Ancelotti restores Real peace, eyes more Champions League trophy

BY JOHN BAGRATUNI, DPA

Carlo Ancelotti came to Real Madrid last summer with the task of restoring peace at Real Madrid after three stormy seasons under Jose Mourinho.

And on Saturday he can emulate Mourinho (and a few select others) by winning the Champions League as coach for two different clubs and end Real's passionate quest for a 10th elite title since their last success in 2002.

The task against freshly crowned Liga champions and crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday in Lisbon is far from easy but Ancelotti may just get it right again as he did in the astonishing 4-0 second leg demolition of holders Bayern Munich in the semis.

Ancelotti spoke of "the perfect game" and was hailed by El Mundo as "the tactical genius who knows better than anyone how to win the Champions League … He was the most important signing made this year by Real Madrid." Portuguese superstar and team leader Cristiano Ronaldo agreed, saying: "Ancelotti has changed everything here: the mentality, the tactics, everything."

The 54-year-old Italian won Europe's elite event twice as a player with AC Milan and two more times as a coach during his eight-year reign there between 2001 and 2009, the second trophy in 2007 against Liverpool making up for his darkest hour, losing the 2005 decider against the Reds despite a 3-0 half-time lead. A Premier League and FA Cup double followed at Chelsea, and a French league crown with ambitious Paris St Germain last year before he was called to lead Real back to glory and break the recent dominance of Barcelona.

Expectations are always high at Real, and Ancelotti needed to accommodate the world's two most expensive players as Gareth Bale joined Cristiano Ronaldo, while at the same time keeping iconic goalkeeper Iker Casillas on the bench for league games just as Mourinho had done.

It seemingly worked as Ronaldo topped the Liga scorers' list and bettered Lionel Messi's Champions League record to 16 goals, Casillas played a major role in the lucky quarter-final escape against Borussia Dortmund, while Bale's wonder-goal gave Real a 2-1 win over Barca for the Spanish cup title. Guiding Real to La Decima on Saturday would practically make him immortal but many more trophies will be expected from him in the following two seasons of his contract until 2016. But losing would also not be the end of the world, he said, expecting "a very hard" and balanced game. "My future is clear. I am happy to be here and to stay here with or without La Decima," Ancelotti said.

Source : Sapa-dpa /ms