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9 Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has swum against the tide of the last decade and a half of top managers, declaring that he is not keen to have a clear and defined identity on the pitch. Since Pep Guardiola’s revolution at Barcelona, many top managers have prided themselves on bringing a certain style of football, but Ancelotti desires more variation.
Ahead of their clash with Bayern Munich, Ancelotti told the press that Andriy Lunin would be starting the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, despite some calls for the return of Thibaut Courtois, who played for the first time this season on Saturday. The Italian also explained that he felt Real Madrid could be much better defensively.
“A game with intensity, with rhythm is better for us… Evaluating the first leg, on a defensive level we could have done much more. [We want] An intense game.”
Both sides did damage on the counter attack in the first leg, but Ancelotti declared he was confident of managing that risk, even if they lift the tempo.
“These two teams, they do very well in transition. They are the two most dangerous teams in Europe in that sense. You can avoid transitions with good balance. The risk can be managed.”
With the final question of his press conference, he was asked how he would describe his teams, and whether there was a central philosophy to them.
“I think the philosophy is that your idea has to adapt to the players. I don’t want a team with just one identity.”
Ancelotti’s ability, or desire, to ensure his side can morph between different styles has been disconcerting for many fans in recent years, as they contrast it with the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp or Antonio Conte in recent years, but it has clearly paid dividends in recent years. While his return was met with derision in some parts, the Real Madrid manager is beyond question at the Santiago Bernabeu these days.
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