• La Liga

English coach joins Zidane on Ancelotti's Real staff

ESPN staff
June 26, 2013
Paul Clement will link up with Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid © PA Photos
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New Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Zinedine Zidane and an English coach with no professional playing experience will be key parts of his coaching staff at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ancelotti, at his presentation as Real's new coach on Wednesday afternoon, said delivering the club's long-awaited tenth European Cup ('La Decima') was his clear objective.

Ancelotti, who won the trophy as both a player and coach at AC Milan, was made aware of his responsibility when given a tour of the Bernabeu's glittering trophy room by Blancos president Florentino Perez before he met the journalists in the nearby press facility.

The Italian, who it was confirmed now has full charge of all footballing matters at Madrid, said that taking on such a big task was not a problem for him, but a motivation.

"We all know that 'La Decima' is the big objective, for the club, for everyone," Ancelotti said. "I have that ambition and that responsibility, that is not a problem for me. Every year the coach has a responsibility. To win la decima is such a big motivation."

Madrid's last Champions League title came in 2002, when Zidane volleyed in a memorable winning goal over Bayer Leverkusen. Ancelotti confirmed that the Frenchman would be one of his assistants next season - without quite clarifying the exact role he would play.

Ancelotti's second in command will be Paul Clement, the Englishman who previously worked with him at Chelsea and Paris St-Germain.

"Zidane will be on the bench, the only pity is he cannot play," the new boss joked. "Zizou was a fantastic player, everybody knows him, now he has decided to be a coach. I am very happy to work at his side.

"He will be a very good assistant, along with my usual assistant Paul Clement."

Clement, son of former QPR defender Dave Clement, first became acquainted with Ancelotti at Chelsea - with the Italian so impressed by his methods that he subsequently took him with him to PSG.

Clement has previously acknowledged he would like to try his hand at management, even if that means dropping down football's pyramid.

"I'm getting more and more experience and if I get an opportunity at the top level, great," Clement recently told the Daily Mail.

"But most managers don't start there and I can't imagine there'd be many better feelings than taking a team up from the Championship."

Asked about whether he would play a different style of football than his own predecessor at the Bernabeu Jose Mourinho, Ancelotti said that a club of Madrid's 'prestige' was always tasked with playing an exciting 'spectacular' game.

"The most prestigious club in the world needs to win, playing spectacular football, because the history and tradition of this club is to play offensively, spectacularly, and we are going to work to play football that can give happiness to the fans," the former Chelsea boss said. "These team has lots of quality in attack, and in midfield too. I do not think it will be difficult organise an attacking style."

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