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The head coach of the reigning Champions League winners "Milan," Carlo Ancelotti, said after the final against "Liverpool" that winning the tournament was his team's "destiny."
"This was acknowledged by the winning coach, C. Ancelotti: "Two years ago, our football quality was better, but that's football. The opponents played tough and pressed hard, making it difficult for us. This trophy is like destiny for us, remembering what happened in Istanbul and this season. We probably deserved the victory not so much for what we did today, but for what we did to get here."
Before the season, "Milan" was even expelled from the Champions League due to a corruption scandal in Italy, but was reinstated just weeks before the qualifying matches. Ancelotti admitted that he could have lost his job at the beginning of the season.
The greatest joy is to win the Champions League in a season that could have been my last here. Until November, things were not going well, but we managed to recover. I have special feelings for this club, and only here could I achieve so much in five years. In difficult moments, the club, coaches, and players always worked together," said the coach.
"The decisive moment was the winter training camp in Malta. For a long time, we had to manage without players like Pippo Inzaghi, Kakha Kaladze, Paolo Maldini, Serginho, and Alessandro Nesta. This tournament was special for us, and winning it was the best opportunity this season to win any prize," said Ancelotti.
"Milan" started the Italian championship season with an eight-point deficit but finished in the top four. Meanwhile, in the Champions League final, Filippo Inzaghi unexpectedly became the hero, increasing his tally to 42 goals in 69 games.
True, the first goal was more of a lucky bounce, as the ball deflected off a player's ricochet after Andrea Pirlo's penalty shot, and the second goal from F. Inzaghi came from a one-on-one breakaway, but Ancelotti insisted that it was not just a matter of luck.
"Liverpool doesn't attack much and tries to capitalize on set pieces. When Peter Crouch appeared on the field, they started playing long balls, but F. Inzaghi's goal opened up the game. F. Inzaghi scored many goals that could be considered lucky, but the truth is that he contributes somehow to them. His crazy motivation, positional sense, and goal-scoring nose help him be in the right place," said Ancelotti.
