Davide Ancelotti: I enjoy watching Barcelona, and Vinicius is an untouchable player

The move to Lille came at the perfect time for Davide Ancelotti, particularly after his difficult spell with the Brazil national team. On his arrival in France, the Italian coach says: "I went from the World Cup to being here almost overnight, and honestly that was good for me, because what happened with Brazil was extremely difficult."

At Lille, Ancelotti found a project he describes as solid, built on hard work and high standards, with a constant presence in European competition. The club, he believes, operates a different model in world football, one that competes and delivers results while keeping its finances in order.

Careful planning drives everything, he points out, and nothing is left to improvisation. That approach keeps producing outstanding players, who the club can then sell on without the sporting project falling apart.

"Thanks to careful planning, and the absence of any room for improvisation, outstanding players emerge here every year, and this is precisely what makes the club financially stable," he says. "Lille achieves positive results, competes strongly, and takes part in the Champions League. It is a unique case in the world of football today."

Ancelotti refuses to write off the French league. Its physical, competitive nature, he reckons, puts it close to the atmosphere of the English Premier League. He admits the French championship doesn't get the attention it deserves, especially with the problems surrounding television broadcasting rights, yet it keeps churning out talent in huge numbers.

"In terms of intensity and competitiveness, French football is very much like the English Premier League," he adds. "In fact, many French players end up in England."

He then spells out the challenge on the pitch: "If you arrive here thinking you have plenty of time to control the ball and think, you are mistaken."

When talk turned to how football is evolving, Ancelotti laid out a clear verdict on the game's defining trend. For years the debate centred on possession, pressing and building from the back. Now, the Lille manager reckons, the elite sides have shifted their focus to the defensive phase.

He says: "The leading teams today attach the utmost importance to their defensive phase. Whether they use zonal marking or man-to-man marking, the teams that reach the Champions League final give priority to defence over attack."

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain prove his point, he argues, because for all the gulf in style, both are built on a rock-solid defensive foundation. Man-to-man marking, he explains, has become a weapon for the giants: Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, with Real Madrid joining them when they press hard. The aim is simple. Deny the opponent time and space to build.

That kind of football demands defenders who can win their individual duels, he insists, pointing to Saliba and Gabriel at Arsenal, and Marquinhos and Pacho at Paris Saint-Germain.

Spain draw clear admiration from Davide Ancelotti, who sees in them a model of technical, collective football. He says: "They are excellent at handling the ball. They embody technical football, the third man, numerical superiority and, most importantly, playing as one team. They are without doubt a source of inspiration."

Even through the barren spells, he adds, Spain never abandoned their identity. Spanish football, in his eyes, has built something unmistakably its own.

Italy, by contrast, needs stability in its project. The Azzurri were once famous for their defensive strength, he points out, but that quality has faded. He said: "We have always been renowned for our defensive strength, and that is what no longer happens now. We have always had capable managers, such as Mancini and Spalletti, at a very high level. And now, I hope we will see stability in our project."

Davide remembers how Pep Guardiola's Barcelona inspired clubs across the world, but he flags up a fundamental problem: not every team has the players to apply the same philosophy.

That, he believes, is exactly what happened in Italy and Germany. Many teams started building their game around possession and passing, despite having players of a completely different nature.

As for this Barcelona side, he admits he loves watching them, above all for their directness. He singles out the way Raphinha is deployed as an out-and-out forward, bursting into space.

Direct football, he says, doesn't just mean launching players forward. It demands a player who can slide the ball accurately into the right pocket of space.

Does he have a role model from off the pitch? "First, my father of course. Then I like Emery a lot because he has a wonderful defensive organisation. His teams defend well, and he prepares for matches excellently. He also prefers attacking football and tactical play. But what I really like about him is his defensive approach, just as I like the defensive organisation that Arteta follows at present. I also appreciate the work that Luis Enrique is doing."

He added: "I admire Simeone's ability to prepare for the big matches because he always discovers the opponent's weak points, whether in attack or in defence. I don't consider him my role model, but he is someone from whom a lot can be learned, just as a lot can be learned from others such as Emery, De Zerbi and Klopp."

Few subjects drew more from Davide Ancelotti than the departure of Toni Kroos, and he spoke of the German midfielder with real admiration. His verdict was blunt: "You lose something you will never get back."

Asked what Real Madrid had lost when Kroos left, he replied: "The best player in the world in his position. You cannot say: I need another Kroos, because there is no player like him."

Kroos was never just a player who moved the ball, Ancelotti argued. He controlled the rhythm of a match entirely, dictating its pace and bending the game to his decisions. Then there was the physical and tactical side: Kroos covered around 11 kilometres a match, knew how to defend, and read the game like few others.

Their relationship was a strong one. Talking football with Kroos always left Ancelotti richer for it, he said, because here was a man of ideas and opinions who forced those around him to think. "He made me a better coach," Ancelotti said. "His departure was a great loss."

Rodri's name came up as a player who could slot into Real Madrid, and Davide had no doubt about his ability to succeed anywhere. But he dismissed any hunt for a "new Kroos". Madrid, he insisted, do not need to clone a departed player. They need to find their own balance.

"There is no need to look for a replacement for Toni," he said. "Real Madrid will find its balance. With Rodri or without him, it will remain a strong contender until the end, as is always the case."

That identity, he believes, keeps Madrid alive in the moments that matter. "In the end, when the time comes to settle matters, Real Madrid is always there."

Vinícius Júnior drew high praise from Davide, who hailed the Brazilian winger's impact on and off the pitch. Vinícius has scored in two Champions League finals, and for that Davide can only be grateful. His team-mates love him for his character and commitment.

He adds: "He doesn't miss a single training session. He hides nothing, he deceives no one, he doesn't hesitate to tell the truth, and he doesn't say: this hurts me, so I won't train. He's always there for the team."

Those qualities, Davide believes, explain why the players love him. But he stresses that Vinícius needs the right tactical structure around him.

The Brazilian is very direct and attacking, always pushing forward. That means there must be a defensive structure behind him, one that lets the team benefit from his abilities without losing its balance.

He sums it up neatly: "You can't change Vini, but you can change the basic structure of the team around him."

Turning to how he would combine Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé, Davide points out that direct players of this calibre hand the team enormous attacking power. They also impose tactical challenges.

He was not talking specifically about the current Real Madrid, he explained. The Royal club have always possessed players who deny opponents complete control, and the real challenge lies in keeping the team cohesive.

Davide Ancelotti rejected the idea that Real Madrid's players hold more power than the coach. Yes, they have strong personalities, he stressed, but that does not mean they control the team. "If that were the case, there would be no need for a coach," he said. "But that is not the reality. Real Madrid's players are extremely professional."

It is natural for players to object or to be unwilling to leave the pitch, he pointed out, yet they do not impose their decisions on the coaching staff. His verdict was clear: "In Real Madrid's dressing room, the coach is the one who makes the decisions."

On Jose Mourinho, Davide Ancelotti left no doubt about his admiration for the Portuguese coach, arguing that Real Madrid's modern history explains why he sees him as the man for this moment. "Real Madrid's modern history shows why Mourinho is the ideal coach at the present time," he said. "He is in love with Real Madrid, and he has enormous motivation."

He also opened up on his own dealings with Mourinho. He interviewed him as part of a coaching course he was studying, and the Portuguese was always friendly towards him, even when the two were rivals. Davide believes Mourinho left a clear mark on football, above all in coaching and tactics. He changed the game in his own way.

The conversation was always going to turn to Carlo Ancelotti, Davide's father and former coach. Davide puts his father at the very top of the profession, a role model after everything he has achieved.

Real Madrid, he admits, left a deep mark on his career. He started there as a fitness coach, became an assistant and built up huge experience under the pressure of the big matches at the royal club.

"At Real Madrid, with all that pressure, time seems to pass very slowly," he says. "It is simply about realising that every match is the most important one."

Coaching Real Madrid one day is a dream he refuses to hide. He also knows his father's name and his ties to the club will not be enough to land him the job. "Real Madrid is everyone's dream, and of course it is my dream too," he says.

Every coach who reaches the Bernabeu has earned his standing through results, he adds, and that is what he must do first. "It depends on whether I deserve it or not," he affirms. "It is not about Real Madrid alone, but on me and on what I can achieve in my career."

One sentence sums up his philosophy: "We could spend three days here talking about ideas and philosophy, but the most important thing is winning."

So Davide Ancelotti faces a double task. He must draw on the weight his name carries while building an identity of his own, one that marks him out as a coach in his own right. Between the Lille project and the Real Madrid dream, the Italian presses on with measured steps. He knows names do not open the road to the top. Results do.