Picture that proves Real’s ‘nice, fat bear’ continues to thrive
Carlo Ancelotti’s 20 major trophies as player and manager in a luminous 45-year career ought to have made him blase about open-top bus parades. But celebrating each success as merrily as the first is one of his most attractive qualities. And there he was again on Sunday, greeting an exultant crowd, embraced by four Real Madrid players, basking happily in their La Liga triumph.
As befits a man who delights unashamedly in his epicurean appetites, he was toking away on a Havana and wearing sunglasses that veered closer to the bling end of the range. He was knowingly goofing around with them, comfortable in his own skin and status, and there is also a video of him dancing unselfconsciously with Vinicius Junior. All managers demand respect, Ancelotti commands it, as well as that much rarer commodity, affection.
Real’s title win made him the only manager to have landed the five top European leagues. The gratitude of so many world-class players over the past three decades anoint him as the elite player whisperer, someone who can not only handle everyone but can tailor his approach to inspire each of them to their best.
The silver hair and paunch make it easy to forget that he was once a fine player himself, the perfect foil for Frank Rijkaard at the heart of an all-conquering AC Milan side.
When he took over at the San Siro in 2001, following his sacking by Juventus, whose fans accused him of being a tactically clueless “pig”, he had to manage former teammates, and the transition was tough. He won over many with his honesty, equanimity and lack of conceit, always asking for their input.
“They have said you have to use the whip,” Ancelotti once said. “I say find another manager.” Paolo Maldini confirmed his composure was unshakeable with one exception, in a judgment only a friend could get away with. He is a “nice, fat bear”, never angry, Maldini said. “That can only happen when he’s eating. Once he’s got a fork in his hand, you need an army to stop him!”
He won the Double at Chelsea, where John Terry was amazed by his collaborative style. “I’ve never had a manager... that asked the players and gave them a bit of responsibility,” he said.
Robert Lewandowski, who was at Borussia Dortmund before Bayern Munich, compared the Italian with his original mentor: “While Jurgen Klopp is a coach who also tries to be like your father, motivating you, Ancelotti is like an uncle to me.”
That warmth is a common theme. Cristiano Ronaldo, whose severity of focus cannot be doubted, said: “In the beginning, I thought he was more a tough person, more kind of arrogant, and it was the opposite. He’s a cute guy, such a sensitive person. He had fun with us.”
Even if Ancelotti fails against Manchester City to make his fifth Champions League final as a coach tonight, no manager can match him in the hearts of great players.