Carlo Ancelotti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carlo Ancelotti

Ancelotti as Bayern Munich manager in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1959-06-10) 10 June 1959 (age 66)
Place of birth	Reggiolo, Italy
Height	1.79 m
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Real Madrid (manager)
Youth career
1973–1975	Reggiolo
1975–1976	Parma
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1976–1979	Parma	55	(13)
1979–1987	Roma	171	(12)
1987–1992	AC Milan	112	(10)
Total		338	(35)
National team
1980	Italy U-21	3	(0)
1979–1989	Italy Olympic	11	(1)
1981–1991	Italy	26	(1)
Teams managed
1995–1996	Reggiana
1996–1998	Parma
1999–2001	Juventus
2001–2009	AC Milan
2009–2011	Chelsea
2011–2013	Paris Saint-Germain
2013–2015	Real Madrid
2016–2017	Bayern Munich
2018–2019	Napoli
2019–2021	Everton
2021–	Real Madrid
Honours Men's football Representing  Italy FIFA World Cup Third 1990 Italy
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager and former player, born on 10 June 1959. He is currently the manager of Real Madrid. People call him "Carletto" in Italy and "Don Carlo" in Spain. Many consider him one of the greatest football managers ever.

Ancelotti holds the record for winning the UEFA Champions League five times as a manager. He also won it twice as a player, making him one of only seven people to achieve this. He is the only manager to reach six Champions League finals. What's more, he's the only manager to win league titles in all of Europe's top five leagues. He has also won the FIFA Club World Cup three times and the UEFA Super Cup five times, which is another record for a manager.

As a player, Ancelotti was a midfielder. He started his career with Parma, helping them get promoted to Serie B in 1979. He then joined Roma, where he won a Serie A title and four Coppa Italia titles. Later, he played for AC Milan in the late 1980s, winning two league titles and two European Cups. For the Italian national team, he played 26 times and scored one goal. He played in two FIFA World Cups and the UEFA Euro 1988, finishing third at the 1990 World Cup.

Ancelotti started his managing career in 1995. He coached Reggiana, Parma, and Juventus before joining AC Milan in 2001. With Milan, he won the Champions League and the 2002–03 Coppa Italia in 2003. The next season, he won the Serie A title. In 2007, he won his second Champions League with Milan. He was named Serie A Coach of the Year twice.

In 2009, Ancelotti became manager of Chelsea. In his first season, he won both the Premier League and the FA Cup. He then moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, leading them to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years. After this success, he joined Real Madrid in 2013. In his first season, he guided Real Madrid to their tenth Champions League title and a Copa del Rey. He was dismissed from Real Madrid in 2015. He then managed Bayern Munich in 2016, winning the Bundesliga title in his first season. After coaching Napoli and Everton, he returned to Real Madrid in 2021. Since then, he has won two more Champions League titles and two more La Liga titles with the club.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting at Parma

Carlo Ancelotti began his football journey in 1974 with Parma. He made his first professional appearance in the Serie C league in 1976, when he was 18. His coach, Cesare Maldini, often played him as an attacking midfielder or a second striker because he was good at scoring goals. Ancelotti played very well in these roles. In the 1978–79 season, he helped Parma finish second in their league, which meant they could play in the Serie B play-offs. In the important play-off match, he scored two goals, helping Parma win 3–1 and get promoted to Serie B for the next season.

Time with Roma

Ancelotti playing for Roma during the 1983–84 season

In 1979, Ancelotti joined Roma. He played his first Serie A game on 16 September, which was a 0–0 draw against AC Milan. His coach, Nils Liedholm, used him as a winger or central midfielder. Carlo quickly became one of Roma's most important players. He helped the team win the Coppa Italia twice in his first two seasons. During his eight years in Rome, he won the Coppa Italia four times in total (1980, 1981, 1984, and 1986).

After dealing with some knee injuries, Ancelotti helped Roma win the Italian championship in 1983. This was only the club's second league title ever. The next season, he helped Roma win another Coppa Italia. They also reached the European Cup final in 1984, but he couldn't play due to injury. Roma lost the final to Liverpool on penalties. In 1985, he became the team's captain. He helped Roma win the Coppa Italia again in 1986.

Success with AC Milan

From 1987 to 1992, Ancelotti played for AC Milan. He was a key player in the team that won the Serie A title in 1988. They also won the European Cup two years in a row, in 1989 and 1990. Under coach Arrigo Sacchi, Milan also won two European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, and a Supercoppa Italiana.

This Milan team was very strong, with famous players like Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, and Marco van Basten. One of Ancelotti's most memorable moments was scoring a powerful long-range goal against Real Madrid in the 1989 European Cup semi-finals, which Milan won 5–0. He played the whole final game, where Milan beat Steaua București 4–0.

The next season, Ancelotti got a knee injury, which made him miss some important games. However, he returned in time to help Milan win the European Cup again in the final against Benfica. After Sacchi left, Ancelotti won another Serie A title under new coach Fabio Capello in the 1991–92 Serie A season. Milan won the league without losing a single game that season! However, his knee injuries continued, and he decided to retire from playing at the end of the season, at age 33. In his very last game, he came on as a substitute and scored two goals, receiving a big cheer from the fans.

International Matches

Carlo Ancelotti played for the Italian national team. He made his debut and scored his only goal on 6 January 1981 against the Netherlands. He was supposed to play in the 1982 World Cup, but a knee injury kept him out. Italy went on to win the tournament without him. He was part of Italy's squad for the 1986 World Cup, but he didn't play in any games.

Under new coach Azeglio Vicini, he was an important player for Italy in the UEFA Euro 1988, where they reached the semi-finals. He also played in the 1990 World Cup, which was held in Italy. Another injury in the first group match limited his playing time, but he returned for the third-place game against England, which Italy won 2–1. Ancelotti played a total of 26 games for Italy before retiring from international football in 1991.

How He Played Football

Ancelotti was a midfielder known for his leadership and creativity on the field. Many people thought he was one of the best Italian midfielders of his time. Even though he wasn't the fastest or strongest, he was a very talented, hardworking, and determined player. He had excellent technical skills, understood tactics very well, had great vision, and could pass the ball accurately over long distances. His most famous skill was his powerful and precise shots from outside the penalty box.

He was a versatile midfielder, meaning he could play in several different positions in the middle of the field. He often played as a deep-lying playmaker, a central midfielder, or a defensive midfielder. This allowed him to control the pace of the game after winning the ball back. He was also a mentor to younger players like Demetrio Albertini and Andrea Pirlo when he played as a playmaker at Milan. Sadly, his playing career was cut short by several injuries, which made him retire in 1992 at the age of 33.

Managing Football Teams

Starting with Reggiana

After studying coaching, Carlo Ancelotti worked as an assistant coach for the Italian national team from 1992 to 1995. He helped them reach the 1994 World Cup final. In 1995, he started his first job as a head manager with Reggiana, a team in Serie B. In his only season there, he immediately helped the team get promoted to Serie A.

Coaching Parma

Ancelotti at Parma in 1996

Ancelotti joined Parma the next season. Parma had many talented young players, including future Italian stars Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro. Ancelotti made some changes to the team's playing style. Parma finished second in Serie A in the 1996–97 season under Ancelotti, which earned them a spot in the UEFA Champions League.

The next season, Parma finished sixth in Serie A, and Ancelotti left the club.

Leading Juventus

In February 1999, Ancelotti became the manager of Juventus. He was more flexible with the team's formation here, changing it to fit star player Zinedine Zidane. Juventus reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1999, but they finished seventh in Serie A.

In his first full season at Juventus, Ancelotti won the Intertoto Cup. However, Juventus lost the league title to Lazio by just one point on the last day of the season. The next season, Ancelotti's team didn't win any trophies, finishing second in Serie A again, this time to Roma. He was dismissed by Juventus in June 2001.

Golden Years at AC Milan

Ancelotti was appointed manager of AC Milan on 5 November 2001. Milan had not won a major trophy in a while. In the 2001–02 season, Ancelotti helped Milan qualify for the Champions League again by finishing fourth in Serie A.

The next season, Ancelotti made important changes to the team. He moved Andrea Pirlo, a talented attacking midfielder, to a deeper role as a defensive midfielder. This allowed Pirlo to control the game from further back. Milan won the Champions League final in 2003, beating Juventus on penalties. They also won the 2003 Coppa Italia Final against Roma.

The following season, with the addition of Brazilian star Kaká, Milan won the UEFA Super Cup in 2003. They then won the Serie A title in 2004, setting a record with 82 points. Milan also reached the 2005 Champions League final, but they lost to Liverpool on penalties after a thrilling 3–3 draw.

Ancelotti with AC Milan in 2007

For the 2006–07 season, Ancelotti changed Milan's formation again, using a "Christmas Tree" system. This system used Filippo Inzaghi as a single striker, supported by attacking midfielders Clarence Seedorf and Kaká. Milan had points deducted in the league due to a football scandal, so Ancelotti focused on the Champions League. On 23 May 2007, Milan beat Liverpool 2–1 in the Champions League final, getting revenge for their 2005 loss. This was Ancelotti's second Champions League trophy as Milan coach and his fourth overall (including his wins as a player).

The next season, Ancelotti also won the 2007 UEFA Super Cup and Milan's first ever FIFA Club World Cup in 2007. He was the first manager to win this trophy with a European team. Ancelotti resigned from Milan on 31 May 2009, after their final match of the season. He was Milan's longest-serving manager after Nereo Rocco.

Taking Charge at Chelsea

On 1 June 2009, Carlo Ancelotti became the new manager of Chelsea. He signed a three-year contract. On 9 August 2009, he won his first trophy with Chelsea, the Community Shield, beating Manchester United on penalties. His first Premier League game was a 2–1 win against Hull City.

Ancelotti celebrates Chelsea's first League and Cup double with team captain John Terry in 2010

On 9 May 2010, Ancelotti led Chelsea to win the Premier League title. They beat Manchester United by one point and set a scoring record, becoming the first team in the Premier League to score over 100 goals in a season. Chelsea won the title with a huge 8–0 victory over Wigan. Ancelotti became the first Italian manager to win the Premier League. On 15 May 2010, he also led Chelsea to win their first ever domestic double by defeating Portsmouth 1–0 in the FA Cup final.

The next season, Chelsea started very strong, winning their first five matches. However, they then had a difficult period with several losses and draws. Their form improved later in the season. On 31 January 2011, Chelsea signed striker Fernando Torres for a record fee. Chelsea finished the 2010–11 Premier League season in second place. Ancelotti was dismissed on 22 May 2011.

Managing Paris Saint-Germain

Ancelotti with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012

On 30 December 2011, Carlo Ancelotti was appointed manager of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). In his first season, PSG finished as runners-up in Ligue 1.

In Ancelotti's first full season, PSG won the Ligue 1 title on 12 May 2013, with two games left to play. This was their first league title in 19 years. The club also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they lost to Barcelona. On 19 May 2013, Ancelotti asked to leave the club to join Real Madrid.

First Time at Real Madrid

On 25 June 2013, Carlo Ancelotti became the manager of Real Madrid. He signed a three-year contract. His assistant coaches included Zinedine Zidane. Ancelotti changed Real Madrid's formation to a 4–3–3, which worked very well.

On 16 April 2014, Ancelotti won his first major trophy with Real Madrid, beating Barcelona 2–1 in the Copa del Rey final. On 29 April, Real Madrid defeated Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals, reaching their first final since 2002. On 24 May, Real Madrid won their tenth Champions League trophy, called La Décima, by defeating rivals Atlético Madrid 4–1 after extra time. Ancelotti became only the second manager to win the competition three times, and the first to win it twice as a player and three times as a manager.

On 12 August, Ancelotti started the new season by winning the 2014 UEFA Super Cup. His team then set a Spanish record of 22 consecutive victories. This amazing run ended with Real Madrid winning their first FIFA Club World Cup title in December 2014. Real Madrid finished the 2014–15 season in second place in La Liga. On 25 May 2015, Real Madrid decided to dismiss Ancelotti. The club president said that while Ancelotti was loved, they needed "a new impulse" to win more trophies.

After leaving Madrid, Ancelotti decided to take a year off to rest and have an operation. He moved to Vancouver, Canada, for a while.

Coaching Bayern Munich

Ancelotti with Bayern Munich in 2017

On 20 December 2015, it was announced that Carlo Ancelotti would replace Pep Guardiola as manager of Bayern Munich for the 2016–17 season. His contract started on 1 July 2016. On 14 August 2016, Bayern defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–0 in the 2016 DFL-Supercup, giving Ancelotti his first trophy with Bayern.

In his Bundesliga debut, Bayern won 6–0. They won their first eight matches under Ancelotti before losing to Atlético Madrid. On 29 April, Ancelotti led Bayern to win their fifth consecutive Bundesliga title. However, Bayern were knocked out of the Champions League by his former team, Real Madrid. They also lost in the DFB-Pokal semi-finals.

On 5 August 2017, Ancelotti started the 2017–18 season by winning the 2017 DFL-Supercup again, beating Borussia Dortmund on penalties. However, on 28 September 2017, Ancelotti was dismissed as manager of Bayern Munich after a 3–0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Time at Napoli and Everton

On 23 May 2018, Carlo Ancelotti was appointed head coach of Napoli. He returned to Serie A with a 2–1 away victory over Lazio on 19 August. Napoli finished the 2018–19 Serie A season in second place. On 10 December 2019, Ancelotti was dismissed from Napoli, even though they had just won a Champions League match and qualified for the next round. At the time, the club had not won a league game in seven matches.

On 21 December 2019, Ancelotti became the manager of Everton. His first match was a 1–0 home win against Burnley. In his first season, Everton finished in 12th place. For the 2020–21 season, Ancelotti signed some of his former players. Everton started the season with seven wins in a row, and Ancelotti was named Premier League Manager of the Month for September. Everton finished the season in 10th place.

Return to Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti with Archbishop of Madrid Carlos Osoro Sierra during Real Madrid's 2022 Champions League celebration at the Virgin of Almudena

On 1 June 2021, Carlo Ancelotti resigned from Everton to rejoin Real Madrid, after Zinedine Zidane left. He signed a contract until 2024. On 19 September 2021, Ancelotti reached 800 league matches managed in Europe's top five leagues. He won two trophies in his first season back: La Liga and the Supercopa de España. This meant Ancelotti had won all six major trophies available at Madrid, and he became the first manager to win all of Europe's top five leagues.

In the Champions League final against Liverpool, Ancelotti won his record fifth Champions League title as a manager, and Real Madrid won their 14th European Cup. This made Ancelotti the first manager in history to win four Champions League titles.

At the start of the 2022–23 season, Ancelotti guided Real Madrid to a UEFA Super Cup victory, his eighth trophy with the club. On 2 November 2022, he broke Alex Ferguson's record for most victories in the Champions League, with his 103rd win. On 11 February 2023, he led Real Madrid to win their fifth FIFA Club World Cup trophy. Real Madrid finished second in La Liga and reached the Champions League semi-finals. They also won the 2022–23 Copa del Rey.

In August 2023, he was named La Liga's Coach of the Month. On 17 September 2023, Ancelotti got his 173rd win with Madrid, passing Zinedine Zidane to become the coach with the second most wins in the club's history. On 29 December, Real Madrid announced that Ancelotti had extended his contract until 2026.

On 9 April 2024, Ancelotti became the first manager to reach 200 appearances in the Champions League. On 17 April, Real Madrid beat Manchester City on penalties to reach the Champions League semi-finals. This meant Ancelotti equaled Pep Guardiola's record of reaching the Champions League semi-finals ten times as a manager. On 4 May, Real Madrid won the league title. With this, Ancelotti won his twelfth title for the club, passing Zidane. On 1 June, Real Madrid defeated Borussia Dortmund 2–0 to win their 15th Champions League trophy, and Ancelotti's fifth as a manager. Two months later, on 14 August, he won his record fifth UEFA Super Cup trophy. On 18 December, he won his record-breaking 15th title with the club, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Personal Life

Carlo Ancelotti has two children: a daughter and a son, Davide. Davide has worked as his assistant coach at both Everton and Real Madrid. Carlo married Mariann Barrena McClay in Vancouver in July 2014.

In May 2009, Ancelotti's autobiography, Preferisco la Coppa (meaning "I Prefer the Cup"), was published. All the money from the book sales went to a charity that funds research for a serious illness called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ancelotti is a Roman Catholic. In October 2023, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Parma for his work in sports science.

Career statistics

Club

International

Italy score listed first, score column indicates score after each Ancelotti goal

List of international goals scored by Carlo Ancelotti

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 January 1981	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Netherlands	1–0	1–1	1980 World Champions' Gold Cup

Managerial statistics

Trophies and Awards

As a Player

Roma

• Serie A: 1982–83
• Coppa Italia: 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1985–86

AC Milan

• Serie A: 1987–88, 1991–92
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1988
• European Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
• European Super Cup: 1990
• Intercontinental Cup: 1989

Italy

• FIFA World Cup third place: 1990

Individual Awards

• Serie A Team of The Year: 1983, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1991

As a Manager

Juventus

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

AC Milan

• Serie A: 2003–04
• Coppa Italia: 2002–03
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2004
• UEFA Champions League: 2002–03, 2006–07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2003, 2007
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Chelsea

• Premier League: 2009–10
• FA Cup: 2009–10
• FA Community Shield: 2009

Paris Saint-Germain

• Ligue 1: 2012–13

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2021–22, 2023–24
• Copa del Rey: 2013–14, 2022–23
• Supercopa de España: 2021–22, 2023–24
• UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2021–22, 2023–24
• UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2022, 2024
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2022
• FIFA Intercontinental Cup: 2024

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2016–17
• DFL-Supercup: 2016, 2017

Individual Awards

• The Best FIFA Football Coach: 2024
• Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2024
• World Soccer Magazine World Manager of the Year: 2003
• Serie A Coach of the Year: 2001, 2004
• Panchina d'Oro: 2002–03, 2003–04
• Ligue 1 Coach of the Year: 2012–13 (joint)
• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach: 2007, 2014, 2022, 2024
• UEFA Men's Coach of the Year: 2021–22
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Coach of the Year: 2014, 2022
• Onze d'Or Coach of the Year: 2021–22
• Premier League Manager of the Month: November 2009, August 2010, March 2011, April 2011, September 2020
• La Liga Manager of the Month: October 2014, April 2015, August 2023, April 2024
• Globe Soccer Awards Best Media Attraction in Football: 2014
• Enzo Bearzot Award: 2014
• FIFA World Coach of the Year runner-up: 2014
• Miguel Muñoz Trophy: 2021–22, 2014–15 (shared)
• AS Roma Hall of Fame: 2014
• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2015
• AC Milan Hall of Fame

Orders

• 5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991
• 4th Class / Ufficiale: Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia: 2014

Images for kids

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  Ancelotti playing for Roma during the 1983–84 season

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  Ancelotti at Parma in 1996

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  Ancelotti with AC Milan in 2007

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  Ancelotti celebrates Chelsea's first League and Cup double with team captain John Terry in 2010

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  Ancelotti with Chelsea in October 2010

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  Ancelotti with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012

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  Ancelotti with Bayern Munich in 2017

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  Carlo Ancelotti during Real Madrid's 2022 Champions League celebration

See also

In Spanish: Carlo Ancelotti para niños

• List of English football championship-winning managers
• List of FA Cup winning managers
• List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers