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La Liga

Ancelotti becomes first manager to claim titles in Europe’s top five leagues

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LaLiga – Real Madrid v Espanyol – Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – April 30, 2022 Real Madrid team members lift coach Carlo Ancelotti in the air and celebrate after winning LaLiga REUTERS/Susana Vera

Real Madrid’s LaLiga triumph capped a remarkable milestone for Carlo Ancelotti on Saturday as the Italian became the first manager to capture titles in each of Europe’s top five leagues — England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.

Real clinched their 35th league crown following a thumping 4-0 win against Espanyol, clinching the title with almost a month of the season remaining.

The 62-year-old Ancelotti has one of the most-decorated CVs in world football and when he was lured back to Madrid for a second spell last June following the departure of club great Zinedine Zidane, he knew that his only mission was to increase Real’s trophy haul.

To do that Ancelotti has not only shown astute tactical nous on the pitch but he also knows how to bring out the best in his players, both the young and experienced.

Many thought 36-year-old Croatian midfielder Luka Modric and French striker Karim Benzema, 34, were well past their prime but under Ancelotti’s calm guidance, they have once again prospered.

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Benzema is the league’s top scorer this season with 26 goals — his tally already more than his 2020-2021 haul.

At the other end of the spectrum, Ancelotti has also boosted the confidence of 21-year-old Vinicius Jr, who has become an integral part of a squad not only as a winger but also with his ability to score goals. Only Benzema has netted more goals than the Brazilian for Real in LaLiga this season.

Ancelotti’s meticulous planning and nurturing of players paid off on Saturday when he completed his collection of titles from the top five leagues.

His winning run began with steering AC Milan to the Serie A title in 2004, before triumphs in the Premier League with Chelsea in 2010, Ligue 1 with Paris St Germain in 2013 and Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2017 followed.

While winning LaLiga would be considered as a huge achievement for many clubs and managers, for Ancelotti it only signals a job half done.

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Having already won the Champions League with Real in 2014, helping the Spaniards to their fabled ‘Decima’ (10th) European crown before being sacked 12 months later, he now also stands on the cusp becoming the most successful manager in the tournament’s history.

Along with Bob Paisley and Zidane, Ancelotti has won the European Cup or Champions League on three occasions as a manager, having also led AC Milan to glory in 2003 and 2007.

With Real battling it out against Manchester City in the semi-finals of this year’s tournament, the Italian will be determined to take sole ownership of that record.

To do that, however, he will first need Real to overturn a 4-3 first-leg deficit against City on Wednesday as the Spaniards chase a 17th appearance in the final of Europe’s premier club competition.

It would be a remarkable achievement for a coach who arrived at Real under much scrutiny after three uninspiring seasons while in charge of Napoli in Serie A and Everton in the Premier League.

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In fact, if Real president Florentino Perez had had his way, Ancelotti would not have even been at the club. However, after Perez was frustrated in his attempts to sign Massimiliano Allegri, Mauricio Pochettino and Antonio Conte, he had to settle for his fourth-choice pick.

If Ancelotti pulls off the LaLiga-Champions League double this season, club faithfuls will be thanking their lucky stars that their top-three picks were unavailable.

-Reuters

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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La Liga

Mission accomplished as Real Madrid reach cup final, Ancelotti says

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It was mission accomplished, said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after his side fought back from two-goals behind to snatch a rip-roaring 4-4 draw on Tuesday for a 5-4 aggregate win that put them through to the Copa del Rey final.

Ancelotti brushed off questions about a sub-par performance by his side and praised his players’ effort in what he considered a highly entertaining encounter.

“We have achieved our goal today which was to reach the final and there is not much time to think about it,” Ancelotti told a press conference.

“It was an entertaining game with some mistakes and a lot of good things. It was fun and we are in the final.

“I never saw ourselves out of it because anything can happen at the Bernabeu. When we have to come from behind, we never give up. We never give up, especially at home, with the fans by our side.”

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Ancelotti said David Alaba was not to blame after he deflected two balls into his own goal, calling it “bad luck” by the Austrian defender, but urged his defence to play with better focus moving forward.

“It’s not good to concede four goals in a game,” Ancelotti said.

“Right now we are a team that has a lot of effectiveness up-front, but little balance.

“However, we can’t ignore what we did in attack, scoring four goals against Real is not that easy. I think we are doing quite well.”

Real Madrid, who have won the Spanish Cup only once in over a decade, will play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in a mouth-watering final in Seville next month.

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Atletico fought back to hold Barca to a thrilling 4-4 draw ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg in Madrid.

-Reuters

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La Liga

Prosecutors seek jail term for Real Madrid coach Ancelotti over alleged tax fraud

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Real Madrid’s legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti will go on trial next week for allegedly failing to declare income to Spain’s tax office, the Madrid court which will hear the case has said.

Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of four years and nine months for the 65-year-old Italian, accusing him of having cost Spain’s treasury more than one million euros ($1.1 million) in undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.

The trial will begin on Wednesday and it is expected to last two days, a spokesman for the court said.

Ancelotti, who as a coach has won a record five Champions League trophies including three with Real, must be present for the hearings, he added.

Prosecutors accuse him of only declaring in his tax returns the personal remuneration received from Real Madrid during those two years even though he himself declared himself to be a tax resident in Spain and indicated his home was in Madrid.

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They accuse Ancelotti of allegedly setting up a “confusing” and “complex” system of shell companies to hide his extra earnings from his image rights as well as from other sources such as real estate.

A Spanish court in 2023 ordered Ancelotti to stand trial over the affair, but did not set a date.

Ancelotti dismissed the affair last year as “an old story that I hope will be resolved soon” when he was asked about the case.

He took over at Real Madrid in 2013, leaving in May 2015, before being appointed at Bayern Munich the following year.

The former Italy international midfielder, who as a player won the European Cup twice with AC Milan, later managed Napoli and Everton before returning to Real Madrid in 2021.

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Aside from his success in the Champions League he has won domestic league titles with Madrid and Milan, in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.

-AFP

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La Liga

Spain’s former soccer chief Rubiales says he will appeal court ruling

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 Luis Rubiales in court on day one of Rubiales trial - National Court, Madrid, Spain, February 3, 2025. Chema Moya/Pool via Reuters/File Photo 

 Spain’s former soccer chief Luis Rubiales told Reuters on Thursday he would appeal a court ruling which found him guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent.-

-Reuters

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