NEWS STORY. 16/11/2021. Rodrigo Salamanca. Photographer: Víctor Carretero
Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, and Emilio Butragueño, director of institutional relations at Real Madrid and director general at the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea, were on hand to open the auditorium at Real Madrid City and mark the start of the 2021/22 academic year. The ceremony was also attended by Elena Gazapo, dean of the Universidad Europea, and Miguel Pardeza and Manolo Sanchís, directors of the Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea’s postgraduate programmes.
The 16th cohort comprises students of over 50 nationalities and features 16 master’s courses related to sport. In his address, Ancelotti commented that: “This is the most prestigious, most historied club in the world and it has the biggest fan base; it’s a big responsibility. This club has won the Champions League 13 times and nobody else has done that. That’s down to its values and the challenges it has overcome, which have put it in the position it’s now in. I was fortunate enough to coach this club a few years ago and I’m now back and trying to enjoy it again”.
La Décima
“La Décima (the club’s 10th European Cup crown) was one that everyone associated with Real Madrid wanted to win and it was a big motivation. We very nearly ended up losing, but from the first whistle to the last, the players wanted to win it. That’s the reason why Madrid ended up winning la Décima. It was down to the atmosphere and it wasn’t just within one group of the players. The whole dressing room was really up for it and not just the players. There were also the doctors, the kitmen, and everyone else. It was a special atmosphere and everyone had that belief”.
Changes in the world of football
“Football is changing, it has changed and it will change, nothing stands still. The methodology, game strategies, physiotherapy, the pace… It’d make no sense to suggest that players today did things in the way they were done in the 80s and the same goes for the way things were done 20 years ago. Players are now far more professional than they used to be”.
“The relationship between the players is all about group work. A coach has to instil a football philosophy. I’ve been lucky enough to do something in life that I’m passionate about and I live out that passion every day. The key to success is to do things with passion. You’ve got to work hard and have that bit of luck. You also can’t give up. Leadership isn’t something that can be taught. It’s something you’re born with”.