The modern game has seen many top head coaches. In recent years the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have earned immense praise for their work in the Premier League. Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel is also a boss who is regularly showered with praise.
However, one head coach who never seems to get many plaudits is Real Madrid chief Carlo Ancelotti. The experienced Italian head coach currently has his team top of La Liga and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
👔 @MrAncelotti: "We have a good advantage, that's important. We have to be in good shape going into the international break. The team is doing well physically. We played very well in the second half, from a physical point of view. We have to go out to win on Sunday." pic.twitter.com/QbEGVp2Yiy— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) March 14, 2022
👔 @MrAncelotti: "We have a good advantage, that's important. We have to be in good shape going into the international break. The team is doing well physically. We played very well in the second half, from a physical point of view. We have to go out to win on Sunday." pic.twitter.com/QbEGVp2Yiy
Some will say that this is not a major achievement at such an elite club. However, despite trophy-laden seasons in the past, Los Blancos have won the Spanish top-flight title just twice in the last decade.
Compare that to arch-rivals Barcelona’s six titles in the same period, it shows that it is not easy for the capital club to win La Liga.
Calm was needed during the summer when influential centre-backs Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane left the club.
There was a feeling that there was a big rebuilding job needed at the Bernabeu. They turned to a familiar face to the club, Ancelotti, who jump at the chance to return to his former club.
The Italian had just finished tenth-place in the Premier League with Everton. That season was seen by many as an underwhelming result. Looking at the Toffee’s current perilous position in the table, maybe it was a big overachievement by the Italian head coach.
At this point, Ancelotti is maybe accustomed to his achievements being played down. When people talk about great head coaches, he never seems to get a mention, even though he could be the first head coach ever to win all of European football’s top-five leagues.
Real Madrid are ten points clear at the top of La Liga. If Los Blancos does go on to claim the Spanish title, then Ancelotti will have won Serie A, Ligue One, the Bundesliga, the Premier League and La Liga during his glittering managerial career.
Doesn’t that achievement mean that Carlo Ancelotti should have some more respect attached to his name? If not then it is difficult to know exactly what he needs to do to earn the acclaimed he so richly deserves.