Carlo Ancelotti: Career, Records, Achievements, Personal Life, and Criticism

Carlo Ancelott is considered to be one of the best managers in the history of football. The kind of accolades he has achieved as a manager of a variety of different clubs is amazing. He is regarded as one of the best tactical masterminds of our beautiful game and does not shy away from making a few bold calls during crucial junctures of the match.

Career and Records

As a manager, Ancelotti has four UEFA Champions League victories: two with AC Milan in 2003 and 2007, and two more with Real Madrid in 2014 and 2022. He is currently the only manager to win league titles in each of the top five European leagues. The manager has won the league in England (Chelsea), Italy (AC Milan), Spain (Real Madrid), Germany (Bayern Munich), and France (PSG)—he has led clubs to five Champions League finals, a record for the world.

Despite his particular fondness for a 4-4-2 formation, Ancelotti is renowned for his ability to be adaptable with his formations and has chosen to accommodate great players whenever possible. Great players like Antonio Conte, Didier Drogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Zinedine Zidane, Andrea Pirlo, Ashley Cole,and Sergio Ramos are just a few who have excelled under Ancelotti.

Achievements

Throughout his career in football, Ancelotti has managed to win a total of twenty-five titles. The 63-year-old is the first manager in history who has won the league title in each of the five main leagues in Europe. He started his management career in 1995 with Serie B team Reggiana.

In addition to Bob Paisley and Zinedine Zidane, who have each won three Champions League titles, he is the most successful head coach in the competition's history with four titles earned alongside AC Milan and Real Madrid.

One of Ancelotti's most cherished awards was the Champions League, known as La Decima, that Real Madrid won in 2013–14. This was Madrid's tenth UEFA Champions League title overall, and it occurred an agonizing 12 years following the team's ninth.

With his collection of awards, Ancelotti is now sixth all-time among professional football managers in terms of trophies won. In addition to his team championships, Ancelotti's coaching abilities have earned him several prominent solo honours. Among them are the European Coach of the Year in 2003 and the UEFA Men's Coach of the Year in 2021/22.

Personal Life

On June 10, 1959, Carlo Ancelotti was born in Reggiolo, Italy, to Giuseppe Ancelotti, a cheese farmer, and his spouse. He worked throughout the day to support the family, and he as well as his sister Angela Ancelotti frequently assisted their parents with farm chores. Growing up, he was drawn to football because it seemed like a more ideal existence than the one he was living on the farm. He eventually began competing in the Reggiolo youth squad, and in 1974 Parma noticed him.

Criticism

Carlo Ancelotti is one of the managers with very few haters and often defends his players and tactics after a game as well. Maybe the most amount of criticism he might have gotten would be during the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul where Liverpool miraculously made a comeback in the second half.  

Chelsea FC fans are also not great admirers of the Italian despite the manager’s effort to guide them to the title in his first season in-charge of the club. Ancelotti had a poor second season which is why some Chelsea supporters might have different views about the manager. Everton fans were also not pleased with the Italian’s decision making as he left them before the start of a new season and joined Real Madrid.