Carlo Ancelotti expressed his delight at joining “one of the best clubs in the world” as he laid out his plan for continued success with Bayern Munich in the years to come.
The Italian steps into the large boots left by Pep Guardiola, who won three straight Bundesliga titles during his time in charge, but he is confident of being able to continue the record German champions’ recent success story while adding more trophies to his own roll of honour.
“I’m very happy and proud to be here and I want to thank Bayern for this,” Ancelotti said at a press conference at the Allianz Arena, addressing the media in German.
“I feel very good because I’m at one of the best clubs in the world, but I am looking forward to the start of a new season.
“I think my friend Guardiola did excellent work in recent years.
“We have a fantastic team and I’m delighted, and we will try to be strong in all competitions and to win.
“A new season starts today and I hope for this club and for all Bayern fans that this will be a great season.”
Ancelotti then switched into a mix of Italian and English to answer the reporters’ questions, starting with how he expects to cope with the pressure.
Bayern have won a league record four Bundesliga titles in a row, but Guardiola may ultimately be remembered for failing to deliver the Champions League crown.
Ancelotti has won that trophy three times as a manager and becoming the first coach ever to lift Europe’s elite club competition with three different clubs is what many consider as his task.
“A lot of people ask about the pressure – I am used to it,” said the 57-year-old.
“I had the luck in my career of coaching top teams – Milan, Paris St Germain, Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid – all top teams who want to win, but honestly I don’t feel the pressure because I’m used to it and I really love my job.
“We try to do our best. I know that Bayern have a fantastic history in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League. We try to do our best. We want to be competitive in all competitions.
“The only thing that we cannot control is the result – if I could control that too I would be a magician, but I’m only a manager.”
Ancelotti repeatedly paid tribute to Guardiola for leaving such a legacy for him to latch onto while admitting he does not plan on overhauling the club’s style of play.
“I know very well that the style of Bayern Munich is to play attacking football and we want to play attacking football,” he said.
If that system delivers the expected results, Ancelotti admitted he could be in Munich for the long haul.
“I don’t know if this is my last job – it depends how long I am here in Munich,” he said.
“If I last as long as Sir Alex Ferguson did at Manchester United, then this could be my last job.
“Of course everybody wants to win the Champions League, but only one team wins it.”
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, meanwhile, admits he was forced to move quickly to secure Ancelotti’s services once Guardiola revealed he would be leaving, saying “a lot” of English clubs were showing an interest in the Italian at the same time.