Carlo Ancelotti’s Birth—A Blueprint for Tactical Innovation
On this day in 1959, Carlo Ancelotti entered the world in Reggiolo, Italy. The future manager would go on to redefine football strategy, becoming the only coach to win the UEFA Champions League five times (with AC Milan and Real Madrid) and the first to secure league titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues.
As a player, Carlo Ancelotti was a key midfielder for Roma and AC Milan, winning 2 UEFA Champions League titles and 3 Serie A titles with the teams. In 1992, Ancelotti announced his retirement.
After retiring, Ancelotti served as an assistant coach to Arrigo Sacchi with the Italian national team, helping them reach the 1994 World Cup final. In the mid-1990s, he successively coached Reggiana and Parma, winning the Coppa Italia during this period.
Starting from the 2001-02 season, Ancelotti managed AC Milan for seven and a half seasons, leading the club to three UEFA Champions League finals and two titles, along with one Serie A championship.
In 2009, he became the manager of Chelsea, guiding the team to win the 2009-10 Premier League title and FA Cup. In December 2011, Ancelotti began coaching Paris Saint-Germain, securing the Ligue 1 title in the 2012-13 season.
In June 2013, he took charge of Real Madrid, and in 2014, led the team to win the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League. In May 2015, Real Madrid terminated their contract with Ancelotti ahead of schedule. Between 2016 and 2019, he held managerial roles at Bayern Munich, Napoli, and Everton.
In June 2021, Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid as head coach. During the 2021-22 season, he led the team to win La Liga and the UEFA Champions League, becoming the first manager to win league titles in all five of Europe’s top leagues and the most successful manager in UEFA Champions League history with the most titles (four). On June 1, 2024, in the UEFA Champions League final, Ancelotti’s Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-0 to secure his fifth UEFA Champions League trophy.
