Early Days
Mentored by Arrigo Sacchi, one of football’s finest tacticians, Carlo Ancelotti started his coaching career as his assistant for the Italian NT. He was pivotal in Sacchi’s Milan project in the late 80s, winning two European cups as a player, only to overshadow them with his illustrious coaching career. During his first stints at Reggiana and then at Parma, he tried to implement Sacchi’s principles, and this is where it gets interesting. This article will look at the psychological aspects of the game, beyond tactics.
With the intention of implementing Sacchi’s 4–4–2 (wide) system, Carlo made the decision to abandon the traditional roles of libero and trequartista. Unfortunately, this strategic shift ultimately resulted in some controversial choices, such as famously rejecting Baggio’s transfer to Parma and selling Zola to Chelsea. Nevertheless, he helped them finish second in Serie-A, two points behind Juventus. After elimination in the early stages of the Cl, he was dismissed.
Zidane’s Influence
“I tailor-made the side for Zizou. He changed my style of football. I owe everything to him.” — Carlo Ancelotti
With Juventus, Ancelotti became less rigorous with the team’s formation, abandoning his favoured 4–4–2 in order to accommodate French playmaker Zidane in his preferred free role behind the forwards — Inzaghi and Del Piero in a 3–4–1–2 or 4–3–1–2. Del Piero operated as a roaming forward, and freedom augmented his output. And henceforth the fundamental impetus for Carlo’s metamorphosis stemmed from his astute capacity to transmute his tactics in accordance with the unique strengths and abilities of his players. Influence.
Man-Management
“Tell him he’s Pele and get him back on” — John Lambie
1.1 The past, the present, the future.
You have to go back years to find a breed of managers that could not only motivate players to excel beyond their talent but ones that could exert their own authority over their stars with psychological aplomb. Carlo Ancelotti is a dying breed.
From the days of Chapman to Prozzo to Herrera to Guttaman to Zagallo to Michaels to Shankly to Bilardo to Cruyff to Sacchi to Biesla to LVG to Sir Alex to the modern-day Pep, Carlo, Klopp, Jose and others, football always has seen various styles and methods with varying legacies. It is the balance of Tactical Nous and Man-Management that builds the best teams, the variance in the adroitness of either of the skill-set is what humanizes football.
In contemporary football, the zenith of the strategic transformation has been attained, with even the most modest of teams possessing an understanding of intricate concepts such as high-pressing, zoning, half-spaces, compactness, and diverse tactical drills. The economics and science of football have undergone a comprehensive metamorphosis, and current football managers have access to a squad of specialists, including assistant managers, analysts, statisticians, psychologists, and others.
As a result, nearly every team demonstrates tactical discipline, implying that the squad with superior players generally emerges victorious. Nonetheless, we are observing a continual decline in unexpected outcomes, and it is vital for a team with superior players to be correctly motivated, guided, and equipped with a clear vision.
Therefore, effective leadership and management are of paramount significance today since assistant managers, statisticians, and data analysts utilize a range of sophisticated software, data analysis tools, and video analysis to devise tactical drills and patterns. However, if the manager is incapable of implementing their ideas, sustaining team motivation, or promoting team cohesion, none of these efforts will have any impact.
“Between culture and football, culture eats football for breakfast, lunch and dinner.” — Carlo Ancelotti
In the forthcoming era, it is plausible that the tactical aspect of football shall be supervised by a football-specific iteration of Stockfish that can discern and refine manoeuvres with an extensive ten-step foresight and instantaneously identify patterns and formations, communicating necessary alterations to their respective players on the pitch via earpieces. Consequently, the sole remnant of the managers shall be their skilful execution of interpersonal relations, as all other facets will be automated.
1.2 Leadership
1.2.1 Humility and Professionalism
“I’m a good listener. I like communicating with people while putting myself at the same level. I don’t want people to think I feel superior to them, nor do I want them to see me as inferior. The relationship must be based on the same level, especially with football players. I really like listening to them, because I think that everybody can contribute with their ideas. The coach must then be able to bring all these ideas together and convey them. ‘Conveying’ is the keyword: conveying your own ideas. It can’t be forced. The key to good communication is being on the same level, being authoritative instead of authoritarian. And, of course, respect.” — Carlo Ancelotti
Clement, who has previously worked as Ancelotti’s assistant at Chelsea, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in his career, is probably better placed to identify the Italian’s strengths than almost anybody.
And, speaking in an interview with The Coaches’ Voice, Clement opened up on a fascinating tactics meeting when they were both at Chelsea.
The laissez-faire tactical approach.
He said: “I was standing at the front with the marker pen and the flip chart, and he (Ancelotti) started off the team talk the night before the saying: ‘This is the last game of the season, we know what we’re able to do and we know the opposition. What do you think the tactics should be?’
“And then there was silence.
“The players, obviously, hadn’t had this kind of question asked to them before, but gradually the hands started to go up and the points started to come down.
“Before you knew it, we had a list of defending points and a list of attacking points, and that was it.
“Team talk was done, tactics were decided and the players went on and delivered.
“Sometimes coaches are scared of that — of giving all that responsibility, but ultimately that’s what it’s all about.”
He is the epitome of consummate professionalism and exhibits an unwavering ardour to succeed, thereby commanding profound admiration. He adeptly shields his team from the rigours of top-tier football by concealing the strain he endures. He approaches the circumstance with gravity but not at the expense of his own equanimity, and is oftentimes observed jesting in the locker room before a momentous match to alleviate the tension.
Ever the Democrat.
1.2.2 Cultural Shape-Shifter
Ancelotti’s exceptional demand as a football manager for the world’s top clubs stems from his quintessential European identity, which allows him to thrive in multiple national contexts and exhibit fluent multilingualism. His proficiency in not only his native Italian but also French and English, and his crash-learning of German, further highlights his versatility. Contemporary football clubs, as noted by German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, resemble global cities, hosting workers from all over the world, rather than home teams with traditional identities. A quick glance at the Real Madrid, PSG, and other brand teams’ player rosters reveals an overpowering trend towards internationalism, with players from Spain, Germany, Brazil, France, Italy, Croatia, and various other countries contending for playing time. A broad outlook and proficiency in multiple languages are significant advantages for a manager of a planetary brand, be it a media conglomerate or a football club.
1.2.3 Roles
An equitable pecking order among the key figures in a football team is essential for the establishment of a robust Internal Control (IC) leadership that can support the primary squad. Ancelotti suggests that the means of accomplishing this objective is to ensure a heterogeneous array of specialists within the team.
״Ronaldo is what I call a ‘technical leader’, who leads by example; he doesn’t speak a lot but is serious, very professional and takes care of himself. Ramos is what I call a ‘personality leader’, a leader with strong character, never scared, never worried — always positive״
“What I really loved about Carlo [Ancelotti] is his man-management, the way he adapted as well — because he had a way of coaching that probably didn’t suit English football.
But he adapted very quickly, when speaking to me, Frank [Lampard], Didier [Drogba], he wanted to pick our brains: ‘Is this too much of tactics for the players to do? Are we doing too much of this? I want to get the right balance.’
I’ve never had a manager actually, in probably all my career, that asked the players and gave them a bit of responsibility. He made you feel the togetherness was incredible, and we went on to win some big things.” — John Terry
1.2.4 The bigger picture.
“football is the most important of the less important things in the world.” — C. Ancelotti
Ancelotti exhibits exceptional acumen in comprehending the grand scheme of things. He is adept in assimilating routine reports on the physiological, psychological, and affective vitality of individuals and integrating them with the collective’s immediate requisites and the team’s overarching seasonal aims. By confining his attention to the present circumstances of each person, he succeeds in proactively strategizing and contemplating the macro perspective.
1.3 Catalysis
“Ancelotti is a second father” — Nesta
Ancelotti’s gifts (natural or acquired) for communication, inclusion and deeply personal touch have made him the ideal manager for dressing rooms crackling with the electricity of superstar talents who need a lightning rod to channel them.
Fabio Cannavaro
“What I remember the most from Ancelotti is learning zonal marking. I was accustomed to only tracking the man, but with him I learned the right movements and posture. It’s difficult to stop Carletto once he starts giving you notes!” — Cannavaro
This shows Carlo’s tactical acumen as well. He initially deployed Cannavaro as a left-back till he realised he would be a perfect fit as a centre-back along with Lilian Thuram during his tenure at Parma, culminating in a formidable defensive duo that propelled them to the runner-up spot in the Italian league. The defensive tenets assimilated by Carlo at the tender age of 22, served as a harbinger of his Ballon d’Or award.
“It was an exceptional rapport I had with him, when he said goodbye to us in order to join Milan, all the players were crying.
WE CRIED FOR ANCELOTTI”
Paolo Maldini
“People say that I was a banner for AC Milan. If that’s true, then he was the wind that made me flutter.” — Maldini about Ancelotti
Andrea Pirlo
“I think that the player who I changed position, to whom it had the biggest impact was Pirlo. He was number 10, and I’ve put him as a holding midfielder, and someone said to me that I was crazy, but the player believed that it was good for him to play there” — Ancelotti
Pirlo and Ancelotti won eight trophies at AC Milan including Serie A and two Champions League titles. Notably, Pirlo’s meteoric rise to fame in the deep-lying playmaker position, which culminated in his triumphant performance in the World Cup, can be attributed to Ancelotti.
“Carlo was like a father and a teacher for me, a kind, friendly man who knew how to make things fun. I’d spent the best years of my career with him. If you’re a player who wants to get on and give everything, you won’t find anyone better than him.”
The Italian has often sighted Ancelotti’s role in his development and how he changed the course of his career by switching him into the deep-lying role.
Frank Lampard
“I’ve been influenced by people and I was influenced by him as a player and as a man at the time” — Lampard
Frank Lampard went on to score a career-high 22 goals. 48 G/A in 36 games. It was his best-ever premier league season and guess what?
Lampard averaged a net over-performance of 118.18% in the PL.
“When he first arrived we had a team meal and I was late for it and there was only one seat next to the gaffer.
“You walk in and you’re like, “Oh shit, I have to sit next to the gaffer.” And I see all the lads not knowing what to do and straight away he’s given me a shot of grappa.
“I thought, well this is a test. So I did the shot, cheers boss, bang. I did it and he just poured another one for me. We were just doing shots of grappa all night me and Carlo.
“He embraced us and the lads loved him. Even when he left me out of teams, I still loved him. He had a brilliant way about it.” — Joe Cole
Carlo Ancelotti also holds the record for the most goals scored by Chelsea in a particular PL season — 103 goals, the second best was Conte’s 85 in 16/17 not even close. +71gd only beaten by Pep’s 17/18. Whilst the goal record of 68 home goals stays untouched.
The midfield of Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel are at the heart of the diamond with Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda possessing the wide positions, thrived for quite a while and lead them to a PL title.
Drogba — 39 G/A, Lampard — 36 G/A, Anelka — 18 G/A, Malouda — 20 G/A. Outrageous numbers.
Drogba scored 51 G/A in 44 games under Carlo, a net improvement of 168.42% as compared to his previous season under Felipe Scolari.
Cristiano Ronaldo
“He’s like a big bear, I can say. He’s a cute guy, such a sensitive person. He spoke with us every day. Not just with me but with all the players. He had fun with us.
He’s an unbelievable person. I just wish every player could have an opportunity to work with him because he’s a fantastic guy, and a fantastic coach and I miss him a lot because we won many trophies together.”
“When we first got to the club, he had played as a number nine but Carlo had the idea for him in 2013–14 that he would become a full-time striker so he didn’t have to track a full-back,” Clement told Goal.
He spoke to Carlo and asked to be on the left, cutting inside, shooting, crossing and providing key passes. Carlo just said: ‘Look it is important for you to be comfortable and we don’t want you to be uncomfortable’.
It is an example of how Carlo manages top players; he didn’t put his foot down and say you’re a striker now. It was important for Ronaldo to be comfortable because he was the match-winner and it worked well.
They had to adjust everything else to ensure he didn’t have to track his full-back. Defensively, it would be a 4–4–2 where Ronaldo would be a striker with Karim Benzema. Then Angel Di Maria, who was on the left of midfield, would move out to the left to create a four. It was a lopsided shape that would change to allow Ronaldo to play more advanced.
“He’s the best player I have ever coached. With him you start the game 1–0 up”
Numbers? 112 goals and 47 assists in 101 games. 1.57 G/A p90 the best he had averaged under any manager. Ronaldo’s highest-scoring year (69 goals in 2014) and his highest-scoring season (14/15) both came under Carlo. He also won the Balon D’or twice under his tutelage ending his four-year drought.
A net 26.47% improvement in Cristiano’s numbers all attacking attributes combined.
Zlatan Ibrahimović
“Before winning the 2012/13 league title, we were getting ready to play against Lyon. Carlo Ancelotti was a bit tense, so Ibra approached him and asked him if he believed in Jesus. Ancelotti said yes, so Ibra told him: “Good, so you believe in me. You can relax!” Zlatan is like this — he has a lot of self-confidence. This helps him to be a great player.”
Ancelotti and Ibra went on to win the Ligue 1 with PSG for the first time since 1993. Zlatan bagged a scintillating 53 G/A in 46 games. That's the second-best goal tally in his career btw.
This is exactly what managing the biggest of egos looks like.
‘I’ve had coaches who are slightly better at certain things, but he’s the best coach, because he’s the best at football and he’s the best man.’
“Zlatan, as he says in his book, hates Guardiola, because he thinks he’s a coward. He thinks he doesn’t have any balls. “Ibrahimovic got in a row about why he got subbed in a game. Guardiola sent a lieutenant to tell him about it, he wouldn’t front up. Zlatan said to me: ‘Is this a man?’ And in his book, he calls him a spineless coward.
“But Carlo would explain why players were dropped, and was very open, and Zlatan really likes that sort of thing. He likes people being men.”
Ricardo Kaka
“Everyone you work with can teach you something, whether it is tactically, technically or just something personal,” the legendary Brazilian said. But Carlo was the best one for me because he brought the very best out of me.
“The most impressive characteristic that he has got, in my opinion, is his ability to manage people. Man-management is so important.
“Of course, he is really good with tactics and he understands the game and everything, but it was how he managed the players.
“You have a squad of 25 players and you can only put 11 on the field. What are you going to do with the others? How are you going to keep them motivated?
“He knew how to do that. Everywhere he goes, when he leaves, he leaves this nice feeling with the players’ hearts.”
Carlo Ancelotti unlocked Kaka, by deploying him in the classic no.10 role. the Milan system was built around him and his 13 G/A in UCL 2006/07 lead him to a Balon D’or beating both Messi and Ronaldo. Overall 27 G/A in 44 games, incredible in #10 terms.
“With the ball, he was a monster. I stopped talking, just because I couldn’t find the words. There were no words to describe what I was seeing. That Jehovah’s Witness was actually a man who talked to God, as we found out later. The second best player I’ve ever coached” — Carlo Ancelotti about Kaka
Karim Benzema
“Football is lucky to see Karim Benzema play.” — Carlo Ancelotti
Benzema has a record 168 G/A under Ancelotti. After Cristiano left, Benma took it upon himself to lead Madrid, and he rightly did by scoring 20+ goals all of the seasons but it is Carlo who unlocked his ultimate version, Karim the dream Benzema who went to score and assist 59 G/A from 46 games.
Benzema had a net improvement of 51.28% under Carlo’s tutelage. 17 G/A in the CL, gargantuan numbers just behind Ronaldo who interestingly scored 22 G/A in the 13/14 CL under Carlo again. How does Carlo do it?
Well, I could go and on and on but I should give it a rest. He simply brings the best out of his players cause surely not all of this can be miraculous? lmao
“You don’t teach Ronaldo how to shoot or Modric how to pass.”
Freedom comes with luxury. It's about letting the big names play the big games the way they want to, cause individuals and moments are often what dictate the knockout ties, and if you limit them, you are the one who’s missing out. However, I will say, it works only for the top 1–5%ile of players.
Ancelottismo and Madridismo — A symbiotic relationship
“My ass is earth-quake proof” — Carlo Ancelotti
The philosophy of not having a static philosophy.
‘In my conception of living life, I prefer life to be more art than science, what is artistic marks forever, it moves people. My greatest teachers gave me a lot of freedom and this is different to what the players are used to…I try to promote an environment where we can create things collectively, everyone gives their opinion so they feel like they’re a part of it, it’s very alive, very organic’— Fernando Diniz
What makes great tacticians? — The grand ideas they espouse, their dogmatic commitment to those ideas and long-winded, earnest explanations of why they are so effective. When they win, it is not just a victory for the team but for an ideal. There is something fundamentally appealing about that. It provides comfort, and an identity to cling to and be proud of.
The indomitable human psyche has perennially been uplifted by the ardour of fervent rivalry. Functional societies are distinguished by the prevalence of structures that are defined by proficiency. This phenomenon is apparent in the domain of athletics, as much as in any other area. A selected few rise to the dizzying heights of becoming the foremost achievers at varying levels. The already limited group of talented individuals further diminishes from the seasonal performers to the generational ones and culminates into the greatest of all ages. What sport could be more relevant than football when considering the quintessence of All-Time Greatness?
Individuals exhibiting explosive personalities are renowned for their captivating effect on the media and the public’s attention, but a more subdued persona has gradually yet effectively amassed a coveted collection of trophies.
That is Don Carlo, who starkly contrasts with the aforementioned persona. He embodies a fluidic coaching style, acting as a shapeshifting entity that can readily adapt to the canister in which he is situated. He is an exemplary pragmatist, rendering it highly improbable to hear him engage in discourse regarding his footballing ideology.
“All this tippy-tappy stuff everybody keeps going on about as the right way to play football is all a load of bollocks.” — Sam Allardyce
In an interview, when Carlo was at Chelsea he was thrown numbers, regarding Pep’s passing and possession numbers, to which he had aptly responded:
“Passes are a tool — they shouldn’t become an obsession.
As Einsten said: “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” Possession alone doesn’t win the game.” — Ancelotti.
Football — a game of chess with the roll of dice.
The players. The mind. The ball. The space.
Football resembles chess in its strategic complexity but transcends it in scope and intricacy. Grandmasters prepare the games, tacticians do too; the openings equivalent to the build-up schemes of one vs the pressing schemes of the rival, controlling the centre of the board — central compactness, the concepts of pins and forks, bishop’s diagonals — the switches, rooks — the vertical flag-bearers, the sacrifices, the composure of the endgames — the mentality. In theory, they fit perfectly like Lego blocks.
The DICE
— exemplifies the external aspects, the randomness, the mentality, and the psychology of the 22 on-field players. A grandmaster exerts dominion over 16 inert, impassive game pieces. In contrast, a manager presides over 11 sentient minds. The dissimilarity is astronomical; the former can manipulate the pieces in accordance with their idealistic philosophy, attaining faultless manoeuvres while the game’s fate rests on the infinitesimal miscalculations of “the thinker” and the latter is governed not only by the errors of the tactician but also of the players which may be mental or techno-tactical, this is what humanizes football, this is what makes us love it — the unpredictability. The X-factor.
However, the tangibles and intangibles of football don’t add up. There’s not a weighed function where all the aforementioned tangible factors and intangible factors add up to spit out the winner of a football game. So to control the randomness, the positional game was developed. It brings order. It’s a system which absorbs the flaws and limits them. Space is the static primary reference and the dynamic freeing up of space in relative to shifting blocks is the objective. Automatisms develop the muscle memory of players to form repetitive passing triangles aided by the pre-imposed formation and there’s more to it. How to defy the system? Bring back what it was made for — CHAOS.
The QUEEN ROLE
“The team should be built around the best player” — Carlo Ancelotti
What does a Queen do? It can access the vertical as well as the diagonal pathways, which are beyond the capacity of pawns to fathom. If we restrict it to do the stuff every other piece does, would we not underutilize its potential? The best players are built for the big moments. Dribbling and finishing are like art, and the players who have mastered either of them are unparalleled.
But the queen has limitations too, can it move like a knight?
The KNIGHTS — The playmakers endowed with exceptional acumen to send the ball to unimaginable zones, to create chances out of thin air. Your Messi’s, Modric’s and KDB’s.
THE UNDERDOG WAY
The story of the “Decimocuarta”.
Zidane leaves. The old guard of ANIKETOS and ALEXIARES had fallen — as Ramos and Varane departed. With Vini operating at suboptimal levels and a Madrid bolstered by Benzema, Casemiro being the second highest scorer. It was all chaos. The fanbase harboured no expectation beyond a trophy-less season and the rest is history.
“Suppose Henry Ford II wanted to build the greatest race car the world’s ever seen, to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What’s it take?”
“Well, it takes something money can’t buy.”
Iacocca said, “Well, it can buy speed.”
“It isn’t about speed. You need a pure racer behind the wheel of your car.” — Shelby
Carlo Ancelotti — The old jolly cigar-smoking uncle, the guy who can fix anything. He didn't have the tools to build the greatest race car in the world, but he sure as hell knew how to race his way with the pre-existing one.
Carlo assumed the persona of Doc Hudson, and McQueen exemplifies the young guns whom he motivated to help the old guards finish their last races in style.
The Show-man
“Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called the Pledge” — Cutter
THE PLEDGE
The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course… it probably isn’t.
After matchday 25, Real Madrid were 15 points ahead of FC Barcelona. And had won the Super-cup against Bilbao with goals from Benzema and Modric. The pessimistic anticipations were utterly disintegrated.
“The second act is called the TURN.”
THE TURN
The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you’re looking for the secret… but you won’t find it, because of course you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to know. You want to be fooled. But you wouldn’t clap yet.
A significant proportion, of a Champions League knockout fixture, is entirely dedicated to strategic manoeuvres and planning, while the rest is chaos. This is where Real Madrid thrived and killed PSG. Those 45 mins can't be coached, the game of instincts and composure. Game-states.
“Fluke. Luck. Windfall” — That’s what the people said.
Then came Chelsea, “so close but yet so far”, after annihilating them in the first leg 3–1 (and mind you Carlo got his tactics spot-on in that game, except patches of falling back into low blocks which was common considering the fact that freedom based attacking ideals cant compliment sustained defensive structures and hence makes it all the more vulnerable), Tuchel’s men came back and then something happened which precisely defines what football is about. Moments.
The Turn. The Trice. The Trivela — the Knight role.
Shifting gears. The Champion League cheat code.
Requirements? xG overperformers — Benzema, Elite outlets — Vini, Rodrygo, Engine — Modric, Kroos. Shot-stopper — Courtois.
Mmm, there’s something undeniably rebellious about it. Picture this: the stakes couldn’t be higher, it’s the pivotal moment of a Champions League semi-final, and you choose to entrust your senior players with the final decisive move. In today’s coaching world, the norm is all about having a tight grip: control over the ball, control over the circumstances, and maintaining an intense and high press. But this… this is something altogether different. It’s a bold move that smacks of daring and a devil-may-care attitude. And yet in that moment, Ancelotti relinquished control and handed over the keys to a decision for which he would ultimately be held responsible.
Carlo conceded goals true. Can he beat Pep tactically? no, can he coach sustained spells vs City in their own half for long periods? no. How to capitalize on the existing circumstances? Tactics aren't always about deploying your idolized philosophy, it's about how you set your team up in the best way possible to win.
“You cannot be in the final without suffering, it’s even better, more beautiful when you win like that. Madrid never gives up. It is the same in adversity, we believe in what we do and we get things done by believing in ourselves and fighting.” — Zidane
Ancelotti’s approach — quid pro quo, It’s all about the art of balance, the sweet spot between chaos and control. Sure, it may seem like the opposition is given a chance to take control, but isn’t that just the thrill of the game? The end-to-end environment is where the magic happens, where the sweat glistens on the skin and the heart races with anticipation. Sometimes that’s what takes the game to psychological levels.
“To put it in gentleman’s terms if you’ve been out for a night and you’re looking for a young lady and you pull one, some weeks they’re good looking and some weeks they’re not the best. Our performance today would have been not the best looking bird but at least we got her in the taxi. She wasn’t the best-looking lady we ended up taking home but she was very pleasant and very nice, so thanks very much, let’s have a coffee.” — Ian Holloway , about pragmatic football.
Possession-centric teams commonly adhere to the notion that possession is the most effective strategy for both offence and defence, which is not always the case. In high-stakes matches, one cannot anticipate maintaining absolute control throughout the entirety of the 180-minute game. Inevitably, teams will be forced to defend against transitions and counterattacks, and teams like Real Madrid tend to make every action count. Positional teams appear to regard this approach unfavourably, as playing out of possession appears unrefined. However, respecting all styles of play and mastering the ability to maintain control while out of possession, tactically shifting to mid/low blocks when appropriate, and skillfully leveraging counterattacking and possessional assets are the sole means of prevailing in this competition. This is precisely what Real Madrid excels at.
“Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos.” — Heath Ledger
Now getting back to the 68' and 75' of the second leg, Rodrygo and Camavinga are introduced replacing the old guns. This was the momentum shift.
The substitute Camavinga played a delicious overhead ball to the talismanic Karim Benzema who seemed to defy natural law by stretching towards the heavens to guide the ball into the path of the other substitute Rodrygo. The deficit was halved but this was only the beginning, veteran Dani Carvajal seemed to rediscover his threepeat form from a few years ago and he delivered a cross from the right flank which ricocheted off the head of the substitute Asensio onto the head of guess who? Rodrygo again. In the blink of an eye, the 2-goal deficit had been erased in the twilight of the tie. Pep Guardiola and his players were stunned beyond belief. He emptied his bench of oil money stars but they all seem to wilt in the atmosphere that had erupted into pure euphoria during extra time. Penalty. Karim made no mistake and the Real Resurrection was complete.
Beyond tactics — The power of friendship.
It’s also why we beat City and the proof is in the team talk at the start of extra time. You see Pep giving tactical guidance to every player, telling them exactly what to do but those players were logged off. No one was listening. Carlo didn't talk tactics. He trusts his players and asks how they feel. No one on that pitch needed tactics after 90 minutes. They needed a manager who showed confidence in his men. Ancelotti did that from minutes 1 to 90 and 120. Pep never did that and did the opposite.
Post 90, Carlo was seen discussing the subs with Toni and Marcelo and other veterans, that's humility for you.
Because making something disappear isn’t enough; you have to bring it back. That’s why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call “The Prestige”.
THE PRESTIGE
After Ronaldo’s exit, we had two consecutive Ro16 exits before Zidane took over, and Madrid's dominance was starting to be questioned. Carlo had one job. Odds, probabilities and predictions are little more than a nuisance to Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid. They had proved that time and again last season, repeatedly emerging unscathed from impossible situations and making it look like the most natural thing in the world.
The stage was set in Paris, does Klopp’s gengenpress shed light on the fundamental nature of our existence? meh, we got Thibaut Courtois, thanks.
“Just look at the human resources you have at your disposal and, rather than bending them to your will, mould your tactics to extract the best from them. Put the right players in the right places for the task at hand.”
You can have the best tactical philosophies governing your playstyles, but can they look you in the eye?
Vini-Vidi-Vici
“I am not a magician,” said Carlo Ancelotti. “Just a coach who has to give players the confidence they need to express their qualities.”
And he rightly did so, he gave Vini freedom. He identified his immense ceiling and gave him hope when the entirety of Madrid's fanbase hated him. Autonomy makes a player accountable. If you remember Vini was benched behind Hazard in the first few games, to instil a sense of competition, and make him feel like he has a point to prove.
A net 223.07% improvement in Vinicius’ attacking numbers.
Vini went from a 13 G/A 20/21 to a 42 G/A 21/22. That’s three times, it doesn't just occur naturally, his unorthodox skillset is our main source of chance creation from the flanks, and look how he doubled each of the metrics. Carlo brings the best out of players.
Guess what, he scored the UCL final winner, the icing on the cake.
THE AURELIAN WALL
Thibaut Courtois dropped one of the best gk performances ever and was monumental in the victory with 9 saves and acquiring a clean sheet from an accumulated 2.50 xGOT faced.
“Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t how hard you can hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. It’s how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done.” — Rocky Balboa
Just to get to the Stade de France, they had disposed of Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Manchester City. That Madrid could be considered underdog victors in each of those ties is a testament to football’s new world order. That they came through and then went on to beat Liverpool in the final is proof that the old European aristocracy will not be dethroned without a fight.
Real Madrid were crowned for the 14th time. Wind back nine months — when he took over a squad in transition, supposedly Madrid’s weakest in a decade — and few would have predicted him being able to make it. But he did.
“If I don't die today, I am immortal” — Carlo Ancelotti
You would suspect that Ancelotti cares little for the legacy he has carved out for himself, for the many critics who over the years have derided him as a washed-up relic, an anachronism, a cup manager. Well, Ancelotti has now won league titles in five countries, is beloved the world over and is the first coach to win four Champions Leagues. If this is obsolescence, there are plenty of young coaches out there who would love a bit of it.
He significantly restored his own and the club’s prestige. He accomplished the former with his adaptive approach to the game, rejecting a fixed philosophy in favour of evolution. This malleability proved essential for his survival as a manager over a period of thirty years. His wildcard was man management, which is often underrated. People don't realize that the roof of a player’s technicality is limited, but a player’s mental ceiling is limitless — all it needs is a father figure and a leap of faith, and the results shalt follow. As for the latter, Real Madrid’s apprehensions were rekindled, and our mentality was once again accorded due recognition. Even if we are strategically considered underdogs in forthcoming matches, deep down they’ll always have a feeling of fear that we might as well pull it off. The masters of game-state.
“Real Madrid win games just by aura” will be something you’ll see get thrown around by absolutely every fanbase, while that technically discredits Carlo’s work with a transition-headed Madrid side, we can say he has sacrificed it for the club’s PRESTIGE.
CONCLUSION
Carlo has successfully taken over a Madrid side in trenches and uplifted its morale to unimaginable levels, setting the stage for the upcoming manager.
He has developed all the youngsters to the baseline of the Madrid tag and has toned their mentality in adequate wavelengths.
He has added balance to the squad and when that is managed, the team, thanks to its incredible profiles, can alter momentum easily.
He has 4 Ucls which serve to affirm beyond doubt that he is indubitably one of the preeminent mentors in the realm of competitions.
Carlo Ancelotti is a dying breed, and will probably remain underrated forever, this was my attempt to give my old man some respect.
Forever the People’s coach.
I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
Now the old king is dead, long live the king
