Autobiography of Carlo Ancelotti. The youth of Carlo Ancelotti and the beginning of his playing career

The legendary Carlo Ancelotti wrote an amazing autobiography, The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius. By genre, this book belongs to the category of autobiographies, memoirs. This book is dedicated big sport and football.
To begin with, it would be nice to say a few words about who this Carlo Ancelotti is. This name is well known in big football sport. Carlo Ancelotti is a three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League, one of the most successful and best coaches of today. He is an English, French and Italian champion. Carlo Ancelotti also won the Club World Cup twice. This is the most famous football coach during all this time.

Carlo Ancelotti dedicated his book "Autobiography" to a fascinating story about his career as a manager. In this publication, he honestly talks about his methods, victories and partners. This book will reveal to you the role of the "gray cardinal" of football - the coach.
Carlo Ancelotti's "Autobiography" turned out to be an incredibly mind-blowing memoir story. You have a unique opportunity to not only start reading a wonderful work of fiction, but also gain a rare understanding of the business leadership of one of the most eminent people in the world.
Thanks to this book, you can learn in detail the fate of a brilliant personality - an extraordinary person who made the whole world talk about himself and shudder with admiration. And let people experience completely different emotions towards this person (from anger and hatred to love and adoration). Thanks to Carlo Ancelotti, football in northern Italy was able to rise to a completely different level of development. Become very strong and powerful sports direction this southern country.
In the office of this Italian, it is impossible to find a free corner on the wall - all fights are hung with awards.
Reading this book, you will learn from the novel “Autobiography” about what kind of unique coaching style Carlo Ancelotti “preaches” and why his students are so incredible and professional. You will see when you start reading this novel that the "dark" media personality is actually a very bright and cheerful person. But he's a pro! He can both inspire and destroy an incapable and lazy football player. And the legendary coach also admits this on the pages of his book “Autobiography”.
This book will appeal to a football fan, an athlete, as well as anyone who loves literature. If you want to know more about the life and work of Carlo Ancelotti, then quickly open this magnificent publication to start reading an honest autobiography and frank truth. You will be surprised and stunned, but you will be pleased with a good book.

On our literary site, you can download the book Autobiography (Fragment) by Carlo Ancelotti in formats suitable for different devices - epub, fb2, txt, rtf. Do you like to read books and always follow the release of new products? We have a large selection of books of various genres: classics, modern science fiction, literature on psychology and children's editions. In addition, we offer interesting and informative articles for beginner writers and all those who want to learn how to write beautifully. Each of our visitors will be able to find something useful and exciting.

Carlo Ancelotti is not only a famous coach, but also a talented midfielder who was once a very famous outfield player. As a midfielder, he gained popularity playing for such Italian clubs as Milan and Roma. With them, he won four Italian Cups, three Scudettos, and two Champions Cups. And he played 26 matches for the national team of his country.

Italian career

Carlo Ancelotti is a true Italian, and he built his career (both playing and coaching) in his homeland. True, since 2009 he stopped coaching. Italian football players and began to try himself in other places, but more on that later.

Carlo Ancelotti is a coach who led clubs such as Reggiana, Parma, Juventus and, of course, his native AC Milan. He spent eight years with the Rossoneri - it's not even worth commenting on how much his departure saddened the fans and players.

The coach showed excellent results in all the clubs where he worked. For example, with “Juventus” Carlo Ancelotti won and it happened in the same season when he first joined the team. But his most striking achievements are connected precisely with Milan.

Career in Milan

Even in his debut season, Ancelotti managed to lead AC Milan to a bronze place in the Italian league, and he also made sure that they reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. The Italian firmly took up his new team and began productive work with them, the fruits of which already appeared at the end of the first season. It was Ancelotti who invited him into the squad and subsequently began to build the entire attacking game through him. The results were on the face. What is the 2003 season worth! Then the team won the Italian Cup and the Champions League. Moreover, in the last tournament they pulled out the trophy from the hands of their sworn opponents - “Juventus”, beating Turin on penalties 3:2.

The following years, 2003/04, Carlo Ancelotti leads the team to the Scudetto. In 2005, one of the most tragic matches of the Champions League took place - then the Rossoneri led the final with Liverpool 3: 0, but something seemed to happen in the second half, and as a result, AC Milan lost to the British after a draw in 3 :3 on penalties. But the team and the coach did not give up, so the next season they bounced back at the same “Liverpool” (as fate decreed), winning the Champions League with a score of 2:1.

Last years

The coach left Italy in 2009: first he went to Chelsea, with whom he won the FA Cup and the Premier League, then to the French PSG, where he brought the Parisian team to victory in the national championship. And then, in 2013, he became known as Main coach"Real". Carlo Ancelotti achieved a lot in 2 years with the team. In the first season, the “royal” club won the Spanish Cup and the Champions League (for the first time in 12 years). This makes Carlo Ancelotti the second coach in history to win the most prestigious club competition three times. In 2015, the Italian left the club, as his Spanish team did not win anything in the 2014/15 season. But it is unlikely that the fault of the coach can be traced here.

On this moment Ancelotti does not work for any club. However, a huge number of representations are interested in him, which is not surprising, knowing how high-class a professional he is.

Carlo Anchelotti

In loving memory of my first great leader, father, Giuseppe

Chris Brady

To my wife Anita and my beloved daughter Eleanor because I love them both

Mike Ford

To my father, who taught me the responsibility that comes when you lead others; my mother, who showed me how to create an environment where people can be inspired and feel comfortable; and my wife Daniela, who gives me unconditional support every day so that I can represent best version himself.

Quiet leadership

Featuring Chris Brady and Mike Ford

Carlo Anchelotti

Foreword

As a little boy growing up on a farm in northern Italy, did I ever imagine that I would become a leader in a multi-million (pound) global industry? Of course no. All I wanted was to play football.

Now, looking back, I can say that we were then poor but happy, and my family taught me the basics of many of the lessons that you will read about in the pages of this book. The family taught me things like respect and loyalty, showed me the value of money and hard work, the importance of family in a person's life - these seeds were planted in me very early, and when I had the privilege of starting a successful career first as a professional football player, and then as a manager, they already grown and bloomed with lush flowers.

"Silent Leadership" is a collection of memories of my time in the world of football, my thoughts and philosophical views on the issue of leadership in my profession. In addition, these lessons can be applied to other professions; leaders in different industries, be it football or business, have a lot in common, and I am a strong advocate of importing knowledge from other fields, having exported my experience to Paris, London, Madrid, and now Munich. We must never stop learning.

The "quiet" approach to leadership may seem unnecessarily soft or even weak to some, but it doesn't mean that to me at all, and it certainly means something very different to those who have played with or for me. The silence I'm talking about here is equal to power. Power and authority are felt in a calm and balanced person who builds trusting relationships and makes decisions in cold blood, they are felt in the ability to influence and convince, in someone who shows himself to be a consistent professional in his approach to business. When you see Vito Corleone on screen in The Godfather scenes, do you see a weak, quiet person or a calm, powerful man in complete control of the situation around him?

My approach is based on the idea that a leader should not “tear and throw” or rule with an iron fist, rather, on the contrary, his power should be implicit, implied.

It should be crystal clear to everyone who is in charge here, and his power should stem from the respect and trust that others have for him, and not from fear. I believe that I have earned the respect that is shown to me, partly due to a successful career and winning titles for my clubs, but more, perhaps, because I respect those with whom I work. These people trust me to do the right thing, just as I trust them to play their roles in the organization.

My method of leadership is a part of me - it does not contradict my character and is the most important element of me as a person. Leadership can be learned, but it cannot be imitated. You can watch other great leaders at work, but if your nature tends to be quiet, calm, and caring for others, it wouldn't be very wise of you to try to be someone else.

The “quiet” path has always been my path, I lived it since childhood thanks to my father, and lived it further in football: both when I became the captain of Roma as a player, and when I continued my career at Milan, where the players considered me one of the leaders of the dressing room, and throughout my managerial career, not only at this club, but also in teams such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. I will bring the same approach with me to Munich and with it I will take on the new challenge that awaits me there. This is the approach that every club that hires me buys.

When I left Real Madrid in May 2015, I decided that this was the perfect moment to deal with a neck problem that had been bothering me for a long time, which was restricting my movement more and more, and at the same time to take a break at work. I was able to spend more time with my wife Marianne - we got married last year, shortly after Real Madrid won the Champions League - in our home in Vancouver. Then I decided to wait for vacancies for the next season, because I was determined to work in football again. At the end of my career as a player, the best job in the world is to be a manager of a football club, and I was very lucky to get this job in championship teams representing the greatest European cities.

I knew that at various stages of my sabbatical I would be under pressure to work at some new club whenever other managers in Europe were close to resignations or the end of contracts. The media linked me to Liverpool - which is a huge honor for me - and this prospect definitely interested me, but I was not upset to learn that I would not be appointed. Jürgen Klopp - right choice for them; he will succeed with them. Retirement from the game was good for me, but when the opportunity to lead such a great club as Bayern appears on the horizon, it is simply impossible to refuse. Here I plan to begin the longest period of continuous victories and success in my career.

What you definitely won't find in this book are chapters on relationships. This is because relationships are the foundation of everything I do as a manager. So my thoughts about it are on every page: relationships with those who stand above me, with the team of professionals who support me, and - most importantly - with the players.

Without players there will be no game, just like without people and goods there will be no business. Thousands of people in stadiums, millions watching broadcasts in their homes - they don't pay to see me, Pep Guardiola or Sir Alex Ferguson at the touchline; they want to look at the players, at the magic they can conjure. Working with these athletes, taking care of them, helping them develop and grow, building trust and loyalty, sharing success with everyone, and resurrecting from failure and disappointment is the essence of the job for me. That is why I wake up every morning with a smile on my face and go to work.

As children, we play a game first because we love it. When I started playing professionally, I couldn't believe my luck, because they started paying me money to do what I love. Sometimes on this path full of obstacles, difficulties and pressure on you, both on and off the field, the passion for the cause can weaken or die. My responsibility is to help players keep their love of the game. If I succeed in this business, then I am happy.

Working on this book, discussing stories and many great - and also not the most pleasant - memories from the past with two of my co-authors and friends, Chris Brady and Mike Ford, has become a real treat. O a great experience for me. I hope that you will be able to learn something here for yourself that will help you in life and career - and maybe something that will make you happy too.

Carlo Ancelotti February 2016

Introduction

Chris Brady

It took several years to complete this book, largely because the three co-authors Carlo Ancelotti, Mike Ford, and myself wanted it to be a truly team effort. We started by deciding for ourselves what we are. we do not want see this book. It wasn't supposed to be a standard autobiography, it wasn't supposed to be aimed exclusively at football audiences, it wasn't supposed to turn into a college business textbook, and it certainly wasn't supposed to be written in the world's secret genre.

We agreed that this book should be something that each of us could be proud of. We wanted it to be relevant both to the business audience and to the public interested in sports, for those people who are captivated by leaders or who themselves dream of becoming a leader - in the broadest sense of the word. We wanted it to be honest, original, compelling and worthy of discussion and heated debate among curious readers. This is not a series of stories, although they are of course important here; instead, the book is based for the most part on the reasoning and thoughts of an expert practitioner leading talented teams that compete in one of the most competitive and challenging markets imaginable.

We agreed to reveal the fundamental principles of Carlo Ancelotti's work and talk about his journey as a leader, about his most important work issues and skills, about creative experiences, about how he learned to be a leader, and about the Ancelotti brand - about how he sees himself and how others perceive it. Our goal is to get to the bottom of how he managed to develop for such a long time, how he managed to cope with failures and achieve success for a long time in the biggest field possible.

With a background in business and sports leadership, we took the opportunity to dissect the general theories of experts and academics with close attention to detail, fearlessly comparing them directly to Ancelotti's practical experience. As the professional landscape undergoes radical change in every possible industry and every market, business leaders must be better equipped to manage a highly diverse and highly talented—and often challenging—workforce. Using the world of elite sports as a backdrop, we will bring to light the nuances of leadership and analyze the lessons that one of the world's most eminent talent managers has learned from his career. We will explore deeply rooted beliefs about how to lead and manage the best people that surround you, and we will also put these postulates to the test by practice.

Naturally, Carlo occupies the central place in the book, the leading voice is his, as well as grammar. The book is narrated from his point of view, the result of more than fifty hours of in-depth interviews that we conducted with him around the world, focusing on how his experience illuminates business-critical issues, both eternal and relevant today. day. These lessons are implicit in his reasoning, but to make it easier to navigate through the book, we have placed brief summaries at the end of each chapter explaining the main points of the “quiet” path.

We wanted this book to be a book at the same time, written Ancelotti, and a book about Ancelotti, and for this we have also included in the chapters interviews with those who are most familiar with his leadership skills. You know what they say: if you really want to know who you really are, you need to find out what people say about you in your absence. We asked Carlo's partners, his colleagues, opponents and - perhaps most importantly - the players who played for him, to talk about him behind his back. Players interviewed include Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and John Terry, all of whom have also trained and played under other football management giants such as Pep Guardiola, José Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson is also present in rival Carlo, and among his colleagues here is Adriano Galliani, vice-president of Italian Milan, who in one capacity or another was Ancelotti's boss for about 13 years, when Ancelotti himself was either a player or manager.

This book is a dedication to the power and strength of the connections that Ancelotti builds and forges, and the impact he has had on all these big names in the world of football is so great that each of them gladly agreed to talk about him in their free time. Moreover, they were so eloquent and passionate in their discussions about him that the interview almost always took more time than originally planned: I think that Zlatan would still continue to talk if then, after an hour and a half of the interview, I would not have asked him to speed up and summarize our conversation.

* * *

Where did the need to write another book about "leadership" suddenly come from? This topic must remain one of the most discussed in management, with a lot of text written about it. Blogs, TED conferences, books, speculation in newspapers and magazines, academic articles... this topic is everywhere, there is no getting away from it. Historically, there has been no end in sight to leadership theories. Early theorists in this field even believed that leadership was directly related to membership in a privileged class of aristocrats, and therefore, the ability to lead was determined at the genetic level. This led to the emergence of such theories of leadership as the “great man theory”, which still holds the prevailing position and uses as an argument the names of such dissimilar historical luminaries as Moses, the Dalai Lama, General Patton, Crazy Horse, Custer, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth I, Florence Nightingale, Colin Powell and Genghis Khan - choose any name you like.

Among other core ideas was the Leader Trait Theory, which argued that there are some common genetic traits that can be found in all great leaders. In contrast, situational leadership theorists argued that great leaders are the product of circumstance, the combination of the right place and time, or what we amateurs sometimes call luck—the point where preparation meets opportunity. Others were more interested in the development of the individual within the organization; for example, the American psychologist Abraham Maslow emphasized the role of a manager in supporting his subordinates.

In the current list of trending theories, the top positions are occupied by: the theory of "authentic leadership", which assumes transparent and honest behavior of the leader in accordance with ethical standards; the theory of "transformational leadership", in which leaders sacrifice self-interest by transforming and inspiring followers to perform and perform above initial expectations, and the concept of "serving leadership", which develops the ideas of Robert Greenleaf's work of the 1970s, in which leadership was designated as an activity focused on meeting the needs of followers (workers, players), and in which the main motivation of the leader was service to the group. Greenleaf prioritized the natural inclination of these leaders to "caring," not with altruistic motivation, but as a managerial imperative.

As Pat Summitt, one of the greatest (though not so famous) female coaches in sports history, once said, “People don’t care how much or what you know as long as they don’t see how you care about them.” . To make people work hard for you, you must show them that you want to succeed in your career. for them". There are clear echoes of Jim Collins' Level 5 leaders, who, as Collins himself argues in his classic book Good to Great, possess a paradoxical combination of such qualities as ambition and modesty. These leaders will be extremely ambitious, but the focus of their ambitions will not be themselves; their attention will be focused on those who make success possible (employees, players), and besides, they do not see the point in exaggerating their own ego.

It is estimated that around US$50 billion is spent each year worldwide on leadership training and leadership development. Perhaps this happens because faith in society in positive traits those who hold leadership positions in the corporate world, politics and the military sector are now in such decline that we are in a sense trying to somehow fix this state of affairs. This figure also indicates how important the society sees this issue.

However, the real reason why it is so difficult for us to decide on any one particular model of leadership, perhaps, can be called the fact that every leader, in fact, is an amalgamation of various personality traits, styles, characteristics and approaches mentioned above, but with In this case, in each alloy, the ingredients are mixed in different proportions.

If this is true, the implied leadership style of Carlo Ancelotti, his "quiet leadership" may be unique specifically for him and his personal experience, which shaped him as a person during his life, a very significant part of which passed before us in full view, in the world of professional football in countries such as Italy, Spain and England - and now Germany. Countries where there is a sincere interest in sports and where the most significant financial injections come into it. Whether his approach is unique or not, it is clear that he is effective, successful, and needs our attention, not least because Ancelotti, as leadership.

* * *

Of all the challenges leaders face, one of the most difficult is managing talent. Most studies have shown that this problem is above all others in the lists of problems and issues that concern top managers and directors. Management guru Tom Peters asked:

“Are you a certified talent scavenger? Whether you're leading a project team of six or holding the position of CEO of a corporation... you must become obsessed with finding and developing the best people, just like the general manager of any professional sports team obsessed with inviting and training the most the best players. In an age where added value is born from creativity, a nimble, energetic, hard-working workforce is becoming the primary foundation competitive advantage» 1
Tom Peters, "Leaders As Talent Fanatics", Leadership Excellence Essentials 23, 11 (2006), p. 12.

In that case, what industry, if not football, should we study? Indeed, in football, coverage of the lives of talents and interest in the people who manage them have given rise to almost a separate entertainment industry. The so-called "war for talent" has been a significant factor in the world of football ever since the game was first played by people, and certainly since it became a professional path. Football clubs on average spend more than 50% of their income on people who make up less than 10% of their total workforce.

A recent Deloitte Millennial Survey of 25 industrialized countries (all of which play football at a professional level) found that Generation Y 2
The generation born after 1981, who met the new millennium at a young age, characterized primarily by a deep involvement in digital technologies (Wikipedia). - Note. translation.

Want to see the professional environment more open, flexible and more collaborative and supportive; they have a developed imagination, they think outside the box and believe that they are capable of doing anything. They are less committed because they now see that employers view them as a business asset of the company and therefore they will view their employers in the same way. Deloitte concluded that "Millenites 3
Representatives of generation Y. - Note. translation.

Made us rethink the way we work.” Well, basically every elite football player is a millenite. Again, the question is, where is there a better laboratory than football in which to observe and analyze the people who manage this type of workforce? And equally, how Ancelotti interacts with those who stand above him can become a manual for any person working in modern business.

The book is titled Silent Leadership for a reason: Ancelotti approaches his work in a calm but authoritative manner, and this style of management may go unnoticed by the media, desperately looking for scandals and sensations. In the management of the superego of the world's greatest footballers, he is called the "prima donna charmer." By the manner in which he manages those who stand above him, he is called "over-diplomatic"; Italian journalist Gabriele Marcotti said that Ancelotti showed "biblical patience" when dealing with the notoriously demanding Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. Indeed, when Pérez appointed Ancelotti, he described him as a manager who was able to keep the stars of the team happy, while at the same time making them work without grumbling in public. What more could a president want? 4
As it turns out, there is still a lot, a lot, because less than two years later, Perez fired Ancelotti, and a few months later he fired his successor, Rafa Benitez. - Note. auth.

When Ancelotti was at the helm of Chelsea, he had to go through a difficult period. His management methods have come under scrutiny from the media as a result of some of the briefings he gave at the club being leaked. After Ancelotti held a press conference, the journalist Guardian Barney Ronay gave an amazingly apt description of Carlo's "Quiet Way" in football craft.

We present the translation of the eighth chapter of the book "Preferisco la Coppa" by Carlo Ancelotti

CHAPTER 8. MILAN SACCHI AS BOLOGNA MAIFREDI!

If it is true that morning can tell what the day will be, then a storm was raging on the horizon. And there was a tsunami. And in the very center of the tsunami there was always a president's helicopter. And Berlusconi was descending from heaven (he would love that...).

In fact, the picture was still the same - a real Apocalypse, because we had fun, but there were no results. The worst situation for the one who pays for everything. Specifically, for Him. He had difficulty landing on the field in Milanello - due to turbulence. The air clearly smelled of revolution, change, especially after our departure from Espanyol in the UEFA Cup, and it was still only the beginning of the season. Various bad rumors spread about the Milan coach - that's so unseen! Since Sacchi was his choice, his favorite, his incarnation among us mere mortals, He did well in this situation. Very good. Berlusconi had boundless faith in his coach and therefore always defended him, in particular, from press attacks. Left, I guess. Some of the old journalists, led by Gianni Brera, always criticized him sharply: Sacchi was an innovator, and they could not understand him. They didn't like his way of working. Sakki was constantly under the gun, but he had an excellent defense - He.

Berlusconi often came to training, talked to us, asked about work. Sometimes he stayed in Milanello for the whole day and talked first with the whole team, and then with each player individually, in order to understand the attitude towards the coach. He conducted his first poll when we already knew who won: "Guys, I'm not kicking Sacchi out." It was clear from the start, and he was right. We didn't win, but everyone in the locker room felt like things were going to get better soon. It was completely obvious. We worked hard all week in training, but we were happy, so things couldn't go wrong indefinitely. Our game was completely dominated by schemes, and we only needed time to get used to all the tactical maneuvers. And therein lay the problem.

In the past, Berlusconi had a lot in the life of the club. But that was in the past. He made every decision personally, after consulting with the players. Most often with me and Baresi. Once, in the spring of 1988, we experienced difficulties due to the fault of Claudio Borghi, who at that time was the last passion of the president, in reality, the same fruit. Berlusconi saw him during the Intercontinental Cup in 1986 and it was like a lightning bolt (in fact, the Cup final took place on December 8, 1985 - translator's note). He bought him, but since both places for foreigners were already occupied by Gullit and Van Basten, the Argentine went on loan to Como. Like, prove yourself there and then come back. At the end of the season, we had the opportunity to take another foreign player, so He insisted on Borghi, while Sacchi asked Rijkaard.

Him: "Arrigo, we're bringing back the Borg."

Sacchi, with disgust on his face: “Mr. President, taking for granted that you are always right, and also that you are the greatest football expert in the world, and your choice is always accurate, as evidenced by your attitude towards the coach, but perhaps player who will bring more benefit of our team - Rijkaard".

Him: "Arrigo, but the Borg are the Borg."

Sakki: "Exactly."

As a result, they came to a compromise: at the end of Sacchi's first season at Milan, Borghi arrives in Milanello, where he trains for several days, and then takes part in two friendly matches - at home against Real Madrid and in Manchester against United. Double check, but we knew in advance that he did not fit into our team in terms of his style of play. And so that life does not seem like honey, right before the Milan-Real match, Borghi managed to injure his ankle, but still wanted to play. On the field, he suffered from pain, but he managed to score.

He: “Have you seen, Arrigo? Borghi scored a goal.

Sacchi: "Yes, but apart from the goal, he did nothing else."

The limping Borghi resembled a kind of Lazar from football, but with one significant difference: although he was resurrected, he could not walk. He moved, all hunched over, it was impossible to look at him. The ankle was swollen, the match with Manchester United was approaching, but Borghi did not give up: "I will play." Sakki: "Totally agree with you, play." We all knew that he wanted to put the Argentine on the field only to spoil him.

Borghi came out in the starting lineup with me and moved around the field in zigzags like a drunk, but fate, apparently, was on his side. Double. One goal and then another. Borg-Borg, damn you! In Manchester, in a match against United. He smiled but said nothing - a bad sign. Sakki did not speak, and did not smile - a very bad sign.

At that moment, we entered the game. Sacchi often gathered us and tried to convince that Borghi was completely unsuitable for Milan, that he was a player out of position: “Mister, you are absolutely right. We think exactly the same. We are all with you." Then Berlusconi called us and claimed that Borghi is the new Maradona: “Mr. President, you are absolutely right. We think exactly the same. We are all with you."

We were forced to be hypocritical as we all had families. We were sincere with those who trained us, and a little less with those who were a source of livelihood. I never understood how Sacchi forced Berlusconi to change his mind. Of course, there were some pretty serious verbal battles. One thing I know for sure - in the end He gave up. In the sense that he let Borghi go and bought Rijkaard.

The undefeated AC Milan also became the Milan of the Great Dutch. With a capital letter as a sign of respect, because all together they were too strong. Gullitreikardvanbasten is a real tongue twister. Say it without hesitation and you will know the secret of immortality. And He has completely matured.

Meanwhile, without Rijkaard and with Borghi still at Como, we won the Scudetto. Sacchi became Italian champion on the first try. That feeling of ours became a reality, and we happily waved to our rivals. First of all, Maifredi's Bologna, our nightmare. No one knows this, but theoretically she should have been a model for our team. Contemporaries who inspired us. Not Herrera's Inter, but Maifredi's Bologna! Sacchi, like a broken record, repeated: "They are the ones who know what to do with the ball."

It was unbearable, because he repeated it every day, and even several times, lisping and not pronouncing the letter z: “ Ragassi- Friends - you should try to play like them. Maifredi's Bologna is the most beautiful team in existence."

Van Basten's reaction from the very beginning was always the same: "And who is this Manfredo?" Marco is used to Johan Cruyff's Ajax. The story of Sacchi showing Baresi the video footage of Gianluca Signorini so that he would copy his movements is fiction from the first to the last word. But what he constantly told us about Bologna Manfredo, on the contrary, is a sad and immutable truth. Sacchi managed to make us hate a team that there was no reason to hate. The team of the legendary Villa and all the others. And he teased us all the time. Until the day when justice finally prevailed.

On December 26, 1987, Sacchi arranged friendly match on the road with Bologna. We entered the field with bloodshot eyes. Especially me, since I had to miss the St. Stephen's Day dinner. Well, dear "Bologna Manfredo", today you will eat your fill with me! Before leaving the dressing room, we made it very clear to Sacchi: "Now we will show you who can play football and who can't."

We pulverized them, 5:0 in our favor. Killed without mercy. Van Basten - the one who was the worst of all of us, because he liked to play by instinct - was injured, but when we returned, he suddenly became ironic: "Mr, perhaps better than Milan Sacchi." And he was happy, despite the fact that he was wrong.

The friendly match gave us strength, the rest is the merit of Arrigo. Before asking us to do something, he always explained the motives. He could find a reason for everything. We pressed all over the field, and the opponents did not know what to do. They didn't understand anything. They tried to play, and we choked them with a high line of defense. Compared to Rome, the people here were different: there was no that spirit of brotherhood, and outside the field, everyone was more on his own.

The second match that changed our lives was the one we played against Napoli. At San Paolo, in the third week since the end of the 1987/88 season. IN standings we were separated by only one point, but we knew that their dressing room was shaking. And their anxiety has increased a lot since we just won the derby. Before the game, we knew that everything would end well for us, just as our opponents were convinced that they would lose.

The championship was coming to an end, and the Scudetto was waiting for us at the finish line. Maradona said bluntly: "I don't want to see a single red and black flag in the stadium." But we were there, and that was enough. "Napoli" - "Milan", 2:3, this is us, this is us, we are the champions of Italy. We had. Meanwhile, Van Basten was asking some steward: “Excuse me, have you seen Manfredo?”

Translation from Italian and adaptation: iva

To everyone who does not feel sorry for the pluses, we say GRAZIE!

Other chapters of the book:

Current page: 1 (total book has 18 pages) [accessible reading excerpt: 4 pages]

Carlo Anchelotti

Autobiography

Carlo Anchelotti

In loving memory of my first great leader, father, Giuseppe

Chris Brady

To my wife Anita and my beloved daughter Eleanor because I love them both

Mike Ford

To my father, who taught me the responsibility that comes when you lead others; my mother, who showed me how to create an environment where people can be inspired and feel comfortable; and my wife Daniela, who gives me unconditional support every day so that I can be the best version of myself.

Quiet leadership

Featuring Chris Brady and Mike Ford

Carlo Anchelotti

Foreword

As a little boy growing up on a farm in northern Italy, did I ever imagine that I would become a leader in a multi-million (pound) global industry? Of course no. All I wanted was to play football.

My approach is based on the idea that a leader should not “tear and throw” or rule with an iron fist, rather, on the contrary, his power should be implicit, implied. It should be crystal clear to everyone who is in charge here, and his power should stem from the respect and trust that others have for him, and not from fear. I believe that I have earned the respect that is shown to me, partly due to a successful career and winning titles for my clubs, but more, perhaps, because I respect those with whom I work. These people trust me to do the right thing, just as I trust them to play their roles in the organization.

I knew that at various stages of my sabbatical I would be under pressure to work at some new club whenever other managers in Europe were close to resignations or the end of contracts. The media linked me to Liverpool - which is a huge honor for me - and this prospect definitely interested me, but I was not upset to learn that I would not be appointed. Jurgen Klopp is the right choice for them; he will succeed with them. Retirement from the game was good for me, but when the opportunity to lead such a great club as Bayern appears on the horizon, it is simply impossible to refuse. Here I plan to begin the longest period of continuous victories and success in my career.

Carlo Ancelotti February 2016

Introduction

Chris Brady

With a background in business and sports leadership, we took the opportunity to dissect the general theories of experts and academics with close attention to detail, fearlessly comparing them directly to Ancelotti's practical experience. As the professional landscape undergoes radical change in every possible industry and every market, business leaders must be better equipped to manage a highly diverse and highly talented—and often challenging—workforce. Using the world of elite sports as a backdrop, we will bring to light the nuances of leadership and analyze the lessons that one of the world's most eminent talent managers has learned from his career. We will explore deeply held beliefs about how to lead and manage the best people around you, and we will put these beliefs to the test.

We wanted this book to be a book at the same time, written Ancelotti, and a book about Ancelotti, and for this we have also included in the chapters interviews with those who are most familiar with his leadership skills. You know what they say: if you really want to know who you really are, you need to find out what people say about you in your absence. We asked Carlo's partners, his colleagues, opponents and - perhaps most importantly - the players who played for him, to talk about him behind his back. Players interviewed include Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and John Terry, all of whom have also trained and played under other football management giants such as Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson is also present in rival Carlo, and among his colleagues here is Adriano Galliani, vice-president of Italian Milan, who in one capacity or another was Ancelotti's boss for about 13 years, when Ancelotti himself was either a player or manager.

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It is estimated that around US$50 billion is spent each year worldwide on leadership training and leadership development. Perhaps this is because public confidence in the positive qualities of those who hold leadership positions in the corporate world, politics and the military sector is now in such decline that we are in a sense trying to somehow correct this state of affairs. This figure also indicates how important the society sees this issue.

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“Are you a certified talent scavenger? Whether you're leading a six-person project team or holding the position of CEO of a corporation... you have to become obsessed with finding and developing the best people, just like the general manager of any professional sports team is obsessed with recruiting and training the best players. In an age where added value is born from creativity, a nimble, energetic, hard-working workforce is becoming the primary foundation of competitive advantage.”

In that case, what industry, if not football, should we study? Indeed, in football, coverage of the lives of talents and interest in the people who manage them have given rise to almost a separate entertainment industry. The so-called "war for talent" has been a significant factor in the world of football ever since the game was first played by people, and certainly since it became a professional path. Football clubs, on average, spend more than 50% of their income on people who make up less than 10% of their total workforce.

A recent Deloitte Millennial Survey of twenty-five industrialized countries (all of which play football at a professional level) found that Generation Y want a more open, flexible, and collaborative professional environment; they have a developed imagination, they think outside the box and believe that they are capable of doing anything. They are less committed because they now see that employers view them as a business asset of the company and therefore they will view their employers in the same way. Deloitte concluded that "Millenites have forced us to rethink the way we work." Well, basically every elite football player is a millenite. Again, the question is, where is there a better laboratory than football in which to observe and analyze the people who manage this type of workforce? And equally, how Ancelotti interacts with those who stand above him can become a manual for any person working in modern business.

The book is titled Silent Leadership for a reason: Ancelotti approaches his work in a calm but authoritative manner, and this style of management may go unnoticed by the media, desperately looking for scandals and sensations. In the management of the superego of the world's greatest footballers, he is called the "prima donna charmer." By the manner in which he manages those who stand above him, he is called "over-diplomatic"; Italian journalist Gabriele Marcotti said that Ancelotti showed "biblical patience" in dealing with the notoriously demanding Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez. Indeed, when Pérez appointed Ancelotti, he described him as a manager who was able to keep the stars of the team happy, while at the same time making them work without grumbling in public. What more could a president want?

“What we have before us today is a disposingly pleasant demo of Ancelotti's incredible charm, so attractive that it is impossible to resist. For neutral fans, his presence at the center of the Chelsea project is a disarming argument, throughout early years During his successful career, he maintained an image of the annoyingly ironic and skeptical man trapped in the corporate labyrinths of the superstructure of club management. Admittedly, this is almost entirely the merit of his thoroughbred eyebrow, that salty-pepper curve, reminiscent of a caterpillar forever twisted, which turns out to be a kind of portable indicator of unflappable irony. Ancelotti's brow seems to speak to us by itself, offering us its own counter-commentary to any phrase that makes up that conciliatory murmur that usually comes from Ancelotti's mouth. The British will warmly accept such a quality. We understand the language of eyebrows. Unsaid, silent and repressed: this conversation is our conversation."

We couldn't have said better.