Cool Carlo Ancelotti is crowned King of European football once again

Carlo Ancelotti lauded Real Madrid as the ‘best club in the world’ after steering them to a 15th Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund at Wembley on Saturday.

The German side bossed the La Liga champions in the first half - but spurned a host of clear-cut chances, with Real riding their luck in the showpiece final.

Dortmund continued to dominate after the break, but again failed to breach Madrid’s defence - and paid the price on 74 minutes, when Dani Carvajal headed home a Toni Kroos corner.

That goal relieved all the pressure on Real, and they doubled their lead on 83 minutes when Vinicius Jr latched onto a superb through ball by England star Jude Bellingham and slotted home to make it 2-0 to the Spanish giants.

The result capped a superb first season at Madrid for £115m signing Bellingham, who will be hoping to inspire England to glory at Euro 2024 in Germany this summer.

But it is Ancelotti who received the plaudits in the aftermath of the final from pundits and players, as he kept his cool at all times on the sidelines - until the final whistle blew.

The Italian is in his second spell in charge of Real, having managed them from 2013-2015, then rejoined as manager in 2021 - and he has now lifted the Champions League trophy a staggering five times in his career - with no other head coach winning it four times, let alone five.

Here, Sports News Blitz takes a look at the career of Ancelotti, who at 64 is showing no signs of slowing down, telling TNT Sport after his side’s victory: "It seems a dream but it is reality.

“I'm happy. It was a really difficult game as usual - they played better in the first half and we were better in the second half.

“Finals are like this. We were able to win and it's been a fantastic season.

"It's the history and tradition of the club. We have a fantastic environment, we work together without problems.

“The atmosphere in the dressing room is good. I have to say thank you to my club and the players with no big egos and being so humble.

“It's not difficult to manage this squad this season.

"My next target? To try to do my best all the time.

"This competition gave me fantastic happiness as a player, manager and my target is to try to repeat the same emotion.

"I have the luck to be in the best club in the world."

Carlo Ancelotti’s Playing Career

Clubs:

Parma (1976–1979): Ancelotti kicked off his professional career at Parma, showing early signs of his midfield magic and possibly experimenting with his now-famous eyebrow raise.

Roma (1979–1987): He then moved to Roma, where he won one Serie A title and four Coppa Italia titles, proving that Rome really wasn't built in a day, but boy, did they build a winner!

AC Milan (1987–1992): At AC Milan, Ancelotti was part of a dream team, collecting Serie A titles and European Cups like some people collect stamps.

National Team:

Italy (1981–1991): With 26 caps for Italy, Ancelotti played in the 1986 World Cup and Euro 1988, though his main contribution was making everyone wonder how anyone could be so unflappable.

Managerial Career

Early Career:

Reggiana (1995–1996): Ancelotti's first managerial gig saw him promote Reggiana to Serie A.

Parma (1996–1998): Returning to Parma, he secured a Champions League spot in his first season, proving he could turn water into wine, or at least mediocre teams into contenders.

Juventus (1999–2001): Ancelotti's time at Juventus was brief and trophy-less, but he left before they could accuse him of being too calm for their liking.

AC Milan (2001–2009): Back at Milan as manager, Ancelotti won everything in sight. Serie A, Champions League titles, you name it. Milan’s success during this period was so consistent, fans suspected Ancelotti had a magic wand tucked away in his jacket.

Chelsea (2009–2011): Moving to Chelsea, Ancelotti won the domestic double in his first season. He didn't just win; he did it with style, making Roman Abramovich consider naming a yacht after him.

Paris Saint-Germain (2011–2013): At PSG, he won Ligue 1 and set the stage for their future dominance. He also taught the French a thing or two about relaxed charm, adding "La Décima" to his résumé.

Real Madrid (2013–2015, 2021–Present): Ancelotti’s first stint at Real Madrid delivered the elusive 10th Champions League title, La Décima.

He returned in 2021 to add more silverware, making it clear that Real Madrid has a standing reservation for him whenever they need a cool-headed genius.

Bayern Munich (2016–2017): Ancelotti won the Bundesliga with Bayern but found that even in Germany, they eventually run out of beer to celebrate with.

Napoli (2018–2019): At Napoli, he brought stability and European progression, but was sacked, perhaps for being too zen for their taste.

Everton (2019–2021): Taking over at Everton, Ancelotti improved the team, probably while teaching the Merseyside how to appreciate a good espresso. He left for a Real Madrid reunion, leaving Evertonians wondering if they could clone him.

Managerial Style and Legacy

Carlo Ancelotti is the zen master of football management. Known for his calm demeanor and tactical wizardry, he’s the guy who makes managing a team of superstar egos look as easy as making a Spaghetti bolognaise.

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