Real Madrid boss Ancelotti: My a*** is earthquake-proof

The Italian says that he does not feel the pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu, and also reveals his admiration for the "really professional" Cristiano Ronaldo

Carlo Ancelotti says that he is not in the least bit affected by the sense of expectation at Real Madrid, explaining that after just under two decades in the coaching game his "arse is earthquake-proof".

The Italian has won league titles in England, Italy and France, as well as two Champions Leagues with AC Milan.

Consequently, while he has been charged with the task of delivering a tenth European Cup to Madrid, he insists that he does feel the pressure.

“My arse is earthquake-proof because I have experience of this world" the 54-year-old trainer declared in an interview with the Financial Times.

"I’m not so depressed when the result is not good, I am not so happy when results are good. I don’t feel there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders because I love this job. The pressure on a manager is normal.”

Ancelotti also claimed that it is quite easy to manage global superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo - even though they are always in the news for what they do on and off the field.

“I don’t like to control the private life of the player, because I’m not the father, I’m not the brother," the Blancos boss explained.

“For me, it’s managing people. Managing Ronaldo is the same for me as managing [Dani] Carvajal or [Alvaro] Morata.

“Usually [the superstars] are more professional than the others. Ronaldo is really professional."

As for Gareth Bale, the game's most expensive player, Ancelotti does not believe that the Welshman will have any problems producing his very best form in Spain.

“Bale didn’t have a lot of problems [settling in], because he is a humble man, not very demanding," he said. "He doesn’t want too much.

“He is starting to speak [Spanish]. My job is to help him be comfortable on the pitch, comfortable with team-mates. We have a lot of players that speak English.”