Carlo Ancelotti was relieved of his coaching duties at German giants Bayern Munich, in the aftermath of an historic 3-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The defeat by the Bavarian to the Nouveau-Riche of European football was the heaviest suffered in 21 years on Europe’s biggest stage.
Affectionately nicknamed Carletto, the latest dismissal represents the third (Chelsea-2011, Real Madrid-2015 and Bayern Munich-2017) of such in the last six years of his managerial career. Just how badly have things turned out to be for a manager who was voted IFFHS World’s best coach-2007, 2014?
Upon the departure of Pep Guardiola in 2016, at the expiration of his three year managerial contract at Bayern Munich, the club announced the immediate acquisition of Ancelotti as the replacement for the Spaniard. Here, was a manager that had won domestic titles in every country he had coached in and remains the only coach to have won the UEFA Champions League title three times(AC Milan-2003, 2007 and Real Madrid-2014).
He was a winner by all standards, but was he necessarily going to fit into Bayern’s somewhat unusual tradition and language barrier? First, he employed his son Davide, who had a good mastery and understanding of the German language as an assistant. The season kicked-off, Bayern were winning, but not with that swagger, dominance and almost invincibility associated with the team under Guardiola’s rein.
There were rumours that senior players Philip Lahm and Xabi Alonso complained to the club hierarchy, led by President Uli Hoeness and Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge concerning the training methods of the Italian tactician. After voicing out their discontent, were, there any surprises the duo both retired at the end of the season and equally turned down the chance at different times of request to become Carletto’s right hand man. Coincidental right?
The current season hasn’t gone according to plan for Bayern Munich and there are rumours that five players, chief among them Arjen Robben, had complained about Ancelotti’s methods. The result was a sack issued to the highly successful Italian manager.
Despite the latest misadventure which has led to Ancelotti coming out to publicly state he wants to take a 10-month break from coaching, we simply cannot take anything away from the achievements of a man who has coached and won domestic titles in Italy, England, Spain, France and Germany, failing to win a league title in just the Spanish La Liga.
As the 58-year-old nomadic manager embarks on yet another sabbatical, what is almost certain, is Ancelotti will favour a fresh challenge in a new environment when he returns and you can count on him winning a league title in his first full season in-charge of the ‘chosen’ club.
