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Carlo Ancelotti - football's greatest?


NurembergVillan

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OK, bear with me on this one...

 

I heard a stat this morning that as a player and manager he's been involved in 7 Champions League (or European Cup) finals, and won 5 of them.

 

If you look at his overall track record as a player he played for Parma, Roma and THAT Milan team, as well as 26 caps for Italy.  Included in his honours are 3 Serie A titles, 4 Coppa Italia, 2 European Cups and 2 European Super Cups.

 

His last five clubs as a manager are Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid.  With those clubs his honours include 2 Champions Leagues with Milan and last night's victory.  He won the league with Milan, Chelsea and PSG, the domestic cup in Italy, England and Spain and has 8 various manager of the year awards.

 

So to the point, he'd never be listed amongst the greatest players and perhaps, not yet at least, the greatest managers.  But so many players with his honours list have never made a good manager, whilst many great managers never achieved anything as a player.  Certainly in the modern era I can't think of anyone who can match his record across both parts of their career.

 

Could Carlo Ancelotti be football's greatest all-rounder?

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johan%20cruyff.jpg

 

Haha!  Fair shout, yeah...  I guess I forgot him on the grounds that he hasn't managed for nearly 20 years now (makes me feel old!).

 

As an individual player he was head and shoulders above Ancelotti.  Ancelotti as a manager, though, is picking up honours at quite a rate.

 

I think the influence Cruyff had though entire clubs over an extended period of time gives him a real edge.  There's not much in it though.

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Still, in Cruyff's 11 year managerial career he did win 14 trophies, including Barcelona's first European cup. Won the Spanish title 4 seasons in a row, which is something Barcelona had never done before or since.

 

23 trophies as a player including 5 in one season.

 

I would say the most influential person in football of all time. He made Barcelona which you could say made Spain what it is today. Made Holland and Ajax.

 

Individual awards as player and manager.

 

If you're looking for football's greatest all rounder. It is Johan Cruyff.

 

Also had a song in the Dutch and Spanish charts :P

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2idRhbTj94

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Fine Player/Manager with the honours and clubs managed and played for to back it up, greatest ever might be a bit of a stretch though.

 

For me its a bit like Pep if you look at the teams hes managed then these are teams expected to win things with the best players of their generations in them, not that it counts against them but it's very impressive to take a team not traditionally up there to the top i think or create legacy's and new era's like Cruyff/Ferguson did.

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Beckenbauer?

Did plenty as a player, 5 leagues, 3 European cups, ballon dor twice, euros, World Cup

not that much as a manager though, 2 league titles UEFA cup and then the World Cup

 

Not even close.

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Beckenbauer?

Did plenty as a player, 5 leagues, 3 European cups, ballon dor twice, euros, World Cup

not that much as a manager though, 2 league titles UEFA cup and then the World Cup

 

 

You suggest Beckenbauer, and then in your final sentence explain why he is not a candidate in this question

 

Odd.

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Beckenbauer?

Did plenty as a player, 5 leagues, 3 European cups, ballon dor twice, euros, World Cup

not that much as a manager though, 2 league titles UEFA cup and then the World Cup

You suggest Beckenbauer, and then in your final sentence explain why he is not a candidate in this question

Odd.

Is it that odd though, depends on how heavy you weigh the World Cup, he's one of 2 people to have won it as a player and a manager

Ancellotti wasn't a better player than him and has 1 more league title, 3 domestic cups and 2 more European titles than him, but no World Cup

I don't think he managed for long enough, only 12 years and at 2 clubs but I don't think he should be completely out of consideration

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Good manager although not without his flaws, Chelsea were pretty poor in his second season then and he always had an aversion to playing with width or even trying to stop teams that played with wingers, we had some joy against him in his two season as we only lost 1/4 league games (although that was the 7-1 game!)

 

That said I do really enjoy watching the teams he builds, loved the Meelan team of 03-05, Chelsea in his first season scored I think over 100 league goals and Madrid have been good to watch this year.

 

I was surprised Man. United didn't try to appoint him as manager before Madrid even came on the scene. I think he'd be a really good candidate for Arsenal post Wenger aswell.

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