This time last year, Carlo Ancelotti was a forgotten man. A season that started so promisingly with Everton ended in a flat fashion as the Toffees limped to a mid-table finish. When Real Madrid came calling for the veteran Italian, not many Everton fans were begging him to stay.
This time two months ago, Ancelotti was an unwanted man. A crushing last-minute defeat away to PSG in the last-16 of the Champions League saw the former AC Milan manager clinging onto his position as Madrid boss. After that defeat in Paris, rumours ran rampant that his days in Madrid were numbered.
Tonight, Ancelotti is THE Man.
Yet again Ancelotti is the king of Europe and Madrid are European Champions. And yet again, Ancelotti did things in his own unique way.
The pattern of Saturday's Champions League final was set in the first 15 minutes of the game. At times in the first half, Madrid had to ride their luck. Thibaut Courtois played like a man possessed and pulled off save after save to deny the likes of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane. Surely the dam would burst, the pressure would pay off and Liverpool would romp to a seventh European title.
Liverpool pressed Madrid high up the pitch and attempted to run Madrid into the ground. Madrid on the other-hand, sat back, soaked up the pressure and preserved their energy. It was a risky plan against a Liverpool side that has blown away far better teams than this Real Madrid eleven in the past.
And it worked. By the second half, Liverpool had run completely out of gas. For the opening 45 minutes, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos couldn't get a touch of the ball, while Casemiro drowned in a red sea of relentless pressure.
In the second period, Modric and Kroos got more and more involved in the game. Fede Valverde started to make his trademark lung bursting runs, and when the Uruguayan found space on the right for Vinicius' goal, Liverpool looked like a jaded team as they desperately tried to get back into position.
That tiredness Liverpool felt was not only physical, but mental. Andy Robertson couldn't beat the first man with most of his crosses, Thiago's passing became wayword and Fabinho's usual pinpoint perception of the game went haywire. Even Jurgen Klopp seemed devoid of energy in the second half.
Perhaps the moment when this mental fatigue was most evident, was when Naby Keita tried an outside of the foot first time shot on the edge of the Madrid box, which sailed harmlessly into the Parisian sky.
Ancelotti played the game to perfection. In a throwback performance of sorts, Madrid soaked up the Liverpool pressure, allowed them to punch themselves out and picked The Reds off on the counter attack.
The simplicity of Ancelotti's game plan and tactical approach is something which we don't see much of anymore. For most of the game, Madrid tried to play long balls over the heads of Robertson and Alexander Arnold. A far cry from the intricate, robotic like systems of Klopp's Liverpool or Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. By the end of the game, it was Liverpool deploying the reductive game-plan, namely, launch it up towards big Virgil Van Dijk.
Ancelotti played it brilliantly tonight. He went back to his Italian roots and put out a team that threw themselves at every shot, hurled themselves into every tackle and engaged in a good old fashioned bit of time-wasting for good measure. A proper rearguard action performance, something akin to what Ancelotti's legendary AC Milan side would have done.
And when Madrid did finally make the breakthrough, Ancelotti's tactic was proved correct. Madrid caught Liverpool on the break, exploited the space left behind by Robertson when he bombed forward, with Vinicius ghosting in behind the dozing Alexander Arnold at the back post to slam home the winner.
Let's not kid ourselves either. Liverpool are the better team. They showed it for large spells tonight and if this game was played 10 times, Liverpool would win six or seven. They should've won this match.
But should've doesn't count for anything.
Before the final, a lot was made of the power of Real's Champions League heritage. The spirits of iconic past European glory propel Madrid to a level that few teams can get to. Madrid believe they should always be European Champions. Their history demands it.
But tonight, maybe we shouldn't give credit to ghosts, heritage or history. Instead, tonight's credit should go to one man and one man alone. Ancelotti rolled back the years tonight. He showed that there are many different ways to win a game. He showed that you don't have to be the most drilled, robotic team in the world to win trophies.
Sometimes all you need is heart, courage and a little bit of swagger. And with 'Don Carlo' at the helm, who's to say Madrid won't devise another heist to take this trophy home in a years time for a 15th time.
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