Carlo Ancelotti confessed he’d like to train Edinson Cavani, is loving life at Napoli, was inspired to move Lorenzo Insigne and described the toughest league.
The former Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich Coach sat down with Radio Kiss Kiss to discuss his career.
Among the toughest parts of working at the Stadio San Paolo is President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Carlo Ancelotti confessed he’d like to train Edinson Cavani, is loving life at Napoli, was inspired to move Lorenzo Insigne and described the toughest league.
The former Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich Coach sat down with Radio Kiss Kiss to discuss his career.
Among the toughest parts of working at the Stadio San Paolo is President Aurelio De Laurentiis.
“We haven’t argued yet, not even had any particular discussions. We’ve always been perfectly in agreement on everything. There is certainly reciprocal respect, that is sure.”
Ancelotti surprised many by moving Lorenzo Insigne to the centre-forward role.
“I got the idea during the defeat to Sampdoria, so he could catch his breath and therefore be sharper in front of goal.”
Maurizio Sarri came so close to the Scudetto last season, but can Ancelotti do one better?
“The Scudetto is a dream and not utopia, because utopia is beyond reach. This is not the time to be making calculations. It’s going to be a fundamental run of games coming up, as we must be ready in Serie A and the Champions League. Getting through that group would be really satisfying.”
Ancelotti does have some plans in place for his trophy celebrations.
“If we win something, I’ll definitely sing. Singing is my second passion after football, so I have no problem doing it with the team. I can’t complain about the discipline of the squad, as in every group there’s one who is more of a day-dreamer, but I haven’t found him here yet. The biggest pain is Mario Rui!
“An example of my motivational speech to players is: ‘You must never be competitive with others. You just have to be competitive with yourselves. You must improve yourselves day by day, not trying to reach someone else’s level. That is the only way to be the best.’
“When I kiss players on the head, it’s a sign of affection, recognition and also support. It depends on the situation. You can also kiss a player who had a bad performance and needs reassurance.”
Ancelotti has travelled the world, so how is he settling in Naples?
“I really love it here and there are some unique vistas. It was Naples that chose me. I had some wonderful experiences in my career, but living in London, Paris, Munich and Madrid, you realise just how beautiful Naples really is.
“I’ve started eating pizza, but can’t do it every day. I hope to stay at Napoli for a long time, so I can have a tour of the different pizzerie. Once you’ve eaten pizza in Naples, you can’t eat it anywhere else. The same goes for mozzarella. I used to eat it in Canada, but I can’t now after tasting this one.
“I would go to China on vacation, but not to work. I went there with Bayern for a friendly and there are better options out there.
“Every league is difficult in its own way. In England, there’s a lot of competition towards the top of the table, in Spain there are three big clubs who stand out above everyone else, in Italy every game is complicated on a tactical level. Let’s say the most competitive is the Premier League, as there are seven teams in the running for the title.”