Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, has received an honorary degree from the University of Parma.
The 64-year-old Italian legend returned to his homeland not for football reasons but for academic activities and was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Sciences and Techniques of Preventive and Adapted Motor Activities.
At the event were Ariggo Sacchi, his coach between 1987 and 1991, and Ariedo Braida, his teammate during his playing days at Parma.
Speaking at the ceremony, an elated Ancelotti stated that his players have to call him Doctor from now on.
His words: “I receive this degree and some will say that I have taken few exams. In reality I have taken many and every three days I take more. Exams in which I am judged, which is why I have to prepare. When they call me doctor I like it, I will say to my players ‘you can call me doctor’.”
Speaking further, he said, “You cannot train Diego Maradona to dribble better. That is genetic. What you can do with talented players is help them remember the importance of altruism. That is what differentiates a great player from a champion.
“Football helped me improve my relationship with others, learn respect for the rules, for your opponents and your teammates.
“Being a coach above all means knowing how to listen to others, your collaborators and players, then make your own decisions.
“I try to transmit my ideas via persuasion, not by forcing them upon others. I am calm, very patient, and above all I am fortunate to be supported by a great passion for this sport. It is a passion I had at the age of 15 and I still have today.”
The rector of the university, Paolo Andrei, appeared to have confirmed Ancelotti’s move to become the next Brazil national team coach.
He said, “In 2024, Carlo Ancelotti awaits an extraordinary adventure that for many coaches would be just a dream: the bench of Brazil. He is the first foreigner in the last sixty years to lead the team, and only the fourth in its history. The admiration we feel for him is widespread and goes beyond any boundary or square.
“It is a great honour and a great joy for us and we are very grateful to Carlo Ancelotti for accepting this award. Ancelotti is a true ambassador of our country and our region in the world, and the fact that he has been able to succeed in such different realities makes him a true legend.”
