Real Madrid take on Liverpool this evening, which will see a rematch of the 2022 Champions League final. It also sees one of the most animated managers in Jurgen Klopp, take on what the German called the most relaxed guy he’d ever met, in Carlo Ancelotti. Former Milan teammate Ruud Gullit has explained that even as a player, you could see he would become a manager.
“It was clear that Carlo was going to be a coach,” Gullit told Marca.
“We were roommates and he was very serious in the way he approached football. But the most important thing about Carlo is that he is a nice, good person. He has a lot of knowledge and knows what the business is about, but the best thing is that he knows how to deal with people.”
However the Dutch legend highlighted one thing above all that has allowed Ancelotti to be successful.
“The most important thing about his success is that he makes people melt. He knows the tactics and knows how to treat the players so that they feel good and get the best out of them. That is his secret. He’s like your favorite uncle.”
Ancelotti certainly seems to cultivate plenty of dedicaton from his players, without ever trying too hard to gain their affection. The Italian currently has a squad that is composed for the most part of older players and youngsters, yet Ancelotti continues to make himself relatable for both groups.
Equally, Ancelotti comes across as an affable character with the media, which tends to get him the benefit of the doubt in coverage too.
Ruud Gullit, asked by Marca about his disallowed goal in the 1989 European Cup semi-final for Milan:
'You know, at the Santiago Bernabeu, that's offside,' (laughs).pic.twitter.com/MZhrLES13U
— Football España (@footballespana_) February 21, 2023
