Real boss Carlo could win and be kicked out
EARLIER this season, Carlo Ancelotti substituted Gareth Bale during a game at Valencia. The following day club president Florentino Perez arrived at his office and demanded to know why he had done it.
Even when you are the man responsible for delivering Real their coveted 10th European Cup, it seems you are still not afforded the privilege of making your own decisions.
Such is life at Real, however. If he were to be relieved of his job — as many expect — at the end of this season, Ancelotti would not be the first to wonder just what more he could have done. Back in 2003, for example, Vicente del Bosque was sacked after winning La Liga simply because Perez thought he looked “tired”.
In the press conference room at Juventus’ new stadium in Turin yesterday, Ancelotti certainly looked anything but. A phlegmatic man, he carried the look of a coach who perhaps knows that there is little he can do to influence decisions over his future and has simply decided not to worry.
What a pickle he would leave the capricious Perez in, however, if he was to end this season as the first coach to win back-to-back Champion League finals during the 23 years that the competition has existed in its modern form.
‘ The motivation is t o be competitive in all competitions for this club,’ said Ancelotti.
‘We have this opportunity to reach the final to try to fight to win another Champions League.
‘Nobody has had this opportunity before with this competition so it’s a big motivation.
‘We know it will be really difficult, but we are really close also.’
Madrid begin their semi-final here against Juventus tonight as favourites to reach the final in Berlin next month.
For English observers there are several interesting back stories. Bale ( below) — coveted by Manchester United and Chelsea — will start after injury while there could be five f or mer United players on the field; Cristiano Ronaldo a nd Javier Hernandez for Real and Paul Pogba, Carlos Tevez and Patrice Evra for the home team.
The case of Tevez and Evra is particularly interesting. Few players leave United and prosper but these two have.
They already have this season’s Serie A title wrapped up following a 1-0 win over Sampdoria at the weekend and now have an unexpected shot at further European glory.
‘I didn’t expect [to be playing in] a semi-final of the Champions League, but I did expect to win the league,’ said Tevez.
‘ I’ve rediscovered belief and when you feel important as a player then you’ve got to give that little bit more. That’s why I keep trying to give everything I’ve got.’ Here in Italy, however, the focus i s very much on Ancelotti, the Italian coach loved in Milan — where he played and managed with success — but still viewed coldly here in Turin after a barren twoseason spell from 1999 that ended when the decision to sack him was announced at half-time of the last game of the season.
Bizarrely, Juve still had an outside chance of winning the title at that point.
Asked about his spell here yesterday, Ancelotti’s mood seemed to darken slightly as he said: ‘I coached here two years and got on well with a part of the fans.
‘I learnt a great deal here, but then I did have some problems with some fans, but what can I say? The two years here really helped me grow as a coach.
‘At the moment we’re in good form at Madrid.
‘We had a bit of a problem in January and February, but the players are confident. We have confidence of getting to another final and we’re trying to do our best.’
If Juventus are to surprise the holders over the two legs of this tie then it is likely their playmaker Andrea Pirlo will be at the forefront.
Pirlo, who will turn 36 this summer, expects this season to be his last and enjoyed some of his greatest years at Milan working with Ancelotti, winning t he Champions League twice during their seven and a half years together.
‘I read today that he considers me as a father,’ smiled Ancelotti, 20 years his senior.
‘I consider him as a brother.’ JUVENTUS (4-3-1-2 probable): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pereyra; Morata, Tevez. REAL MADRID (4-4-2 probable): Casillas, Carvajal, Pepe, Varane, Marcelo; James, Kroos, Ramos, Isco; Bale, Ronaldo.