Carlo Ancelotti will surpass a Champions League record held by former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in Wednesday’s semi-final second leg against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
The two legendary coach Ancelotti and Ferguson are the most decorated managers in world football.
Carlo Ancelotti has won the UEFA Champions League four times as a coach.
His first Champions League triumph came in the 2002-2003 season when he led AC Milan to a 3-2 victory over Juventus in the final.
Ancelotti’s second Champions League success came in the 2006-2007 season, also with AC Milan, when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the final.
Third Champions League win came in the 2013-2014 season when he coached Real Madrid to a 4-1 victory over city rivals Atletico Madrid in the final.
Fourth and most recent Champions League win came in the 2021-2022 season. He led Real Madrid to a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the final.
Read Also: Real Madrid Vs Manchester City 3-1 {AGG 6-5} Highlights (Download Video)
• Real Madrid Vs Getafe 1-0 Highlights (Download Video)
Ferguson, meanwhile, won two European titles with Manchester United in 1999 and 2008 after guiding Aberdeen to the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1983.
Ancelotti remains in the hunt to lift a fifth Champions League trophy this term,
with his Real Madrid side heading to the Etihad on Wednesday after playing out a 1-1 first-leg draw with Man City at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.
The 63-year-old will take charge of his 191st Champions League game as a manager on Wednesday, which will see him surpass the previous record held by Ferguson, who amassed a total of 190 matches in the competition.
Los Blancos’ second-leg tie against the Citizens is also Ancelotti’s 50th Champions League game with the Spanish giants,
and having previously taken charge of 73 games with Milan in the competition, t
he Italian will become just the second manager to reach a half century with two different teams, along with Man City boss Pep Guardiola.
Indeed, Guardiola took charge of exactly 50 Champions League games during his time with Barcelona and will sit in the dugout for the 74th time as Citizens manager in Europe’s premier club competition on Wednesday.
Real Madrid are seeking to move one step closer to winning a record-extending 15th Champions League title,
and Ancelotti believes the “special” nature of the competition can spur on his side against a Man City outfit who were knocked out by Los Blancos at the semi-final stage last season.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Ancelotti said:
“It’s not easy to explain, but personally I feel the Champions League is special for Real Madrid because of the history, because the club won the first six.
“It’s something very special and that makes a difference.
The club does a good job of keeping this history alive.
We don’t forget the players who made history at this club, such as [Alfredo] Di Stefano, [Paco] Gento, Amancio, etc.”
“We need to be strong defensively as a whole.
It won’t be such a different game from the first leg. I think we can play better than we did in the first leg.
“I want my team to read the situations of the match well.
We’ll suffer at points, which is normal in a match like this, but we also have to realise when our opponents are suffering. We’ll try to win the game as a collective and with our individuals.”
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the UEFA Champions League.
