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The Boot Room


Issue 09 April 2014


First steps into coaching


The last year that I played in Milan I had the opportunity to be the assistant manager of Arrigo Sacchi in the national team. I could have continued to play but I preferred to stop because I thought the experience with Sacchi was really good for me.


I was with Sacchi for three years as the assistant coach of the national team. That period was really important for me to grow as a manager. After those three years I went for the first time to be the Head Coach of a second division team, Reggiana.


Evolving as a coach


Ancelotti was appointed manager at Juventus in 1999


Enthusiasm for working with players


I love to train every day. I want to be on the pitch every day and train with the players. People ask me when will I stop doing this career and I say when I lose the enthusiasm to train. A lot of times I have been asked if I would like to be the manager of the national team – but I want to work every day with the players. It is not stressful – I am happy.


The Italian way


The Italian League is really different from the others. It is really tactical. The Italian culture of football is to defend, Catenaccio started in Italy. In the Italian league you also have to play against different systems: 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, so you have to be very flexible to change and adapt your strategy in the game against different systems. In Italy the rhythm of the game is not so strong. Italian teams have a lot of knowledge defensively and the first priority is not to concede a goal. That is the mentality.


Learning the coaching and management profession


Don’t think your experience as a player is enough to be a manager. It is enough to have a relationship with the players and to understand the player and what they need, but for the other parts you have to learn and you have to study. The stage that I had in Italy doing my coaching licence was really good – to learn about physical preparation, to learn about tactics.


I am a manager that I wasn’t twenty years ago. Experience changes day by day and I have different knowledge now. Tactically, I started with Sacchi whose system of play was 4-4-2. It didn’t matter if I didn’t have players to play 4-4-2, I would still play it. I didn’t have the knowledge or the courage to change the system.


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