Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has orchestrated five Champions League triumphs and won all of Europe’s top five leagues as a manager, yet he hungers for more success, Soccernet.football reports.
The 65-year-old has no intention of ending his illustrious coaching career, insisting he will only step away from the sport when he no longer feels nervous before matches.
Ancelotti is one of the most accomplished coaches in European football history, holding the record for five Champions League titles as a manager.
His fifth victory came with Real Madrid in June, when they defeated Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley Stadium, after navigating a series of dramatic ties throughout the tournament.
The Italian has also recorded immense success across Europe’s top five leagues, winning titles with Chelsea, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.
Ancelotti often appears calm in the midst of chaos, but the Italian admits he still feels nervous before big games and expects to continue feeling that way until he retires.
“A life without pressure or a little stress does not exist. Too much stress, no, but a little is fuel. The day I don’t have excitement before a match is the day I have to stop,” he said at the Mexico Siglo XXI event.
“Before a match there is worry, there is a negative feeling thinking that it will not go well, that they will score a goal… When the match starts, everything stops.
“So, you have to look for calm to handle the situations of the game. I will continue coaching until the fire I have for football dies down.
“Some great things have happened in my life, some difficult moments. My life has been normal,I have been lucky to have a job that is my passion. I am grateful to football for giving me that opportunity.
“I still get nervous before a match, I feel pressure, and as long as that doesn’t change I will continue here, I see myself coaching for a long time, yes.”