Ancelotti: ‘I was fanatical with Baggio, so changed for Zidane’ | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti reveals his regret at turning down the opportunity to sign Roberto Baggio at Parma, which forced him to adapt for Zinedine Zidane. ‘I was fanatical.’

The current Real Madrid coach started out his management career as the assistant to Milan and Italy legend Arrigo Sacchi, whose approach to the 4-4-2 transformed football in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

When he became a coach in his own right, Ancelotti stuck to those principles, to the detriment of all other ideas.

This famously came to a head in 1997 when Parma had agreed to buy Baggio, but Ancelotti blocked the transfer and the Divine Ponytail joined Bologna instead.

Ancelotti reveals Baggio regrets at Parma

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 01: Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Real Madrid, celebrates victory as he acknowledges the fans after Real Madrid defeat Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Final match between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid CF at Wembley Stadium on June 01, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

“He wanted to play as a trequartista, and at that time I had a 4-4-2 that worked with Hernan Crespo and Enrico Chiesa, so I didn’t want to change it,” Ancelotti told the RSI podcast via Tuttomercatoweb.

“I was fanatical back then, these are mistakes you make when you are young. When you don’t have a breadth of knowledge, you get fixated on the ideas that you’re used to. Considering my experience both as a player and assistant manager, I could explain the 4-4-2 very well.

“I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to explain another type of system.”

However, rejecting one of the greatest players of all time because of tactical rigidity was a lesson that transformed Ancelotti’s career and outlook, especially when the risk came of making the same mistake twice.

“That experience changed me a lot, because when I went to Juventus they had Zidane, and I realised the most important thing was dealing with the characteristics of the players that you have.

“You cannot get an idea stuck in your head when they have different characteristics.”

Since then, Ancelotti has made his name not just by winning all five major European League titles and five Champions League trophies.

He did it by constantly reinventing his tactics to suit the players at his disposal at Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.