Carlo Ancelotti will be chasing history when he leads his Real Madrid team out in the Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris on Saturday.
The Italian will be chasing an unprecedented fourth Champions League triumph as a coach when he pits his wits against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Ancelotti, who has won the Champions League twice with AC Milan, is currently level with Zinedine Zidane and Bob Paisley on three European Cup wins.
Ancelotti, who will be competing in a record fifth Champions League final, also won La Decima with Real Madrid against fierce rivals Atletico Madrid in 2014.
Los Blancos beat Diego Simeone’s side 4-1 in extra-time at the Estadio da Luz and ahead of Saturday’s 2022 final, TBR takes a look at Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League winning side under Carlo Ancelotti.
Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League winning side under Carlo Ancelotti
Iker Casillas
Kicking off Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League winning side under Carlo Ancelotti is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
After 19 years, 725 appearances, five La Liga’s and three Champions League triumphs, the Spanish legend left his beloved Real Madrid to join Porto in 2015.
The World Cup and two-time European Championship winner spent five years with the Portuguese giants before announcing his retirement from football in August 2020 after recovering from a heart attack.
Daniel Carvajal
Since re-joining the Santiago Bernabeu side from Bayer Leverkusen in 2013, Carvajal has been Madrid’s number one right-back and he’ll likely start the 2022 final versus Liverpool.
The 30-year-old has made over 300 appearances for Los Blancos and he can move level with Cristiano Ronaldo onto five Champions League triumphs with victory against the red half of Merseyside.
Raphael Varane
While Real Madrid have shown no signs of missing the 2018 World Cup winner, Varane has endured a difficult first season in England.
The 29-year-old will be hoping to prove his fitness and form under Erik ten Hag at Manchester United next season.
Sergio Ramos
The aggressive Spanish legend spent 16 years in the Spanish capital and won four Champions Leagues alongside Varane, but he also embarked on a new chapter by moving to Paris last summer.
The 36-year-old has been riddled with injuries and didn’t feature in this season’s Champions League. Like Varane, Ramos will be hoping for a better second season with his new club.
It was Ramos’ last-gasp header that sent the 2014 Champions League final to extra-time. In his prime, whenever Madrid needed a big goal, Ramos often delivered the goods.
Fabio Coentrao
Signed from Benfica in 2011, Coentrao had the tough task of battling for a spot with the attack-minded Marcelo, but it was the former Portuguese international who started the 2014 final.
Marcelo came off the bench to score Madrid’s third in the final and Coentrao retired last year following a spell with the club where it all began for him – Rio Ave.
Coentrao completed the defence in Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League winning side under Carlo Ancelotti.
Sami Khedira
The 2014 World Cup winner spent five years at Madrid after arriving at Stuttgart before moving to Juventus.
Following the arrivals of Toni Kroos and Casemiro, Khedira knew his time as a regular in the starting line-up had gone.
The box-to-box midfielder won five Serie A titles during his time in Turin before retiring last summer after a short spell with Hertha Berlin.
Angel di Maria
Man of the match in the 2014 final, the Argentine was then sold only a few months later by Florentino Perez to offset the arrival of James Rodriguez who lit up the 2014 World Cup.
After a difficult period at Manchester United, Di Maria enjoyed a trophy-filled seven years at Paris Saint Germain, but the 34-year-old will leave the Parisians as a free agent this summer.
Luka Modric
Still one of the best midfielders in Europe at the age of 36, Modric remains at the heart of Madrid’s side ahead of the 2022 final.
The Croatian has been a Los Blancos player for ten years following his arrival from Tottenham, and Klopp will be wary of the threat Modric poses to his Liverpool side.
Gareth Bale
It was the Welshman’s header who gave Madrid the lead in the 2014 final, but it would be a surprise to see the 32-year-old feature in the 2022 final.
Bale’s contract expires next month and while he’s won four Champions League with the Spanish giants, his relationship with the fans and Spanish media has been nothing short of fractious in recent years.
TBR have already had a look at five Premier League clubs that could sign Bale as a free agent this summer.
Karim Benzema
If you looked up fine wine in the dictionary, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the words ‘refer to Karim Benzema’, the Frenchman is in the form of his life.
Unlike back in 2014 when he was the support act to the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Bale, the 34-year-old is arguably the favourite for the Ballon d’Or and has 15 Champions League goals to his name this season.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The final member of Real Madrid’s 2014 Champions League winning side under Carlo Ancelotti is who else but ‘Mr Champions League’ himself.
It’ll seem strange seeing Madrid in a Champions League final without the likes of Ramos, Varane and Ronaldo spearheading Los Blancos’ pursuit of their 14th European Cup.
After slotting home a penalty that made it 4-1 in 2014, Ronaldo’s tally for the 2013-14 Champions League campaign was a record 17 goals, but Benzema could match his former teammates record come Saturday.