- Ancelotti & Gattuso worked together at Milan
- Madrid boss revealed "personal problems"
- Gattuso labelled it a "work problem"
WHAT HAPPENED? Madrid will welcome Valencia to Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the semi-final on Wednesday, bringing together two managers who enjoyed a fruitful time together at AC Milan, winning two Champions League trophies and a Serie A title among a host of other honours. However, Ancelotti has admitted that he and Gattuso haven't always seen eye to eye ahead of the clash, with their paths also crossing during separate stints in charge of Napoli.
WHAT THEY SAID: "We had some very nice moments. We have had personal problems that I don't want to talk about," Ancelotti told reporters. "From the AC Milan team I coached there have been many coaches, each with his own style and knowledge. Gattuso, [Filippo] Inzaghi, [Alessandro] Nesta..."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Madrid face Valencia on the back of dropped points against Villarreal in the league after a 2-1 defeat on Saturday, which saw Los Blancos fall three points behind Barcelona after their 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid the following day. For his part, Gattuso has played down any hostilities with Ancelotti, highlighting instead the respect he has for his fellow countryman.
"When I went to coach Napoli at that time, the press and television talked about the team being good and there was a problem," the Valencia boss stated. "But he knows I respect him a lot. It was a work problem. We are talking about one of the best coaches in the world. For my part personally, humanly and footballistically, I have a lot of respect for him."
IN TWO PHOTOS:
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Both sides are in Copa del Rey action after their meeting in the Spanish Super Cup. Madrid travel to Villarreal in a repeat of last weekend's La Liga matchup, while Valencia go to second-tier Sporting de Gijon.