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Tag: Carlo Ancelotti

  • UCL: Ancelotti gets Bellingham, Tchouameni boost for Stuttgart

    UCL: Ancelotti gets Bellingham, Tchouameni boost for Stuttgart

    Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expects to have several players back from injury ahead of their Champions League opener against German side VfB Stuttgart today.

    Midfielders Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and defender Eder Militao are set to be available for the match at the Santiago Bernabeu despite Militao missing training as he required an extra day to recover fully.

    Though Real would be without midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, and former mainstays Nacho, Joselu, and now-retired midfielder Toni Kroos, Ancelotti said he was excited to start their title defence with ‘the best player in the world,’ Kylian Mbappe.

    “Yes, we lost Nacho and Kroos, two of our most important players. And Joselu. In exchange, one of the best players in the world is coming. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so,” Ancelotti told reporters .

    Read Also: Labbadia: Green, Gombe  fault NFF 

    “Jude’s return is fantastic news for us. We know what he contributes with and without the ball,” defender Dani Carvajal said. “We demand much more from ourselves and tomorrow is a new opportunity to continue growing.”

    All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and Ancelotti’s side will also be taking part in the expanded men’s 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United States.

    Forward Brahim Diaz was the latest player to be sidelined in a slew of injuries and Ancelotti said their gruelling schedule was to blame. “The calendar is too demanding. A new competition is coming and we don’t know how it will turn out,” he added. “It may or may not be more entertaining. The fact is that we have two more games in this competition.”

    The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a manager and twice as a player, said the competition holds a place above all else in his heart.

    “For me this competition is very special, not only for the club. But it’s not just that, it’s the day-to-day work to get there,” he added.

    “The (Champions League) will always be the same even if they change the format a little and (its relation with) Real Madrid, the same. This (year) is going to be another (chance) at history and I hope we can reach the final like last year.”

    Champions League Fixtures

    Young Boys Bern vs. Aston Villa

    Juventus vs. PSV Eindhoven      

    AC Milan vs. Liverpool   

    Bayern vs. Dinamo Zagreb          

    Real Madrid vs. Stuttgart             

    Sporting Lisbon vs. Lille 

  • UCL: Real won’t underestimate Bayern, says Ancelotti

    UCL: Real won’t underestimate Bayern, says Ancelotti

    Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said  that his side will not make the mistake of looking past Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final, first leg in Germany today  despite their rivals’ disappointing domestic campaign.

    Bayer Leverkusen ended the Bavarians’ 11-year Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown two weeks ago but Ancelotti said European pedigree matters and the six-times winners will have extra motivation to win the last trophy they can fight for.

    “I’m not worried (with being the odds-on favourites), but we are confident to face a team that, despite not having made a great Bundesliga, have had a great Champions League tie against Arsenal,” he told a press conference on Monday.

    “They have just eliminated a very strong team in Europe (Arsenal). In the Champions League, history counts a lot, it counts for them but that also plays in our favour.”

    Bayern reached the Champions League semis for the first time in four years with a 3-2 aggregate win over Arsenal.

    Read Also: Real Madrid close to appointing Campos as manager

    The 14-times champions Real made the last four after knocking out holders Manchester City on penalties and are close to a record-extending 36th LaLiga title as they sit top with a 13-point lead over second-placed Girona with five games left.

    Ancelotti said Bayern and Real are similar teams in the way they are able to adapt to different circumstances and that his side are bracing for the unexpected, with the German side’s departing coach Thomas Tuchel eager to leave on a high.

    “We are two teams that don’t have a very clear identity … and we can play the games in different ways,” Ancelotti said.

    “In terms of quality, they are strong in transition, they can change their style and they are very dangerous.

    “But it’s only the first leg, it’s a 180 (minutes) tie which we face with confidence … but in the knowledge that we are up against a quality opponent with very strong individuals.”

  • Italy chase Ancelotti after World Cup miss

    Italy chase Ancelotti after World Cup miss

     

    The Italian football Association (FIGC) have made contact with Carlo Ancelotti about taking over as national team manager following their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, according to reports.

    Italy will miss out on the World Cup for the first time in 60 years – and their first major tournament since Euro ’92 – after being beaten by Sweden in a two-legged qualification play-off.

    Although manager Giampiero Ventura is still clinging to his post, it is widely expected he will be sacked or resign in the coming days.

    According to Italian broadcaster Premium Sport, the FIGC are already looking for a new head coach, with Ancelotti the prime target.

    Ancelotti, 58, who has a long and distinguished career in club management on his CV, is currently unemployed after being sacked by Bayern Munich in September.

    He played 26 times for his country and has gone on to win league titles across Europe with some of the world’s biggest clubs as a manager.

    These include AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, as well as three Champions Leagues.

    The reports state that once the formalities of Ventura’s departure are settled – namely whether he should resign or be sacked – Ancelotti will be offered the job.

    Italy will play two friendly matches in March against England and Argentina before kicking off their inaugural UEFA Nations League campaign and Euro 2020 qualifiers.

    Italians are still mourning the world cup miss with authorities thinking of an all-encompassing program that will serve engage the nation in the summer when the world cup will be taking the centre stage across the globe.  It is understood that one of the events being planned could be a massive musical festival that will feature all genre of music for all ages.

  • Bayern Munich sack Ancelotti

    Bayern Munich sack Ancelotti

    Carlo Ancelotti has been sacked as Bayern Munich’s manager.

    Following Wednesday’s 3-0 Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain, the club’s board decided to dismiss the Italian, who replaced Pep Guardiola at the start of last season.

    Ancelotti, 58, helped Bayern win the Bundesliga last term, but the club only reached the last eight of the Champions League and the German Cup semi-finals, the BBC reports.

    Assistant boss, Willy Sagnol, will take temporary charge at the five-time European champions.

    Bayern, champions in each of the past five seasons, lies third in the German Bundesliga table, three points behind Borussia Dortmund, with four wins, one draw and one defeat from the first six matches.

    The club plays Hertha Berlin on Sunday.

    “The performance of our team since the start of the season did not meet the expectations we put to them,” said Bayern’s chief executive, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

    “I would like to thank Carlo for his cooperation. Carlo is my friend and will remain my friend. But we had to make a professional decision. The game in Paris clearly showed that we had to draw consequences.”

    Former Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and AC Milan boss Ancelotti has won the Champions League three times – with Milan in 2003 and 2007, and with Madrid in 2014.

    That return makes him the joint most successful manager in European Cup history, along with former Liverpool boss, Bob Paisley, who also won three titles, in 1977, 1978 and 1981.

    Ancelotti also led Milan to the Champions League final in 2005, but the Italian side lost on penalties to Liverpool, despite having led 3-0 at half-time.

  • Bayern Munich sign Corentin Tolisso from Lyon

    Bayern Munich sign Corentin Tolisso from Lyon

     

    Bayern Munich have signed Lyon star Corentin Tolisso for a fee believed to be in the region of £35million.

    Tolisso passed a medical with the Bundesliga champions on Wednesday after an agreement was reached between the two teams and the player.

    The club confirmed that Tolisso, 22, has signed a five year deal until 2022 after impressing in Ligue 1 last season.

    He becomes Bayern’s fifth signing of the summer already as Carlo Ancelotti strengthens the Bundesliga champions ahead of next season.

    Ex-Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry has joined from Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim duo Sebastian Rudy and Niklas Sule agreed deals to move to Munich back in January. Kingsley Coman’s loan from Juventus was also made permanent.

    Tolisso was an unused substitute as France beat England 3-2 in a friendly at the Stade de France on Tuesday night.

    The 22-year-old admitted earlier this month he was open to leaving Lyon after they failed to qualify for the Champions League and finished a disappointing fourth in Ligue 1.

    He scored 14 times in 47 appearances for Lyon last season, earning him a call up to the France senior squad in March.

    Fellow Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons’ agent revealed in April that a deal to take Tolisso to Napoli fell though last summer due to concerns over living in Naples – associated with watching TV show Gomorrah.

    Bayern won their fifth straight Bundesliga title this season and made it to the Champions League quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions Real Madrid.

  • Two legged thrashing: Ancelotti weeps for Wenger

    Two legged thrashing: Ancelotti weeps for Wenger

     

     

    Carlo Ancelotti felt Bayern Munich’s second 5-1 thumping of Arsenal was not a fair reflection of the Premier League side’s efforts at Emirates Stadium.

    Bayern repeated the scoreline from last month’s first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at Allianz Arena, despite Theo Walcott giving the hosts a deserved half-time lead on the night.

    Laurent Koscielny’s red card for a foul on Robert Lewandowski – the striker converted the resulting penalty – changed the complexion of the game and Bayern ran riot thereafter.

    Arjen Robben and substitute Douglas Costa got on the scoresheet before a late brace from Arturo Vidal added further fuel to the protests outside the ground before kick-off calling for Wenger to stand down.

    Even though the long-serving manager is no longer flavour of the month in north London, Ancelotti felt Wenger’s side performed creditably before Koscielny was dismissed.

    “It was not a crazy game, more difficult. Until the penalty the game was really difficult,” he told a post-match news conference.

    “Arsenal played really well for 50 minutes, putting a lot of pressure in the game.

    “We had difficulty defensively and also with the ball. We did mistakes that we are not used to doing.

    “This result doesn’t really respect what happened on the pitch because Arsenal played a really good game.

    “With 10 men it was really difficult. For us, the penalty took out all the pressure that we had.

    “We started to play with one more man and we scored a lot of goals but, honestly, the result does not respect what happened.”

    Ancelotti won the Champions League twice with AC Milan before leading Real Madrid to ‘La Decima, their 10th European title in 2014.

  • ZIDANE MAY COACH ECHIEJILE AT MONACO

    ZIDANE MAY COACH ECHIEJILE AT MONACO

    SUPER EAGLES and Monaco left-back, Elderson Echiejile may play under Real Madrid and France legend Zinedine Zidane in the coming season after the World cup winner was linked with the Monaco manager’s job, [football] direct news understands.

    The mega-rich Ligue 1 giants are thought to be considering the position of current boss Claudio Ranieri, though they appear to be set to miss out on their main target in Juventus’ Antonio Conte.

    The club’s owner Dmitry Rybolovlev would ideally like a big name to come in and improve the brand of the team as they seek to close the gap on Paris Saint-Germain and establish themselves in Europe, and they may turn to a former great of the game in Zidane.

    The 41-year-old is current assistant manager to Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, and has impressed with his coaching techniques this season despite his relative inexperience.

    The former attacking midfielder may still feel he would prefer to continue learning under Ancelotti before taking on a big job, but a European football insider believes there will be an offer on the table for him from Monaco in the summer.

    Former Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup has also been linked with the post.

  • Ancelotti gets Real Madrid’s job

    Ancelotti gets Real Madrid’s job

    Carlo Ancelotti has been appointed as the new coach of Real Madrid on a three-year deal, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

    “Carlos Michelangelo Ancelotti would be the coach of Real Madrid next season,” said a statement on the club’s website.

    “Experience, success and reliability in all the countries in which the Italian has worked, he arrives in the Spanish capital after being chosen as coach of the year in France.”

    “Ancelotti would be formally presented to the media on Wednesday afternoon, it added.

    MTNFootball.com reports that the 54-year-old Italian’s protracted move from Paris Saint-Germain was finally confirmed after the French champions also appointed Laurent Blanc as coach for next season on Tuesday.

    That cleared the path for Madrid to announce Ancelotti as  new boss after it was announced Jose Mourinho would not be continuing at the club on May 20.