Carlo Ancelotti’s former Real Madrid assistant coach has revealed how the legendary manager duped Cristiano Ronaldo into shifting off the flank to become a striker.

Managing Ronaldo is one of the most difficult tasks in football, since the Portuguese superstar exudes an aura that few players have ever had, and he originally refused to change positions at Madrid.


The 39-year-old was one of football’s most lethal left-wingers in his early years at Manchester United and Real Madrid before transitioning to striker.

However, getting Ronaldo to leave his favored position was a difficult assignment, made even more difficult when he told Ancelotti that he ‘liked’ playing on the left rather than through the middle.

His reluctance prompted the Madrid manager to devise a brilliant tactical change that kept Ronaldo pleased while allowing him to become a central attacking figure.
Paul Clement, Ancelotti’s former deputy and ex-Swansea manager, has provided an intriguing insight into dealing with Madrid’s ‘Galacticos’, revealing how Ronaldo was eventually persuaded.

Speaking to the Sun, he said: ‘At Real Madrid, Carlo had a concept of Ronaldo as a striker so he didn’t have to look back.’He spoke with Cristiano, who stated that he liked playing from the left.

‘Carlo understood he had to make him comfortable, so he brought in two systems for attacking, 4-3-3 with Ronaldo on the left, and 4-4-2 when defending, with Ronaldo up front,’ he said.

The tactical shift paid off, as Ronaldo and Ancelotti won the Champions League together in 2014, among other big collective and individual trophies.

Ancelotti is seeking to win Europe’s premier club title for a record sixth time this season, with quarter-final meetings against reigning champions Manchester City.