Ancelotti believes he is the new Real deal at Bernabeu
CARLO Ancelotti says he does not need to be a peacemaker at Real Madrid in the wake of Jose Mourinho’s exit.
Ancelotti played down comparisons between him and predecessor Mourinho after being unveiled as Real Madrid’s new coach on Wednesday — and revealed he will be joined in the dugout by World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane.
Mourinho ended his threeyear spell at Madrid in conflict with captain Iker Casillas and defender Pepe, and also criticised star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ancelotti, when asked at his official presentation in the presidential box at the Bernabeu whether he saw himself as a peacemaker, replied: “I have never been called that. I’m a coach and so I want to have a good relationship with my players, but I don’t think Madrid needs a peacemaker.
“I don’t think it’s right to make a comparison between Mourinho and me. He did a certain job here; I will do my work here. He has certain characteristics; I have mine. But I have total respect for him.
“I don’t know what went on here and nor will I try to find out. There is the start of a new era for me and the players. It’s a new relationship and I think it will be a good one.”
The former Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea coach, whose appointment at Madrid was confirmed this week following his departure from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, will sign a three-year contract on Wednesday.
Ancelotti announced former Madrid midfielder Zidane, whom he coached while at Juventus, will be his assistant, alongside Englishman Paul Clement, whom he worked with at PSG.
“Zidane will be with me in the dugout. The only problem is he can’t play,” he joked.
The Italian spoke a total of four languages in his first exchange with the press, and was asked how he would cope with the immense pressure at Real Madrid — particularly to deliver the club’s 10th European Cup.
“Everyone knows how much this club wants to win the European Cup. It’s the biggest objective for everyone involved with the club,” he said.
“I have the ambition and the responsibility to win it. It’s not a problem, it’s a big motivation for me.”
He added: “I don’t think the pressure here is greater than at any other club. When you are a coach you will always have pressure and the challenge is how you deal with it. It’s normal for me. I want pressure.”
He would not give any clues as to who the club would be looking at in the transfer window, but spoke about midfielder Isco, who Madrid are expected to sign from Malaga.
Ancelotti did not confirm whether the switch would go through, but felt the Spain under-21 international would be able to compete for a place in his side.
Last season, Madrid finished 15 points behind arch-rivals Barcelona, but Ancelotti was confident his team could catch Tito Vilanova’s side next term.
“Barcelona have the most competitive team in Spain but we can compete against them very well and the matches between us will be fantastic,” he said.
“I have a lot of confidence that we will be better than them.” — ©The Daily Telegraph, London and agencies