Ancelotti ambitious: "We want to win the Champions League. Bellingham? Beyond all expectations"

In his career, Carlo Ancelotti has won two Champions League titles as a player and four as a coach. A prestigious haul, but one that doesn't satisfy him yet, as he doesn't intend to stop there. His Real Madrid team is top of Group C, ahead of Napoli , and the Blancos coach still wants to dream big.

After all, as he emphasizes to Uefa.com, the Champions League "has always been and still is the most important and prestigious tournament, and today it's even more important because there are more matches than in the past. As for the secret of my success... I can't say for sure. Perhaps a key element is that I've coached two clubs that hold this trophy dear. It's no coincidence that both AC Milan and Real Madrid are among the most successful clubs in the history of this tournament, which represents the most important trophy for both."

The former Juventus manager dwells on his experience with the 'Merengues': "I don't know what impact he left on the club... As for me, Real Madrid made me realize, day after day, that I'm coaching what is now the greatest football team in the world. It's precisely thanks to how the club performed in this tournament. Since the 50s, Real Madrid has written the history of this tournament, helping to establish its undisputed fame."

Ancelotti: “Respect the person, before the player”

The best way to manage a group of champions like those he's encountered during his career is easy to explain: "I think in any interpersonal relationship, you need to be honest with yourself and present yourself exactly as you are. I'm a fairly calm and collected person, and fundamentally, I think I'll always try to respect people for who they are, not what they do. Respecting the player is fine, but I think it's much more important to respect the person behind them. That's my general approach. I'm not just a coach, I'm a person who coaches. My character was formed by growing up with the people I consider my mentors: starting with my parents, but also my teachers and coaches. With my players, I always treat them first and foremost as people."

Arrigo Sacchi was certainly one of his mentors: "He was an innovator in this sport, and I consider myself very lucky to have met him. I had him as my coach for five years (at AC Milan, ed.) , then I was his assistant (when he was coaching the national team, ed.) for three. From a technical and methodological standpoint, he taught me a lot. I still carry his teachings with me today, because his way of coaching teams in the '90s had never been seen before."

Ancelotti: “Bellingham? He doesn’t look like a 20-year-old, he’s mature”

It's always difficult to talk about a player individually, but Bellingham is doing extraordinary things, even exceeding expectations: "Exactly, he's absolutely exceeded expectations, especially in terms of goals. He's scored a lot and is settling in really well. He's very young, but also very mature: he has a strong personality and character, which helped him join Real Madrid with such confidence. Yes, he doesn't look like a 20-year-old. I think his experience in Germany has helped him a lot and made him even more mature."

After the Champions League, Ancelotti has already thought about what he'll do in retirement: "Travelling, definitely. There are so many places I've never seen: Australia, Argentina. Having more time on my hands, I'll be able to spend it with my family and my grandchildren: I have five. I'll have plenty to do and I'm not worried about what comes after. When I was playing, it was the same: I knew I'd find something to do afterward. Fishing isn't really for me. I went fishing in Canada: my wife is Canadian and I live in Vancouver, which is a beautiful city. I've gone fishing a couple of times, but it's not my passion . "

The former Roma and national team midfielder will certainly return to Italy: "The place where you were born, despite the humidity and mosquitoes in the summer, is still the most beautiful in the world. I truly feel my roots are deeply rooted. Even though I've traveled the world and seen wonderful places, my roots will never change. For me, Reggiolo remains the most beautiful place in the world."