Ancelotti is a managerial genius who should raise more than a few eyebrows

Carlo Ancelotti is a historically brilliant manager but he seems to understand more than most that coaching is about psychology, too.

Who’s this then?

From 1976 to 1992 he had a very successful playing career as one of the best midfielders of his generation, starting at Parma in Serie C, then for Roma, winning four Coppas Italia and one Serie A. Then he moved to AC Milan and was part of one of the greatest European teams of the 20th century, winning back-to-back European Cups as well as two league titles (the second of which saw them go the whole season unbeaten) and a Supercoppa Italiana.

He was capped 26 times for his country and many will remember him at the 1990 World Cup, when Italy came third by beating England in a play-off. But his playing career was cut short by persistent knee knack and aged 33 he retired.

At this point he began to research coaching and was the assistant manager with the Italy national team under Arrigo Sacchi from 1992 to 1995, reaching the 1994 ‘divine ponytail’ World Cup final. That wasn’t a bad start.

He then made a move to Reggiana in Serie B for a single season, guiding them to promotion and then on to Parma, who he took to second in his first season and sixth in his second. However, the club didn’t win anything and he was sacked at the end of the 1998. Ancelotti rejected signing Roberto Baggio, feeling he wouldn’t fit into his 4-4-2 system, which he later acknowledged as a big mistake; Baggio scored 25 goals for Bologna that season.

There followed two seasons at Juventus with no silverware apart from the Intertoto and finishing second in Serie A. He was sacked and replaced by Marcello Lippi, who he had initially taken over from at The Old Lady.

His next gig was at AC Milan where he began