Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti surpasses Sir Alex Ferguson’s long-standing Champions League record
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti eclipsed Sir Alex Ferguson's longstanding UEFA Champions League record. The Italian is now the most experienced manager in the competition's history with 191 games under his belt. He has won the competition four times, twice with the Spanish giants and twice with AC Milan.
Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United 190 times in the competition. The Real Madrid boss matched the number in the semi-final first-leg clash against the Cityzens, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate last week.
He broke the record in the second-leg clash at the Etihad on Wednesday, May 17. Ancelotti's record-breaking night, however, has been far from ideal so far. City have dominated the game from the word go and are currently 3-0 up on the night, 4-1 on aggregate.
Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva has bagged a first-half brace against the defending European champions. After a smashing left-footed finish in the 23rd minute, Silva found the back of the net with a 37th-minute header. Real Madrid's Eder Militao then scored an own goal in the 76th minute.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti spoke about his mood ahead of the Manchester City clash
A clash against Manchester City is a difficult task for anybody. Facing them at the Etihad with the aggregate level at 1-1 in the UEFA Champions League semi-final is even tougher.
Ahead of the game, Ancelotti was asked about his mood heading into the clash. The Italian manager told the media (via Los Blancos' website):
“Today I'm really calm, very excited and full of belief. Tomorrow, I know it'll be a day of worry. Haaland is going to score, De Bruyne is going to shoot from outside the area. You have to forget about this and believe that Vinicius can do a good trick or that Karim can be smart from the penalty spot."
He added:
"You have to manage your thoughts and think positively. We're so happy to get here. For a club like Real Madrid it's pretty normal, because they've reached a semi-final 11 times out of 13, but it's not that easy. So we'll enjoy it for as long as we can, and that's today.”
Further speaking about City's quality, he said:
“In transitions they're very strong and dangerous, but in the first leg we controlled the game. I don't think we'll see many transitions tomorrow. City will come out swinging and are likely to score in the first ten minutes. We all remember exactly what happened last year on this same stage.”
Manchester City have certainly shown their quality so far in the second leg. They look likely to face Inter Milan in the final on June 10.