Former AC Milan and Italy midfielder Marco Simone has said fellow countryman Carlo Ancelotti will be a more successful coach at Real Madrid than his predecessor Jose Mourinho.
Ancelotti arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in June this year to replace Portuguese manager Mourinho, who ended a turbulent time in the Spanish capital to return to Chelsea. In this three-year stint, he guided Los Blancos to success in La Liga and the Copa del Rey, but could not secure the elusive 10th European Cup for the club – known as La Decima among the fans and local press.
In an interview with Marca, Simone, who also played for Paris Saint Germain and Monaco, said Ancelotti has the experience to handle big players. Prior to his arrival in Spain, the 54-year-old already had an impressive CV as a manager having guided AC Milan to two European Cups and the Seria A title, as well as the Premier League and FA Cup double with Chelsea, and the Ligue 1 Championship with PSG.
Simone stated: “Ancelotti will definitely be a success at Madrid. Coaching Real Madrid is easy in one sense and difficult in another. “It’s easy because you have players like Cristiano who, even if the system isn’t working, can win you matches on their own.”
“It’s difficult because you’ve got to have what it takes to deal with a very tricky group. He knows how to handle the big egos you get at a club like Real Madrid. Ancelotti will have more success than Mourinho. I have a lot of time for Mourinho and I’m a big fan of his personality, but he finds it hard to back down once a conflict breaks out,” he added.
