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The veteran Italian manager has coached several great players but the Real Madrid-inclined duo of Vinicius Junior and Cristiano Ronaldo do not quite make his all-time list
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, fresh from being crowned the best coach of 2024, recently named the top players he has coached in his illustrious career.
Ancelotti, who did not attend the award ceremony after reportedly being disappointed to learn that Vinicius Junior wouldn’t be taking home the Ballon d’Or, did not name the Brazilian star among his two favourite players.
Ancelotti snubs Vinicius and Ronaldo
The veteran coach reflected on the players who made a lasting impact on him in a recent interview—two of whom are legends from his AC Milan days.
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While he has managed modern stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Vinicius Junior, Ancelotti’s picks revealed his deep connection to the players he coached at Milan, particularly those with powerful personalities and leadership qualities that resonated with him.
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The former AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli, and Chelsea manager had an extensive list of possible players to select as the pick of the bunch, having had such an illustrious career, but surprisingly picked two players from different eras with the Rossoneri.
Ancelotti reveals best-ever players
Ancelotti, who managed elite talent in some of the biggest clubs in the world, chose AC Milan icon Paolo Maldini as one of his top players.
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Their relationship went beyond just coach and player, as Ancelotti and Maldini had been teammates before he became his captain at Milan.
Reflecting on Maldini’s influence, Ancelotti shared, “Paolo Maldini, without a doubt, was a special player for me. He had been my teammate and then became my captain. He helped me a lot in Milan; we had a strong and fantastic relationship.”
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Ancelotti also singled out Zlatan Ibrahimovic, highlighting the Swedish forward’s larger-than-life personality and strong character, saying, “Then, of course, there was Ibrahimovic, with his strong character and big personality. In general, the most important players are the easiest to coach. They may have a big ego, but that can be their motivation.”
With a wealth of experience under his belt, the Italian coach will be keen to wrap up his career coaching more top talents to top honours as his Real Madrid side go for a second successive Champions League title.
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