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at Camp Nou on May 24, 1989 in Barcelona, Spain. AC Milan players celebrate the victory of the European Cup ©Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

There are coaches who are born with an innate sense of a coach and as a player. All this while always putting practical
truth, who build philosophies, who establish messianic cults, sense before theoretical arguments, people before blackboards,
who, despite having stopped performing miracles decades ago – dialogue before the exercise of power. In this sense, even on
if they ever did – always find a pulpit from which to pontificate. the rare occasions when he “failed” (if one can speak in these
And then there are coaches who study, who listen, who observe, terms of the two unfortunate second places with Juventus or
who constantly renegotiate their ideas by adapting them to the the chiaroscuro adventure at Napoli) he left excellent memories,
context, and who perform miracles almost every day without especially in the players. Everyone who had anything to do with
ever giving up their low profile. him learned something. He learned something from everyone.
It is useless, and perhaps inelegant, to list the prophets – Even from those he did not coach. “Once,” he recounted some
true and false – to whom we have, at different times, directed time ago, “acquiring Baggio for Parma was a possibility, but I
our devotion and our expectations of Truth. It is, however, advised against it because he didn’t fit my 4-4-2. If I had a time
right and necessary to celebrate the man who has elevated the machine, I would go back and get Baggio. I was wrong to be so
craft of coaching to its highest level of practical refinement. We stubborn, with time I learned that a solution to make so many
are talking about Carlo Ancelotti, 65 years old from Reggiolo great players coexist can always be found in the end.”
(RE), the most international, cosmopolitan, appreciated and, His secret? Being close to the players, listening to them,
above all, successful Italian coach ever: the only man to have understanding them. Communicating, in short: “I may have my
won the five main European championships (Serie A, Premier own idea of the game,” Carlo likes to explain, “but they are the
League, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Liga) at least once, a total of five ones who play it. You have to be able to communicate, to be open,
Champions Leagues (with two different teams), at least two as flexible, not rigid.

52 Portrait Protagonist