Bayern's natural-born winner Ancelotti in a league of his own
FC Bayern München head coach Carlo Ancelotti cemented his place as one of football's all-time greats on Matchday 1 of the 2016/17 Bundesliga campaign.
The brains behind the defending champions' 6-0 drubbing of SV Werder Bremen, the esteemed Italian tactician is now the only man to have posted wins in charge of a team in each one of Europe's top five leagues.
Watch: Highlights of Bayern's 6-0 demolition of Werder:
One-of-a-kind
"Carlo Ancelotti has enjoyed success everywhere as a coach and has won the Champions League three times," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said upon confirmation of the 57-year-old's appointment last December. "Carlo is a calm, balanced expert, who knows how to deal with stars and favors a multifaceted style of play - we were looking for this, and have found it."
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Bayern's flawless display against Bremen underlined Rummenigge's laudatory words – not that Ancelotti's pedigree has ever been in any doubt. He has managed Italian clubs AC Reggiana 1919, Parma Calcio 1912, Juventus and AC Milan, English Premier League outfit Chelsea FC, Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain FC and La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid CF, and has won league and cup titles in every country in which he has coached - sometimes both.
What is more, he is one of just seven men to have won the European Cup as both player and coach, and one of only two coaches to have won the UEFA Champions League on three separate occasions. Logic dictates he will add a fourth European title to his collection in Munich.
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'We have a lot of fun together'
Until then, Bayern and Bundesliga fans can look forward to watching one of the most successful head coaches of his generation at work. His glittering CV speaks for itself, while Ancelotti's reputation as a man who champions camaraderie and breeds a title-winning atmosphere precedes him.
"He knows how to handle every single player," said Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. "He has a relaxed manner and he trusts us to make our own decisions out on the pitch."
"He has made a fantastic impression so far - we have a lot of fun together," added Bayern forward Thomas Müller, who registered three assists against Bremen on Matchday 1. "A 6-0 scoreline, the fans had fun, and we had fun too. We can go home happy."
Record Bundesliga champions Bayern rarely vacate the building in any other way, which is just as well the magic already being worked by cool-hand Carlo - three wins from three competitive games, including a first piece of silverware in the 2016 Supercup - points to a continuation of the notable accomplishments of predecessors Jupp Heynckes and Pep Guardiola.
Christopher Mayer-Lodge