Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti appeared as relaxed as ever as he spoke to the media ahead of Tuesday's La Liga match at home to Deportivo Alaves.
“I've had the good fortune to coach 300 games for the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said. “To be able to sit on this bench is something special. To be able to sit there 300 times… I wouldn't say it's a miracle, but it's close to a miracle.”
Reaching such a milestone would be an incredible achievement for any of Europe's big clubs, but it is particularly impressive at Real Madrid given president Florentino Pérez's history of hiring and firing managers. The only other manager to have managed more games for Madrid is Miguel Muñoz, who managed 605 games between 1959 and 1974.
The team also had the advantage during Ancelotti's two tenures as Real Madrid manager (he was in charge from 2013 to 2015 and returned in 2021), winning the Champions League in 2014, 2022 and 2024. But winning trophies alone often does not guarantee job security at the Bernabeu.
Ancelotti was sacked due to serious relationship problems with Pérez just 12 months after leading Madrid to a long-awaited 10th European Cup triumph in 2014, and his second spell in charge was marked by some turbulent times but also saw the club win two more Champions League titles.
As Ancelotti himself acknowledged this week, surviving and thriving in one of the toughest environments in world football is almost miraculous.
So how did he manage to do it?
Ancelotti has been in the managerial role for almost three decades since he began with Italian club Reggiana in 1995, and has plenty of experience working under big-name managers who are used to giving instructions and having them quickly carried out.
At AC Milan (2001-2009), the owner was Silvio Berlusconi, who was also Italy's domineering prime minister during Ancelotti's tenure; at Chelsea (2009-2011), his chief executive was the secretive Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich; at Paris Saint-Germain (2011-2013), the chairman was Nasser Al-Khelaifi, a close aide to Qatar's ruling elite.
During his time at Madrid, his bosses included Bayern Munich's confident chairman Uli Hoeness (where Ancelotti was in 2016-17), Napoli great Aurelio De Laurentiis (2018-19) and Everton's largest shareholder Farhad Moshiri (2019-2021).
Ancelotti's 2016 book, “Quiet Leadership: victory hearts, minds and matches”, includes an entire section on “dealing with bosses”, in which he discusses his own experiences dealing with colorful and powerful bosses.
Going deeper
Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti — Galactic whisperer and cup champion
Co-written by former Chelsea manager Mike Ford and management consultant Chris Brady, it was published between the Italian's release by Real in June 2015 and joining Bayern the following summer.
Ancelotti writes that it quickly became clear at Milan that he had to accept a reality: “With Berlusconi, I quickly learned that since he owned Milan, my job was to please Berlusconi.”
Ancelotti and Silvio Berlusconi in January 2006 (Giuseppe Cacace/AFP via Getty Images)
When he joined Chelsea, Abramovich asked him to play possession-based football, and Ancelotti tried to do that by using Andrea Pirlo as a playmaker, but when that wasn't possible, he used Michael Essien in that role. This book isn't complaining, but the reader will know they are very different types of players.
Ancelotti did not get everything he wanted in the transfer market but what was more problematic was that every time Chelsea lost a game Abramovich came round and personally demanded an explanation.
“[The incident]taught me how to deal with this unusual president,” Ancelotti wrote in his book. “I chose not to respond to attack with attack. That's not my style. I like to reflect in difficult times and deal with problems calmly and rationally.”
Ancelotti decided to use the owner's interference in his affairs to boost morale in the team, who won the Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season in charge. He wrote that the players knew Abramovich was “coming at me” and “responded brilliantly”.
This approach proved unsuccessful in the long term and after the following season without a title, Abramovich sacked Ancelotti, who then moved to PSG, where his “friend from Milan” Leonardo was general director.
Within 12 months, it was clear things were not going well: after PSG's defeat to Ligue 1 rivals Nice in December 2012, Leonardo told him he would be sacked if they did not win their next game against Porto; Ancelotti realised that Al-Khelaifi had decided the “project” was not working and informed his boss he would step down at the end of the season.
The next stop was the Bernabeu, but Ancelotti quickly realised he needed to focus on coaching the first team and not worry about things outside of his control. In his book, he writes that at Real Madrid he realised “I was just part of a project”. Accepting that, he says, allowed him to focus on getting the best out of his players.
After three seasons of a hands-on approach under his predecessor Jose Mourinho, Pérez sought to introduce a more attractive style of football at Madrid. Ancelotti gave veteran players such as Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric greater responsibility and upped the ante. He also gave Gareth Bale and Angel Di Maria new roles within a 4-3-3 tactical configuration, which led to 'La Decima' in his first season as manager.
Going deeper
Real Madrid's Champions League struggles – Until 'La Décima' changed everything
The strength of the relationship Ancelotti has built is evident from the fact that Ronaldo guest-authored a chapter in Quiet Leadership.
“One of the reasons for the good atmosphere was that Carlo protected the dressing room from anything that might upset the balance of the president and his family,” Ronaldo wrote. “He doesn't give in to pressure from anyone. He makes his own decisions.”
Ancelotti and Ronaldo celebrate reaching the 2014 Champions League final (Stuart Franklin – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
But not everything was perfect. Quiet Leadership also reports that Pérez told Ancelotti that Bale's agent said his client wanted to play in the center of the pitch. The Italian spoke to the player directly, explaining the team structure and his key role within it. He also told the agent to “shut up” at a press conference. Ancelotti writes that this changed his relationship with Pérez.
After Madrid lost several games in early 2015, club officials became concerned by reports that Madrid was not training well enough. Ancelotti believed his team needed more rest, especially with key players Ramos and Modric both injured. When the issue was not resolved and the season ended without a major trophy, his dismissal was announced.
Ancelotti wrote that his time at Madrid was “shorter than I would have liked but longer than many of the players I managed there.”
He added: “Leadership may sometimes mean compromise, especially at the biggest clubs, but if you have confidence in your expertise and in the decisions you make, there is no need to compromise.”
Ancelotti, who returned to Madrid in the summer of 2021, was well aware of the issues that caused friction when he first arrived: he accepted without complaint the club adding fitness coach Antonio Pintus to his staff, reiterating on multiple occasions that energy and physicality are essential to succeed in today's football.
But he also insisted on bringing in his own son, Davide, then 34, as assistant coach – a move that raised eyebrows at the Bernabeu, where the number two position was often played by a former club legend who commanded the attention of the president. Ancelotti repeatedly speaks in his book about how his closest staff were like family, and that was certainly true.
Going deeper
Carlo Ancelotti's rebuild of Real Madrid has shown why he should be counted among the greats.
Ancelotti was well aware that the president still had the final say on transfer policy, which meant adapting tactics to the current squad. The team sat deeper, with veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Modric making less runs and creating more space for Vinicius Junior to exploit. The balance was provided by right-wing midfielder Federico Valverde, who assisted Vinicius Junior's winning goal in the 2021-22 Champions League final against Liverpool.
Ancelotti is surrounded by the crowd after Madrid's victory in the 2022 Champions League final (José Breton/Pix Action/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
Ancelotti wanted England captain Harry Kane as a direct replacement when Karim Benzema moved to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023. Pérez did not seriously pursue that option, instead handing Jude Bellingham into a new attacking role. Bellingham scored 23 goals as Madrid won the La Liga and Champions League double last season.
Such success was by no means inevitable. In May 2023, Real Madrid were thrashed 4-0 by Pep Guardiola's City in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, just as Xavi's Barcelona were edging their way to winning the La Liga title. It was a period of uncertainty similar to that which ended Ancelotti's first term at the Bernabeu.
Ancelotti had an escape route: Brazil wanted him to be their next national team manager. His first option was always to stay in the Spanish capital, but with Ancelotti's contract due to expire in June 2025, speculation continued well into the 2023-24 season.
It was a tricky situation for Pérez, who was not used to having a manager with such strong negotiating power. Bernabéu officials considered other options, including Alonso of Bayer Leverkusen. Meanwhile, Ancelotti's team dominated the La Liga title race, going 17 games unbeaten (14 wins, 3 draws), including a 2-1 Clasico win over Barcelona. In late December, Pérez was offered a contract extension until 2026, which he accepted.
“I cannot control the president's direction, I can only hope to influence him, and the best way to do that is to win,” Ancelotti wrote in his 2016 book.
There was also an awkward moment last month when the Ancelottis wanted to hire Stockport County coach Andy Mangan (38), a close friend of Davide, for Madrid. Not everyone at the Bernabeu was happy with the idea and Spanish authorities ended up refusing to issue Mangan a work permit.
This came as the atmosphere at the Bernabeu was one of poor start to the new season for Real Madrid, who miss their departed playmaker Kroos sorely. Stuttgart's superior ball possession (54 percent to Real's 46 percent) in last week's Champions League group game at the Bernabeu sparked a debate about the team's style of play (despite Real winning 3-1).
Ancelotti then faced tough questioning from reporters who are well aware of Perez's penchant for dominating the ball for his team. and They play stylish attacking football.
“We could play better, but Real Madrid fans are used to rock 'n' roll football, not a lot of touch football,” he replied calmly. “We try to please the fans with our characteristics. The fans prefer to win than to play well. The ideal is to win and play well.”
Ancelotti photographed with Real Madrid players during pre-season in August (Victor Carretero/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
It was typical Ancelotti. He stressed that the midfield and attack in particular were made up of players suited to “fun, direct, intense and fast” football. The underlying message was that he was getting the best out of the players available, but everyone knew he wasn't primarily responsible for assembling the team. It was all delivered calmly, showing that he was in control of the situation and that no one had to worry.
Not all top managers react this way to criticism or interference from above – for some, egos get in the way – but at this stage in his career and life, the 65-year-old Ancelotti is confident enough not to react personally to treatment others might take. His experience dealing with so many different owners and presidents has taught him to be philosophical.
“I've learned that being fired, and being hired, is almost always not just about you,” Ancelotti wrote in Quiet Leadership. “It's always about the person who hires or fires you. Do your job to the best of your ability and let others judge you, because they're going to judge you anyway.”
In another part of the book he puts it differently.
“As Vito Corleone said in my favorite movie, The Godfather,, “It's nothing personal. It's just business.”
(Top photo: Ángel Martínez – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
