Carlo Ancelotti refused to pick a best XI given the sheer amount of talent he worked with during his career, instead opting to highlight 28 stars in one of the most stacked résumés ever.
Though his second stint with Real Madrid came to an unceremonious end, Ancelotti is undoubtedly one of the greatest managers ever, arguably the greatest considering the trophies he won. Ancelotti is the only manager to win each of Europe’s top five leagues and is the only manager to win five Champions Leagues, too.
What might go unnoticed, though, is the list of footballing icons he managed over the last 30 years.
Now leading the Brazil national team, the 66-year-old recently spoke with Gary Lineker on the latter’sThe Rest is Football podcast.
Refusing to name a best XI, Ancelotti instead reminded everyone of the big names he managed.
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Carlo Ancelotti being embraced by Xabi Alonso after the 2014 Champions League final.
Carlo Ancelotti (left) was succeeded by Xabi Alonso (right) at Real Madrid. / IMAGO/Gribaudi/ImagePhoto
The Italian did not name any attackers, but here’s the full breakdown of goalkeepers, defenders and midfielders:
Notable Goalkeepers Managed by Ancelotti
Thibaut Courtois
Thibaut Courtois has been among the elite for some time. / Mateo Villalba/Getty Images
Notable Defenders Managed by Ancelotti
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini served AC Milan for 25 years. / Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Notable Midfielders Managed by Ancelotti
Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is the Premier League’s highest-scoring midfielder. / Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Club Breakdown per Ancelotti’s List
Clubs Players Named
Real Madrid 9
AC Milan 9
Chelsea 6
Bayern Munich 2
Juventus 1
Parma 1
And that doesn’t even include attackers and the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Filippo Inzaghi, Vinicius Junior, Andriy Shevchenko, Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappé, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Gareth Bale and others.
Plus, he left out players like Kaká, Cafu, Gianluca Zambrotta and Marcelo.
Ancelotti might be happy to stack not only his trophy haul against other managers, but even the list of players he’s managed might rival anyone.
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