Carlo Ancelotti comments on Luka Modric’s spectacular assist against Chelsea and taunts Premier League clubs: ‘Everyone said English football was superior…’
The Italian coach led the Merengues to the Champions League semi-finals after a 5-4 win on aggregate against Chelsea. Madrid went 3-0 down with just ten minutes remaining, but a Rodrygo goal, inspired by Modric’s assist, helped the Merengues go to extra time, where Karim Benzema scored the decisive goal in the tie.
“This club never gives up. For this reason, we have received a big award such as the semi-finals,” Ancelotti told Canale 5.
“The environment helped us. Our first goal was a huge blow for them. Real Madrid is accustomed to playing semi-finals, but we are proud to have reached this target because everyone said that English football was superior to Spanish football.
“In the end, Spain have two teams in the semis. It’s not personal revenge, I am happy for Villarreal and Unai Emery, an excellent team and a great coach. Tomorrow there is another candidate for the semis, Atletico Madrid.”
Ancelotti almost repeated the same thing in a second interview with Sky Sport Italia, where he seemed annoyed with some pundits who had ruled Real Madrid out of the race for the title this season.
“I believed we could make it. We didn’t deserve to go down to two goals. We suffered a lot on set pieces, but after their second goal, our personality emerged,” the coach added.
“We knew that Chelsea could have caused trouble for us. Perhaps we had something more, but we were competitive and we are in the semis now. Surely, not only four clubs can win the Champions League.
“Karim Benzema is a champion, but I can mention many players tonight. Dani Carvajal played a centre-back, Lucas Vasquez and Eduardo Camavinga had a great impact, Toni Kroos, who played 70 minutes.
“Modric? He was extraordinary, especially with that pass…”
Ancelotti holds the record for the most Champions League trophies won as a coach: three, as many as Bob Paisley and Zinedine Zidane, his assistant at Real Madrid in 2013-14. The Italian tactician has won the Champions League twice with Milan and once with the Merengues.
Best manager out there for sure
He’s win the league in Italy, England, France, Germany and now soon Spain. Amazing
Almost choked it out with 10 minutes to go it was almost Istanbul 2.0 . Great manager my favorite one but he has the habit of letting big lead evaporate . Deportivo 2004, he was up 4-1 and lost the tie vs Liverpool 2005 he was up 3-0 at half time and lost in ok
@roland B, when you coach every year for 25 years straight, you will get some bad results. The difference is the number of achievements.
.@john smith,even I was the coach of PSG I would have won.i won with clubs in top 3of there leagues.if he was able to win the league with everton.but he still a good coach.
Real Madrid didn’t learn from the 1st leg vs PSG when decided to sit back, soak up pressure and evidently not play. They’re not Atleti and very much nearly paid for it. On the superiority issue. well Chelsea are 3rd in England, and the top 2 English sides are still in it. very difficult to look past them or bet against another all English final.
English football is superior, but there’s very little English about it now.
I’d say, from top to bottom, the EPL is 80%+ foreign.
Spanish clubs are hanging on rather than improving. Italian sides are hopeless, and so are the French and Germans.
@roland B, Zidane lost the lead twice at home, first in 2017 against the Bayern of Ancelotti and then in 2018 against Allegri’s Juve (after winning 3-0 in Torino). He went on to win the title in both years. Bayern with Heynckes in 2013 lost at home 2-0 to Arsenal and qualified on away goals, after winning 3-1 in London, they too went to win the title.
This is the Champions League and these matches are unpredictable.. it’s amazing to me that people think it was going to be an easy ride for Real. Chelsea is a very good team, they’re the defending champions!
Carlo made the right changes and caught up in time.. also Real’s experience made the difference at the end.
That choke by Milan versus Deportivo was epic.
English football has won one little world cup 1966 pathetic there teams are good because off all the foreign players look at France w world cups 2 EUROS Italy 4 world cups 2eros I cud go on and on
I hope Ancelotti comes back and coaches in Italy.
That Modric masterpiece … I’m still in awe. My God what an extraordinary player.
On the subject of Ancelotti chocking – those with long memories. 1999 semi final vs Man Utd. 1-1 at Old Trafford then 2 – 0 up in Turin, then conceded three in the second half.
But the Istanbul was the most spectacular collapse of all time.
Say what you want about Ancelotti, but he’s won everywhere he’s gone. And he’s just dumped out the holding champions. Everything else is irrelevant. His team is in the semis.
@Brandon.
If you go back and watch that second leg in full, calling it a ‘choke’ is not quite the whole story. In reality, it was a night that literally nothing went for Milan. Depor deserved their victory, but Milan had at least 5 glorious chances to get an away goal. Everything went for depor that nothing, and nothing did for Milan.
Careful, @Rosario…you’re asking someone on an Internet forum to be objective.
@Ferban that’s why English clubs do well they rely on foreign talent and they have the money to buy the best.
I certainly don’t consider EPL the best league. I just don’t like the fast pace of the match I prefer a slower technical match.
What football needs is the 3 Foreign players rule back. Or have a financial cap on transfer budget and wages to close the gap
Bravo Snake, agree! Love Carletto🇮🇹
I hope he moves to Juve and replace allegri later. Juve need revolution. Before ancelloti comes, Madrid in ruins
@SNAKE
The 3 foreigner thing is illegal now, so no hope of that. And even if it wasn’t, it’d be impossible to do unless it was introduced very slowly over many years.
Can’t see the caps working either – it’d just mean a huge increase in the sales of brown envelopes lol.