5 title-winning seasons of Carlo Ancelotti as he becomes first manager to win across Europe's top 5 leagues
Carlo Ancelotti began his managerial career in 1995 with Reggiana, a team that currently plays in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football. Before this, he had an illustrious career as a player. On Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti became the first manager to win a league title in each of Europe's top five leagues.
Carlo Ancelotti is the first manager ever to win all of Europe’s top five leagues.
Legend. 👑 https://t.co/Suf1B8J59Y
Serie A, Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and finally La Liga, Ancelotti won them all. A hugely popular manager who is always entertaining with his style of football. This article will go down memory lane and look at the five seasons that led to Ancelotti reaching this milestone.
Ancelotti's AC Milan 2003-2004
The Italian's first league title as manager came at a place he knew well. Ancelotti spent five seasons at AC Milan as a player, and it was only fitting that he won his first title as a manager with them. Milan won the league that season with 82 points, with AS Roma finishing second on 71 points.
Kaká and Cafu joined Milan in the summer of 2003 to add to the star-studded team. Andriy Shevchenko was their top scorer with 29 goals, and Kaka scored 14 goals and assisted seven in his debut season. Andrea Pirlo, Fillipo Inzaghi, Rui Costa, Clarence Seedorf, Genaro Gattuso, the list goes on. The team was a joy to watch.
This was their first title since 1999 and 17th overall. Under Ancelotti, the team went on to do great things in Europe in the coming seasons.
Free-scoring Chelsea 2009-2010
Ancelotti's next title came in England, where he won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2010. Chelsea broke the record of goals scored in a single Premier League season, scoring 103 that season, a statistic that encapsulates the Blues' title-winning season under Ancelotti. Chelsea were pure entertainment that year. They won the title with 86 points while Manchester United finished second with 85.
The team scored seven goals in a single game on three occasions and scored eight in one. Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Florent Malouda, and Nikolas Anelka formed a dangerous quartet up front. The four scored a total of 74 goals and assisted 49. Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack, John Terry, Joe Cole, Michael Essien, and Petr Cech are just some of the other top players from that team.
Chelsea went on to win the FA Cup that season as well to make it a domestic double. This season is fondly remembered by Chelsea fans, especially considering the struggles Chelsea have faced in front of goal in recent seasons.
The man to start PSG's dominance 2012-2013
Paris Saint Germain had not won a league title since 1994, but when Qatar bought the club, it was only a matter of time before they returned to the top. Carlo Ancelotti was chosen to deliver the team their first title in this new era and he did not disappoint. PSG won the league with 83 points as Marseille finished second with 71 points. This was a PSG team in its infancy, but they were not short of talent.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored 30 goals for Ancelotti during the season to lead the title charge. Players like David Beckham, Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta, Blaise Matuidi, Marco Verratti, and Maxwell formed a brilliant supporting cast. Considering the height and consistency PSG have reached in recent seasons, this title kickstarted their dominance.
A short stop at Bayern Munich 2016-2017
Bayern Munich have dominated the Bundesliga, especially over the last decade. Ahead of the 2016-17 season, when Pep Guardiola left Bayern Munich to join Manchester City, the Bavarians decided to go with a manager with a proven track record in Ancelotti.
In 2017 Bayern cantered to another title by scoring 82 points as RB Leipzig finished second with 67 points. This was perhaps the most lackluster of Ancelotti's league titles due to Bayern's established dominance in the league.
Robert Lewandowski scored 30 goals, while players like Arjen Robben, Thomas Müller, and Frank Ribéry among others added the rest. Manuel Neuer, Thiago Alcantara, Xabi Alonso, Phillip Lahm and Mats Hummels were some of the players involved in this team.
The final jewel in the crown, Real Madrid 2021-2022
Carlo Ancelotti's first stint as Real Madrid manager came between 2013 and 2015, during which he won them the coveted "La Decima" - Madrid's tenth Champions League title. In the summer of 2021, he was offered the job once again, and he left Everton to accept the position. Real Madrid were on a journey to win La Liga after Atletico Madrid won it last season.
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With four games to go, the club were crowned Champions on Saturday (May 1st), with the gap to second-placed Barcelona sitting at 15 points. Real Madrid could get 93 points this season if they win their remaining games. Many will say this was the last dance for several of the players in this squad. Karim Benzema has flown the flag for the champions with 42 goals in 42 games this season.
Luka Modric, Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale, Nacho Fernandez, Casemiro, Isco, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez - all these players are 30 or above. The job is not over yet, as they are still involved in the Champions League. However, it will be regarded as a successful season when it comes to an end, even if Madrid fail to win their 14th European title.