Rodrygo and Carlo Ancelotti have always shared a special bond. During the Italian’s second spell at Real Madrid, he found the perfect way to unlock the Brazilian winger’s talent. Alongside Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo became part of the front three that drove Madrid to the 2023/24 Champions League title, sealed with victory over Borussia Dortmund in the final. That connection has survived the move to the Brazil national team. Since becoming head coach, Ancelotti has continued to see Rodrygo as one of the foundations of his side, even as the forward’s role at Real Madrid has become less central. Missing the World Cup through injury has done nothing to change the way Rodrygo speaks about him. He even wrote about Ancelotti for The Guardian. Not as a footballer giving an interview, but as a columnist devoting an entire piece to the coach he admires most.
It opens with a memory. “The 2022 Champions League semi-final. The Santiago Bernabéu. More than 60,000 fans in the stands, and Manchester City leading 1-0. I was on the Real Madrid bench when Carlo Ancelotti called me over and told me to get on the pitch, play aggressively and decide the match. I stepped on to the field in the 68th minute. In the 90th minute, I equalised but we still trailed by a goal on aggregate. We restarted, and the next minute I scored again to force extra time. We won and the rest is history: another title for the club after beating Liverpool in the final. I bring up this moment to highlight how important coaches are to a team’s journey and how decisive they are in a player’s career, doing work that often goes unseen by the public”.
From there, the focus shifts away from football. “Ancelotti is like a father figure to us. He is a man I admire immensely, as a coach and a person. He talks to us and offers guidance on matters on and off the pitch. I heard a series or documentary about Ancelotti is being filmed, and I am certain it will be incredible. Nowadays social media, YouTube channels, and film productions offering greater access to the inner workings of clubs and national teams reveal moments that used to remain secret or were only disclosed in articles and autobiographies published long after the authors had retired. Even so, countless matters are handled within the privacy of locker rooms and meeting rooms. And it is in these environments that the greatness of mentors proves most decisive: in conversations about family life, in dialogues addressing dissatisfaction, and in the firmness shown when pointing out the right path to follow”.
That is the version of Ancelotti his players know. A coach whose authority is built on trust as much as tactics, whose influence stretches well beyond the pitch. As Rodrygo puts it: “Don’t get me wrong. Ancelotti’s decisions are always carefully considered, driven by extraordinary consistency that comes from both the heart and the mind of someone with deep tactical knowledge and a natural gift for managing people. As Brazil approach the World Cup round of 16 against Japan, I believe my fellow countrymen—especially those who have only recently discovered his ideas—will continue to show even greater support for the work of the Maestro.” Maestro. That is the word Rodrygo chooses. It is hard to think of one that says more.