When Bayern Munich lost the formidable force that is Pep Guardiola as their manager in 2016, it was Carlo who they turned to and he delivered the Bundesliga in his only full season in Bavaria.

During his career at the eleven clubs he’s bossed at; Carlo Ancelotti’s winning percent rate has only dipped under 50% three times and just once since 1999.

In truth I don’t think Ancelotti gets the credit he deserves.

He’s not as outspoken as a Mourinho and he isn’t as trendy with his tactics/philosophy as a Klopp or a Pep. But his ability to walk into a dressing room and adapt to that situation rather than expect everyone to change for him is admirable in this era.

The Real Madrid boss is a dignified character who commands respect. He’s also loyal and willing to listen to his players.

In his book ‘Quiet Leadership’, Ancelotti states his job is just about managing the team and treating his players like humans. He doesn’t worry about the politics and those that pay his wages as he knows he can’t control those situations.

When you look at the players that he’s worked with and their opinion of him, you’ll see he is loved by those he has guided throughout the years:

He’s like a big teddy bear, he’s really sensitive and is a great guy. He would speak with us every day, but not just with me, with all of the players. He had great fun with us. He’s a great person and my only wish is that every player gets the chance to work with him because he’s such a great guy and a fantastic coach.

Cristiano Ronaldo via Bleacher Report

“He is the only coach I have had who has such an excellent rapport with his players, even more so than Jose Mourinho.”

Zlatan Ibranimovic via Planet Football

“He’s a great coach who likes to play good football and his teams play with real style,”

“He has a good footballing philosophy. I have nothing but good things to say about him, Carlo is a friend, a great person. He’s an outstanding coach, who treats his players well and is well-liked inside the dressing room.”

Andrea Pirlo via Sky Sports

Even now that he has won the La Liga title, Carlo Ancelotti’s job isn’t safe. They have a huge clash with Manchester City in the Champions League to deal with but rumours suggest his time at the Bernabeu could be coming to an end – again! (Source – Sport Bible).

I’d like to think that won’t happen but you can never really know with football these days but if were to be relieved of his duties he should be top of the list of any club or nation worth their salt looking for a world class football manager!

Posted on May 1st, 2022 by scott
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