Carlo Ancelotti; the greatest manager of all time?

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Tobi David
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Coach Carlo Ancelotti, one of the football managers regarded by many as the greatest manager of all time is about to begin another domestic season in Spain and so far so good, he’ll be looking to add more trophies to his resume.

Simply put, Carlo Ancelotti is amongst the greatest managers of all time, the record-equalling fifth UEFA Super Cup for defending European champions in Helsinki highlights an impressive catalog of achievements for the 63-year-old Italian.

Carlo Ancelotti has won the UEFA Champions League titles; twice as a coach at AC Milan and his current team, Real Madrid respectively, and a one-of-a-kind record of having won league titles across the top 5 European leagues.

Appointed in 2001, Carlo Ancelotti was AC Milan’s coach for eight years and claimed his first Scudetto in the 2003-2004 with a record of 82 points from 34 games and had stars players such as; Andrea Pirlo Paolo Maldini, Andriy Schevchenko, and Clarence Seedorf within his ranks.

Carlo Ancelotti; the greatest manager of all time?

He also claimed a Champions League and Coppa Italia double in the 2002-2003 season. He left Milan as two-time Serie A Coach of the Year and the longest serving coach in consecutive years of the Rossoneri.

The Italian then switched from Milan to the capital of London when he joined Chelsea FC in 2009 and won the Premier League in his first season just like a fellow countryman, Conte repeated years later. He also won the FA Cup. Champions League triumph evaded him at Chelsea during his three-year spell with The Blues which eventually led to his dismissal.

Up next was France and PSG where Don Carlo won PSG’s first league title in 19 years with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and current Chelsea player, Thiago Silva. A triumph that ushered in the Qatari-backed dominance of the Paris outfit.

After his first spell at Madrid was cut short, Carlo took over the reins from Pep at Bayern where he won yet another league title with the German giants.

Now in his second stint at Madrid, via the blue half of Merseyside, Don Carlo has ushered in a new post-Zidane era with a domestic double of La Liga and The Supercopa de España and of course, a 14th European Cup for Los Blancos. The Super Cup victory over Eintracht Frankfurt became his 8th title at Real Madrid.

All these accolades put Carlo Ancelotti in the upper rows of club managers. Six managers in football history have won top-flight domestic titles in four or more countries; Carlo Ancelotti, Giovanni Trapattoni, Jose Mourinho, Tomislav Ivic, Ernst Happel, and Eric Gerets.

Among active coaches, Pep Guardiola has won multiple league titles in England, Germany, and Spain, but, he is still yet to take his talents to France or Italy. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has won titles in England, Italy, and Spain but has never coached in France or Germany.

Cutting an unassuming figure on the touchline most times, most would consider the likes of Klopp, Jose, and Pep to be more proactive coaches by their body language on the sidelines. One thing is clear, Carlo’s methods are working. He has been able to build and sustain teams with talent and longevity, case in point Toni Kross, Luka Modric, and Casemiro. Ancelotti has been able to pull the best out of the midfield trio.

In terms of tactics, Pep and Jurgen may have the upper hand but Carlo’s camp would trash that idealogy after Carlo’s Madrid defeated both teams in crucial games in last season’s edition of the Champions League.

Granted, his tactics are not as swashbuckling as “modern-day” managers, however, his ability to form a subtle and effective identity for all eleven players on the pitch including role players is his biggest selling point. The sheer amount of documented trophies across his stunning career in Europe will point to the fact that Ancelloti is indeed the greatest manager of all time.

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