Diego Simeone vs Carlo Ancelotti
* Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti g head-to-head in the Champions League final on Saturday night
* Real take on local rivals Atletico in Lisbon
* Simeone guided Atleti to La Liga title last weekend
Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti go head-to-head on Saturday as Madrid pair Real and Atletico meet in the Champions League final.
Having both enjoyed success during distinguished playing careers the pair have seemingly always been on opposing sides.
While Ancelotti played for Roma and AC Milan, Simeone starred for Lazio and Inter and the rivalry will continue in the Estadio da Luz dugouts as both manager’s will hope to mastermind their club from the Spanish capital to victory.
So these two have always been on opposite sides?
Pretty much so. Simeone for Lazio and Ancelotti for Roma. Simeone for Inter, Ancelotti for Milan. And now on opposite sides of the great divide in Madrid.
What did they win?
Ancelotti won four Italian Cups and one Scudetto with Roma. Some years later Simeone won one league, one cup, One European Super Cup and one Italian Super Cup with Lazio.
And in Milan?
Ancelotti won two European Cups under Arrigo Sacchi. He has quite a relationship with this tournament — six finals in total two won as a coach and one lost; two won as a player and one lost.
And Simeone at Inter?
A Uefa Cup triumph in 1998. The same year he played a certain game at St. Etienne and got a certain England captain sent off.
So who had the better career?
Ancelotti has the cups, Simeone has the caps. The Italian has won the Champions League twice but Diego played even more games for Argentina (106) than the other Diego, Maradona.
And did they ever actually face each other on the pitch in one of those Rome or Milan derbies?
No. They only started locking horns as managers.
So what’s the balance?
Simeone got the better of Ancelotti at the Bernabeu in the league earlier in the season becoming the first coach to lead Atleti to victory in a league match over Real in 14 years. Honours were even in the return fixture in a 2-2 draw. In the cup Real knocked Atletico out winning both legs. So it’s one win to Carlo, one to Diego, and one draw. All to play for in the biggest game of all.
—Daily Mail
