Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti became the first ever manager to reach five Champions League finals after his team sealed an epic comeback 3-1 win against Manchester City Wednesday night.
La Liga leaders’ 6-5 aggregate semifinal victory helped the 62-year-old manager to make history by reaching the fifth final in the competition’s history.
Real Madrid will to take on Liverpool at Stade de France in Paris on May 28 to secure the 14th Champions League title in the club’s history.
In his first Champions League final in 2003, Ancelotti led Milan to the trophy with a penalty shoot-out win over Juventus at Old Trafford.
Two years after his first Champions League victory, Ancelotti reached the final again but suffered one of the most dramatic defeat in the history of football against Liverpool on penalties.
When the first half ended, Milan fans were quite sure that their team is close to lifting the trophy as Liverpool were 3-0 down at Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium.
But the Reds made one of the greatest comebacks in the second half to send the match into extra time.
The score remained unchanged in the extra time and Liverpool won their fifth Champions League trophy after they beat Milan 3-2 on penalties.
Under Ancelotti, Milan advanced to the final again in 2007 and earned a revenge over Liverpool with a 2-1 victory in Athens.
Ancelotti secured his first Champions League triumph with Real Madrid in 2014 when they beat city rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1 in extra time in Lisbon.
The Italian manager is also the first ever head coach to win five major European leagues after Real Madrid became Spanish La Liga champions on Saturday.
Source: Anadolu Agency