Ancelotti feared ‘part-time’ Italy would make him ‘lose a bit of passion’

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti confirms he once refused to take charge of the Italian national team because he feared that a ‘part-time job’ would cause him to lose ‘a bit of passion.’

Ancelotti already revealed that he had rejected the chance to become Italy’s national team coach in 2018 before Roberto Mancini’s appointment.

During his latest interview with RSI (via TMW), he discussed the possibility of coaching the Azzurri further.

“I said no because I didn’t feel like it,” he said.

Ancelotti feared ‘part-time’ Italy would make him ‘lose a bit of passion’

“I really like being on the pitch daily to prepare training sessions, and the national team seemed like a part-time job that would make me lose a bit of my passion. That’s the only reason.”

Ancelotti also spoke about Filippo Inzaghi, one of the most prolific Italian strikers of his generation, who won two Champions League titles at Milan under Ancelotti.

“He was a great talent because he could read some situations and find spaces like nobody else,” said the Italian tactician.

“I think he scored over 300 goals, but those with more than one touch weren’t more than 10%.”

Ancelotti returned for a second Real Madrid stint in 2021, joining the Merengues from Everton. He was not surprised by Real Madrid’s call as he was the one contacting the La Liga giants first.

“Actually, I was the one who called them,” he said.

“The year before, I had reached out to see if they had any players available, and we ended up signing James Rodriguez. I knew they were looking for a coach the following year. I spoke to the director and said they needed to get a good one.”

In his second spell at the Bernabeu, Ancelotti won two Champions League titles, becoming the most successful coach in Europe’s elite competition, a trophy he has lifted five times.