Carlo Ancelotti sealed a Champions League record on a night the legendary coach will want immediately consigned to the history books.
The Real Madrid boss could only watch on as Manchester City toyed with his Real Madrid side to book their place in next month’s final. A Bernardo Silva brace, an Eder Militao own goal and a late Julian Alvarez earned City a 4-0 win on the night, to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.
The match also marked Ancelotti’s 191st he has coached in the Champions League, overtaking Sir Alex Ferguson in the process. The Manchester United great lifted the European Cup on two occasions during his historic spell at Old Trafford, as well as reaching another two finals.
Ancelotti meanwhile has won the famous trophy on four occasions, including twice with Real and twice with AC Milan. It’s the second record Ancelotti has taken from Sir Alex this season, having usurped the Scot’s 102 wins in the competition.
The record will be a scant consolation for Ancelotti, though, on a night where his European champions were outclassed, outmatched and outgunned in Manchester. The Spanish giants arrived at the Etihad with the tie in the balance but were second best from the very first whistle.
City could have been three goals to the good before Silva actually opened the scoring after 23 minutes. And the dominance only continued as the first half progressed, with the Portuguese superstar doubling his, and City's tally for the night.
Madrid didn't lay a punch on the Premier League champions, who are now edging ever closer to a Treble only ever achieved by Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United.
But while the celebrations continue in Manchester, the autopsy will get underway in Madrid. Having already surrendered the LaLiga title to Barcelona, there will now be serious question marks over both the team, and its manager.
“I repeat, I’ll stay here at Real Madrid until they want to keep me,” Ancelotti said on the eve of the game with City. The Italian has a contract until the end of next season and has rebuffed offers from the Brazilian national team.
He added: “Will Real Madrid be my last club? I don’t know. I said that one time yes, but… I don’t know. Real is the best club in the world, a big family. I will stay here until they want to keep me. I will always be a Madrid fan”.
Regardless of his future, his reputation as one of the greatest club manager in history remains intact. Ferguson claimed Ancelotti should be placed upon his own pedestal, such is his record in Europe's biggest competition.
"Carlo Ancelotti is one of my good friends and also one of the best managers the game has seen," Ferguson told the Daily Mail. "He is a great guy and I think he'll be back in the game shortly, there is no doubt about that. People with that ability don't stay out of it for too long.
"Carlo has an unbelievable record in the European Cup both as a player and manager – winning it twice in both roles with AC Milan, as well as winning it again as a manager at Real Madrid.
"I don't think anyone else has done that so he's on a pedestal on his own in that respect."
