Milan’s joint-CEO Adriano Galliani has revealed how Carlo Ancelotti came to San Siro – after being snatched from under Parma’s noses.
The Real Madrid Coach spent eight years on the Rossoneri bench after replacing Fatih Terim in 2001, and in an interview to celebrate the club’s 115th anniversary, Galliani recalls the process which brought Carletto to Milan.
“I wish him the best of luck for the Club World Cup,” the joint-CEO told Milan Channel ahead of Real Madrid’s entry to the tournament.
Milan’s joint-CEO Adriano Galliani has revealed how Carlo Ancelotti came to San Siro – after being snatched from under Parma’s noses.
The Real Madrid Coach spent eight years on the Rossoneri bench after replacing Fatih Terim in 2001, and in an interview to celebrate the club’s 115th anniversary, Galliani recalls the process which brought Carletto to Milan.
“I wish him the best of luck for the Club World Cup,” the joint-CEO told Milan Channel ahead of Real Madrid’s entry to the tournament.
“Carlo is a perennial winner, although when he came to us it was said he was perennially in second place.
“I remember when we got him, we had lost at Torino after [Filippo] Inzaghi missed a penalty. I had spoken to Ancelotti a few days before about other things and he had told me he was going to sign for Parma.
“After the game in Turin, I spoke with the President and we decided to change Coach, and we focused on Ancelotti, hoping he hadn’t already signed with Parma.
“I quickly called Carlo, who told me he was going to sign for the Gialloblu the next day, so I showed up at his house the next morning to get him to accept our proposal.
“He came to Milan and began his extraordinary adventure with us. I hope we can do with [current Coach] Inzaghi what we did with Ancelotti, although they’re different people.
“I think Pippo is on the right path to be like Carletto.
“I’m very fond of two Coaches above all, and that’s [Fabio] Capello and [Arrigo] Sacchi, because they always had Milan in their heart.
“Ancelotti came to Milan [as a player] because Sacchi wanted him at all costs, he convinced the President [Silvio Berlusconi] to buy him despite the fact he had some knee problems.
“It was one of the last days of the transfer window when we got permission to speak to Ancelotti. I had to close the deal quickly.
“We hadn’t yet agreed a fee with Roma, and Carlo hadn’t even done his medical.
“In the end we managed to do it all, we took the President’s private plane to Milan and signed the contract.
“That’s where Ancelotti’s adventure in Milan began, and he won many trophies.
“After he stopped playing he became Sacchi’s assistant with the national team, and then began his coaching career.
“When Carlo arrived at Milan he changed our lives, we achieved great things together.
“I remember his 2002-2003 team, a fantastic team which brought us the wonderful [Champions League] final in Manchester.
“It was really a great team. Winning the trophy with [Paolo] Maldini, 50 years after his father [Cesare] had done it was really a wonderful thing.
“It was a unique and incredible thing.”