Real Madrid’s legendary Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti reveals his management style relies on calm and honesty with players, but when he no longer feels nervous before a match ‘is the day I have to stop.’
The coach sat down with interviewers at the Mexico Siglo XXI event in Mexico during the break for international duty.
Easily the most successful tactician in Champions League history with five victories, as well as being the only man to win the league title in each of Europe’s top five big countries, he was the ideal man to explain leadership and his approach to the players.
“It is very difficult to explain what a leader should be like. It is much more important to convince than to impose your opinion on them,” said Ancelotti.
“A leader must have the ability to listen to those who work with you. They can always give you ideas that can help you. It is important to listen and not think that you know everything because you are the boss. You can always learn.”
Ancelotti has always been known for his calm demeanour on the touchline, at most raising an eyebrow or making an Italian hand gesture, but he assures it is not always like that.
“You have to always be positive on the bench, because you have to talk to the players. It’s not true that I’m always calm. I rarely get angry, but when I do, I go quite mad! There is always the idea of the carrot and the whip to get a donkey to do something, I generally prefer the carrot, because the donkey will help you more that way.”
The former Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss took a while to really find his feet in management, as Ancelotti’s time at Juventus was characterised by failure.
“Defeat is a sad moment, but it is also a moment of opportunity to try to improve things. You have to get back up, just like in life. Victory is not real happiness. I see it as a relief, because three days later you have another exam. Criticism can come back. And criticism only bothers you when you are not able to criticize yourself. If you do, criticism takes a backseat.”
No rush for Ancelotti to retire
Ancelotti celebrated his 65th birthday in June, so is he thinking about putting the stress behind him with retirement?
“A life without pressure or a little stress does not exist. Too much stress, no, but a little is fuel. The day I don’t have excitement before a match is the day I have to stop. Before a match there is worry, there is a negative feeling thinking that it will not go well, that they will score a goal… When the match starts, everything stops. So, you have to look for calm to handle the situations of the game.
“I will continue coaching until the fire I have for football dies down. Some great things have happened in my life, some difficult moments. My life has been normal. I have been lucky to have a job that is my passion. I am grateful to football for giving me that opportunity,” continued Ancelotti.
“I still get nervous before a match, I feel pressure, and as long as that doesn’t change I will continue here. I see myself coaching for a long time, yes.”
After the famous photograph with a huge cigar on the Real Madrid bus celebrating their latest trophy, Ancelotti has been inundated with them as gifts, but admits that was the only time he ever smoked one.
Those celebrations were another example of the special bond that he creates with his players, the envy of many a coach.
“It is a job with a lot of power and responsibility. I can choose what time I train, who I put in, but in the end, it is a relationship between people. That is the most important aspect. Sometimes I ask the players, ‘who are you’ and they tell me ‘I am a player.’ And I tell them ‘no, you are a person who plays football.’
“I try to have a relationship with them on a personal level as well as a professional one, because that way you can get better performance from the professional. It is not easy because the player always wants to play. And 11 do it, but 15 go to watch the game. But if you manage to have a good personal relationship with them, this helps you to work better. You have to be honest with people.”