The former Chelsea manager took over the reins at the Santiago Bernabeu last summer, succeeding current Blues boss Jose Mourinho. Ancelotti endured a tough start to life in Madrid, losing in the first Clasico of the season and trailing Barcelona going into the Christmas break.
However, the Italian has turned the club’s fate around, guiding the team to their first Champions League final since 2002 and beating Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final. Ancelotti admits that he did not feel the backing of the Madrid supporters at the beginning but now believes that he has their backing after their recent success. “At the start, the fans of Real Madrid awaited to what I would do with the team before deciding if I was a good or bad coach. Now I think they are starting to think that I am a good manager for their team,” he told La Razon. Real Madrid have leapfrogged Barcelona in the table to second place, despite also losing the second Clasico of the season against their rivals, and are now fighting leaders Atletico Madrid for the league title.
