Carlo Ancelotti backs Jose Mourinho to do 'fantastic job' if he returns to Real Madrid & rubbishes 'bullsh*t' player power reports

As the managerial merry-go-round at Madrid continues to spin, Ancelotti has emerged as a vocal supporter of Mourinho’s potential return. The Italian, who famously won Real's 'La Decima' Champions League crown after taking over from Mourinho in 2013, believes that "The Special One" still has exactly what it takes to lead the world's most demanding club.

Speaking in an extensive interview with The Athletic, Ancelotti, now working as manager of the Brazil national team, shared his enthusiasm for the prospect of his friend returning to Madrid. "To be back at Real Madrid, I will be really happy for him," the former Los Blancos manager said. "He can do a fantastic job, as he always did in all the clubs that he was at."

One of the biggest concerns for any incoming manager is the reported lack of discipline within the current Madrid squad. Previous reports suggested that Xabi Alonso found the group "impossible to coach" during his brief tenure, but Ancelotti is quick to defend the professionalism of the players in the locker room, using strong language to dismiss the narrative of out-of-control egos.

“No, because it (makes it sound like) that players at Real Madrid do what they want. It’s not true. Absolutely bulls***. It is absolutely bulls***," Ancelotti said, having been in charge at Real before Alonso's appointment last summer. “Not true! The players… when I was there, I had an idea and tried to discuss this idea with the players, and I would see if they agreed or not. We even did this in the final of the Champions League. When I have an idea, the player has to be part of this idea. I don’t want to impose strategy. But that does not mean that we do not have a strategy.

“We had a strategy, and we had a strong strategy, because we won two Champions League trophies in four years, and the players were really focused to follow the strategy and follow the plan. The idea that Real Madrid doesn’t want to follow a strategy, it is not true.”

For Mourinho to succeed in a second stint, Ancelotti suggests he will need to prioritise man-management over mere tactics. The Italian maestro explained that his own success was built on seeing the human being behind the athlete, an approach that might be necessary to stabilize a squad that has struggled for consistency during another trophyless campaign.

“As usual, I tried to have a relationship with the person - not with the player - because what you are is a person. You are just a person that plays football. That is clear in my mind,” Ancelotti explained.

Ancelotti urged patience from the fans and the board, suggesting that finding a new equilibrium is the primary task for whoever sits in the Real dugout, whether it is Mourinho or another candidate. The former Milan and Chelsea boss concluded by emphasizing that success in Madrid requires more than just elite talent. "So Real Madrid needs time to rebuild this environment in the squad, which gave them a lot of success (before). It’s not only a problem of technical quality. To have success, it is also to find a good balance," Ancelotti explained.

Arbeloa is set to remain in charge at Real for their final three games of the La Liga season against Real Oviedo, Sevilla and Athletic Club before clarity is offered on the next permanent head coach at the Bernabeu.

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