Ancelotti set to make Real Madrid history with 300th cap

Carlo Ancelotti is the Real Madrid coach almost par excellence. There is nobody, with the exception of Zinedine Zidane, who has so faithfully embodied the position on the Santiago Bernabeu touchline this century in such a way that is so faithful to the elements that are emblematic of the 'Merengues'. Maturity, calmness, attitude, team management and the ability to adapt to the squad and to new trends converge in a suit-wearing figure whose ties have defended 'Los Blancos' on 300 occasions.
With Tuesday night's match against Alaves, the Italian will be making his 300th appearance in charge of the ‘Merengue’ team. It is a legend forged in two parts. The first spell covers the period between July 2013 and May 2015. The second resumed this partnership in June 2021 and runs until at least the 30th of the same month in 2026. Their partnership is of such chemistry that the Italian coach is considering retirement afterwards.
The two parts that have shaped the club with the most Champions League titles in history have fed back into each other. The Italian, who celebrates the milestone this matchday, has led the Spanish side to their two most recent Champions League titles, but the 'Merengues' saved him when, at the height of his doubts at Everton, it looked as though perhaps his career was approaching a less glittering period in the spotlight.
Carlo Ancelotti himself, usually a natural in front of the press, has been quick to say that he said yes as soon as he picked up the phone and heard the voice of president Florentino Perez on the other end. In one of the last European celebrations, the coach was giving him a hug and thanking him for bringing him back to the second most successful club in his career behind Milan. He worked at San Siro from 2001 to 2009.
A mere division gives the statistic that best captures Carlo Ancelotti's career with Real Madrid: he wins a title every 21 matches. The 14 titles he has won are tied with Miguel Munoz, a classic coach of the 60s and 70s who coached 605 games. This season, his counterpart is a candidate for six trophies after winning the European Super Cup, so he is likely to overtake him in a matter of months.