Ancelotti Admits Biggest Career Mistake During Real Madrid Tenure
Prince Jean
Nov 9, 2024
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti reflects on his biggest career mistake, revealing a contract dispute that ended his first stint with the club in 2014. Credit:gettyimages
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti recently opened up about what he considers the biggest mistake of his career at the club. Now in his second term with the Spanish giants, the Italian coach has led Real Madrid to 14 trophies, including two LaLiga titles and three UEFA Champions League titles. However, Ancelotti revealed in an interview with France Football that a dispute over salary demands derailed his contract extension with Real Madrid in 2014, leading to his departure.
Reflecting on the experience, Ancelotti said,
"It’s impossible to make only good decisions in thirty years. Here in Madrid, after my first season, I was close to a contract extension. The club wanted to keep me, but I pushed too hard on my salary, and they stopped. It was a mistake, the worst I could have made, but it allowed me to learn."
Ancelotti’s first stint at Real Madrid ended in May 2015, but he returned to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2021 after managing Everton. His candid reflection sheds light on his growth and the lessons he's carried into his successful coaching career with Los Blancos.
