After having won practically everything on the football pitch , first as a player and then as a coach – the only 'mister' to have won the 'scudetto' in the top five European leagues and to have brought home four Champions League titles , two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid – Carlo Ancelotti becomes 'doctor'. On October 11th, the University of Parma will award him an honorary Master's Degree in Science and Techniques of Preventive and Adapted Motor Activities.

The proposal, formulated by the Department of Medicine and Surgery, was approved by the Academic Senate of the University of Emilia and then endorsed by the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini. Now, the coach from Reggiolo, currently at the helm of Real Madrid and the next coach of the Brazilian national team, has no choice but to collect the academic title, decidedly different from those that shine in his showcase full of trophies collected running on the field with Roma and Milan and then on the bench between Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint Germain and Chelsea.

"It's a great honor and a great joy for us ," observes the University's Rector, Paolo Andrei , " and we are truly grateful to Carlo Ancelotti for accepting this recognition, which, among other things, comes from a city that, in many ways, was a crucial crossroads in his two careers: as a footballer and as a coach. Ancelotti," he adds, "is a true ambassador for our country and our region around the world, and the fact that he has succeeded in such diverse environments makes him a true legend. It will truly be a tremendous privilege to have him among our graduates." At the ceremony, which will open with a speech by the Parma-born Rector, Ancelotti will deliver his doctoral lecture, entitled "Football: a School of Life." The event will be by invitation only, but it will be possible to watch online by connecting to the live stream on the University website.