Carlo Ancelotti sparkles as he offers sly reminder of Real Madrid’s quality

C arlo Ancelotti had finished talking, or at least that’s what everyone thought, and Real Madrid’s press officer had started wrapping up the final news conference before facing Chelsea when the coach suddenly stopped him. In those three seconds of silence, everything that needed to be said seemingly said, he decided that actually he was going add something after all. It had clearly been on his mind, and now it came out: a reminder that shouldn’t have been needed of everything he and they have won, the enormity of it all.

Responding to the last question, Ancelotti had been talking about his squad, a group of players who know when to have a laugh and when to get down to work. “For a coach, for me, handling this squad is very simple: the human management is good,” he concluded. To his right, press officer Juan Camilo started to say “muchas gracias” to the gathered journalists only for Ancelotti to leap back in. “Wait,” he interrupted. And then he said it.

“Everyone recognises that I am ‘fantastic’ in man-management, but there are other things,” the Italian insisted, hands accompanying the “fantastic” with an almost theatrical flourish before slowing to make his point. “This. Team. Is. Well. Worked. Because if we have the good fortune to win the Copa del Rey this season, this team will have won every trophy possible in two years. There are some teams that do not win that in a lifetime. There, I’ve said it. All the best, bye.” And with that he got up and exited stage left, everyone laughing.

It had been done smoothly and with a gentle charm, a little sparkle in his eye, the way Ancelotti does most things. But there was something direct about it too: entirely deliberate, a flash of pride.

There had been a moment near the