Carlo Ancelotti faces, this evening at 9 p.m. at the Bernabéu, a historic club which has a special place in his heart, AC Milan.
A scent of big nights in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium which needs a change of scenery after the 4-0 rout against Barça during the Clasico. A poster which recalls the final of the 1957-1958 Champions League won 3 goals to 2 by the Merengues (Di Stéfano, Rial and Gento), for the third coronation in a row for Real Madrid at the time. A historically perfectly balanced head to head in the Champions League: 15 confrontations for 6 victories for Real Madrid, 3 draws and 6 victories for Milan.
Arrigo Sacchi, former coach of AC Milan (1987-1991 and 1996-1997), who knows well the legendary rivalry between the two most successful clubs in the history of the Champions League, spoke to the Gazzetta dello Sport on tonight's clash, and discussed his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti. “Carlo is a charming man, he has called me at least seven times in recent days. He is intelligent and modest, after all these are qualities that never travel separately. He is the first player I asked to Berlusconi. I arrived in Milan, I told him immediately that we would win the championship with him,” he said of Carletto.
Additionally, Sacchi warns Real Madrid ahead of this match, appealing to Milan's glorious past: “I hope all players know the history of Milan, a history that is in the football books. The club with his style and his vision comes above the team and the team comes before each individual, it all starts here.” From his time as coach of Atlético de Madrid (1998-1999), Sacchi reveals an anecdote linked to Real Madrid: “In 1998, I was training in Madrid and that's when Emilio Butragueño confessed to me that we had been spied on, studied.”
In addition, the Italian also recalls good memories of a double confrontation in the semi-final of the 1988-1989 Champions League: “Our pace was stifling, that of Milan in 1989. It was the first time that an Italian team went to the Santiago Bernabéu as favorites.
Sacchi then managed to obtain a 1-1 draw at the Bernabéu and on his return to San Siro, he won a resounding victory (5-0): “We did things with commitment and seriousness, including during training. In the match training, we came in strong and we even injured Evani. It wasn't easy to replace the fitter player I had, but I was sure that one player in particular would do everything I did. I'll ask him: Carlo Ancelotti He had a great match and scored the first goal at San Siro also in the round of 16, with credit. In the final, AC Milan will win the Champions League this season 4 goals to 0 against Steaua Bucharest.
Regarding the controversies surrounding Rafael Leão's behavior, Sacchi said: “I'm just saying that I treated all my players the same. Of course, Van Basten was the strongest, but I never compromised . Between a good player and a reliable one, I choose the second. I only hope that Fonseca succeeds, not only technically, but also mentally. If there is not total harmony, you can never have a good team. “.
