“He’s not a social media coach, he’s a proper coach” - Jose Mourinho pays respect to Carlo Ancelotti after Real Madrid win Champions League
Former Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has praised current Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti, following the club's 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final on June 1. With Saturday night's victory, Ancelotti has now won the prestigious tournament five times as a manager.
Speaking on TNT Sports after the Champions League final, Mourinho was full of appreciation for Ancelotti, calling him a "proper coach" and not a "social media coach."
“He’s not a social media coach, he’s a proper coach. He comes from the meritocracy. Go to his office and see how many medals,” Mourinho said.
Mourinho further appreciated Los Blancos for their "humbleness", pointing out that the club changed their philosophy to beat Manchester City in their journey to the UCL final.
“This is Real Madrid, they can be humble. Sometimes it can be hard for the big clubs to have that humbleness," the incoming Fenerbahce coach said.
“When they played against Man City, to beat them they had to change the philosophy. Ask Real Madrid fans if they were happy to change their philosophy. They don’t sell philosophy, they put cups in the office,” he added.
Ancelotti is the most successful manager in the history of the Champions League, having won the trophy five times; twice with AC Milan and thrice with Real Madrid.
Rio Ferdinand echoes Mourinho's thoughts about Carlo Ancelotti and his success at Real Madrid
Rio Ferdinand agreed with Jose Mourinho's sentiments about Carlo Ancelotti, claiming that the humility Real Madrid display on the pitch comes directly from the Italian.
“Don Carlo, that’s the only way you can talk about him now. That humility comes from him. He’s the guy that guides this team and makes them feel comfortable to take a backwards step," he said.
Ferdinand also appreciated Ancelotti's ability to "manoeuvre" his tactics and soak up pressure before hitting teams on the counter.
“You’ve got to be able to manoeuvre your game plan and he (Carlo) does that, he doesn’t panic. That’s the big word. They ride those waves and because of the quality they’ve got at the top of the pitch, the back players and the midfielders can feel comfortable soaking the pressure up and then bang!” the Englishman added.
Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid secured the historic treble this season, having also won La Liga and the Supercopa de Espana.