Carlo Ancelotti: “The day I need to stop”

Real Madrid’s legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti (65) has spoken about a possible end to his career and shared insights into his feelings as a coach.

At the “Mexico Siglo XXI” event, the Italian revealed that, even after all these years as a manager, he still gets very nervous before a game, even though he mostly appears calm on the outside. “You have to stay calm to handle the situations of the game. I’m still nervous before a game, I feel pressure, and as long as that doesn’t change, I’ll keep going. The day I don’t feel that nervousness anymore will be the day I have to stop,” said the 65-year-old.

He continued: “Before a game, you worry, you have a negative feeling, thinking things might not go well. But when the game starts, everything stands still. You need to find calm to manage the game’s situations.”

Currently, he feels so comfortable on the sidelines that he can imagine coaching for a long time: “I will stay a coach as long as my passion for football remains. Some great things have happened in my life, but also some difficult moments. My life has been normal. I was fortunate to have a job that is my passion. I am grateful to football for giving me this opportunity.”

Speaking about his leadership style, the successful coach (with five Champions League titles) said: “On the bench, you always have to be positive. It’s not true that I’m always calm. I rarely get angry, but when it happens, I really lose it! There’s always this idea of getting a donkey to do something with both the carrot and the stick. Generally, I prefer the carrot, because the donkey helps you more that way.”

He emphasized how important and helpful good relationships with his players are: “I try to build relationships with them on both a personal and professional level because that helps them perform better. It’s not easy because a player always wants to play. Only 11 can start, but 15 travel with the team. But if you manage to build a good personal relationship with them, it helps you work better. You have to be honest with people.”