Before coaching Bayern in the summer of 2016, replacing Pep Guardiola, Ancelotti boasted an impressive resume, including two Champions Leagues, a Serie A title with AC Milan, a Premier League title with Chelsea, a Ligue 1 title with PSG, and another Champions League with Real Madrid. In his first season in Germany, he added the Bundesliga to this collection. However, after a 3-0 loss to PSG in the 2017-2018 Champions League group stage, Ancelotti was promptly sacked.
He had also experienced premature departures from Parma in 1998, Juventus in 2001, Chelsea in 2011, Real Madrid in 2015, and Napoli in 2019. Yet, according to the Italian manager, his most ruthless dismissal was at Bayern. "The previous season, we finished 15 points clear of second place in the Bundesliga, five points more than Guardiola's achievement. However, Bayern didn't consider that a success, not even the bare minimum", Ancelotti wrote in his newly released autobiography.
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A disappointed Ancelotti during Bayern's 3-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League group stage in 9/2017. Photo: AFP |
A disappointed Ancelotti during Bayern's 3-0 defeat to PSG in the Champions League group stage in 9/2017. Photo: AFP
Ancelotti also discussed difficulties with Bayern's President, Uli Hoeness, and CEO, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. He admitted struggling to manage multiple superiors without a clear hierarchy. Maintaining his independence was a challenge, requiring him to consult even captain Philipp Lahm.
Ancelotti further recounted receiving orders to enforce stricter discipline and being handed a five-point list to communicate to the players, which made him feel like he was managing a youth team. "I stood before the team in the dressing room, took the paper out of my pocket, and said: 'I've been asked by the management to read this list to you'. That's how I dodged responsibility", Ancelotti shared.
The 3-0 loss to PSG in 9/2017 was one of Bayern's biggest defeats in Champions League history. Before dismissing Ancelotti, CEO Rummenigge declared: "What we saw tonight wasn't Bayern. It's important that after this match, we turn the page quickly and become ourselves again. This is a defeat that needs to be discussed".
Following Ancelotti's departure, interim coach Jupp Heynckes guided Bayern to another Bundesliga title and the Champions League semi-finals. However, the Italian quickly rebounded. Returning to Real Madrid in 2021, Ancelotti won two more Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles. En route to the 2023-2024 Champions League victory, he led Real Madrid past Bayern in the semi-finals with a 4-3 aggregate score.
Ancelotti holds the record for five Champions League titles, two more than Bob Paisley (Liverpool), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), and Guardiola (Barcelona and Man City). He left the Bernabeu last summer to manage the Brazilian national team. After qualifying, he and his squad are preparing for next summer's World Cup.
Thanh Quy (according to Marca)
