Ancelotti: Why I returned to Real Madrid
Robin Bairner
- 25 Apr 2022 19:15 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has revealed his motivation for returning to the club last summer ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final with Manchester City.
Ancelotti dumped Everton, where he was on a lucrative salary, to take command of Los Blancos for a second time last summer.
He previously managed the club from 2013-15, during which time he collected four trophies, including the Copa del Rey and the club’s historic 10th Champions League title.
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Ancelotti signed a three-year deal last summer, which puts him in charge at the Bernabeu until 2024.
He admits that when Real Madrid approached him, it was an offer he could not refuse.
“Why did I return to Madrid? Because they needed a coach, it's simple,” he laughed at the pre-match press conference. “It was a great dream to be back. This is not my decision. Real Madrid had the confidence and now I'm enjoying it.”
Ancelotti's brilliant Real Madrid return
Real Madrid, too, are thriving under Ancelotti. Following Barcelona’s shock 1-0 loss to Ray Vallecano on Sunday, they are just a point away from winning La Liga, which would mean that Ancelotti becomes the first coach to pick up a title in each of Europe’s Big 5 leagues.
Meanwhile, they have progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League to face Manchester City in fine style. They showed incredible determination to turn around their last-16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain in unlikely fashion and then dealt with the converse situation against Chelsea in the quarter-finals, in which they held off a comeback from the Premier League side to progress.
Madrid have been spurred on this season by the outstanding individual displays of Karim Benzema in attack, but their approach has been masterminded by Ancelotti, who at 62 years old remains a coach of the highest pedigree.
