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Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers in the history of the sport. Almost into his 27th year as a head coach, 'Don Carlo' has led some of the biggest clubs in the game, winning 20 major trophies along the way.
Ancelotti, a top-notch midfielder in his playing days, enjoyed a seamless transition into management. The Italian is a cup and knockout tournament specialist, and is one of just three managers to have won three Champions League titles. He is also one of only seven individuals to have won Europe's biggest club competition both as a player and as a manager.
Carlo Ancelotti oversaw a generation of Italian legends
Carlo Ancelotti is a well-travelled coach, having managed Juventus, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Napoli, Everton, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. However, his best stint was with AC Milan during an eight-year spell between 2001 and 2009.
Don Carlo led the Milan giants in 420 games, winning two Champions League titles, a Serie A crown, a Coppa Italia, an Italian Super Cup, a FIFA Club World Cup and two UEFA Super Cups.
Considering that he has worked with many of the world's elite clubs, it isn't surprising that Carlo Ancelotti has crossed paths with some of the greatest players in history. On that note, here's a look at five of the best players to have played under the Italian veteran:
Honourable Mentions: Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Andriy Shevchenko, Gennaro Gattuso, Karim Benzema.
#5 Clarence Seedorf
Former Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf remains the only player to have won the UEFA Champions League with three different clubs. After making his name with Ajax and Real Madrid, the central midfielder spent a decade in Milan, making 432 appearances.
He played 325 games under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 49 goals and providing 55 assists. Seedorf's industry, work rate, tough tackling and long-range shooting made him a complete midfield package. He played a key role in all eight of Ancelotti's trophy wins at AC Milan.
#4 Filippo Inzaghi
It is fair to say that AC Milan legend Filippo Inzaghi has been the most important player of Ancelotti's managerial career.
With 161 strikes and 45 assists in 332 games under the veteran coach, Inzaghi is Ancelotti's most capped player. Nobody has scored more goals for the current Los Blancos manager.
One of the greatest strikers Italy have ever produced, Inzaghi was a master in getting behind defences. He loved to play on the shoulder of the last man, and was lethal in one-on-one situations. He made over 450 combined appearances for Juventus and AC Milan, scoring over 200 goals for the two Italian giants.
#3 Andrea Pirlo
Like Carlo Ancelotti, Andrea Pirlo exuded calmness, composure and elegance on the pitch. When Don Carlo arrived at AC Milan in 2001, Pirlo was being used as a No. 10 in an attacking midfield role. Ancelotti decided to deploy the Italy international as a deep-lying playmaker, and the rest is history.
One of the greatest passers to have graced the sport and a lethal dead-ball specialist, Pirlo was arguably the most creative midfielder of his era. He made 327 appearances under Carlo Ancelotti, scoring 39 goals and providing 61 assists.
Blessed with the ability to dictate the pace of games and control the tempo of plays, Pirlo played a starring role in each of Ancelotti's eight trophy wins with AC Milan.
#2 Kaka
A supremely majestic presence on the pitch, Kaka blossomed into one of the best players in the world under Carlo Ancelotti. The Brazilian maestro won the 2007 Ballon d'Or after leading AC Milan to Champions League glory earlier in the year, scoring ten goals and assisting thrice in 13 games.
Light on his feet and capable of gliding past opponents at will, Kaka, with his clever passing and eye for goal, was an incredibly well-rounded midfielder. He made 270 appearances for Ancelotti, across a six-year spell at AC Milan and towards the end of his Real Madrid tenure.
With 95 goals and 84 assists under the Italian coach, Kaka is the most prolific assist-provider Ancelotti has managed so far. Although the Brazilian's peak was plagued by injuries, he will always be remembered as one of the most graceful and entertaining players of the 21st century.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo spent only two seasons with Don Carlo, which came at Real Madrid between 2013 and 2015. The forward, though, was on another level during that period, netting 112 goals and 47 assists in just 101 games under the Italian.
That included the 2014-15 season, where Ronaldo scored a scorching 48 goals to go with 22 assists in just 38 league games. It remains the best league return of the Portuguese star's career so far.
That came on the back of a 2013-14 campaign, where Real Madrid won La Decima (tenth European Cup), with Ronaldo scoring a record 17 goals in 11 Champions League games. It remains the highest-ever tally by a player in a single edition of the competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlo Ancelotti won the UEFA Champions League, a Copa del Rey, a FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Super Cup together in Madrid. Although their partnership was a brief one, it is safe to say that the best displays of Ronaldo's career came under the Italian manager. The Portuguese superstar won back-to-back Ballon d'Or awards (2013 and 2014) during that spell.
