Football
ESPN staff 8y

Pep Guardiola did fantastic, but I'm not in his shadow - Carlo Ancelotti

Bayern Munich's new coach Carlo Ancelotti is refusing to entertain thoughts that he is "working in Pep Guardiola's shadow" after replacing the Spaniard.

Guardiola sealed his name in Bayern's trophy-laden history by winning three consecutive Bundesliga titles, before leaving the German giants for Premier League side Manchester City.

Bayern went with Ancelotti as his successor and while preseason has gone fairly well for the German side -- their latest International Champions Cup game saw them draw 3-3 with AC Milan in normal time, only to lose 5-3 on penalties -- the Italian tactician will need to prove his worth after Guardiola's successful stint.

"Guardiola was a fantastic part of this club," Ancelotti told Kicker. "But I do not feel like I am working in his shadow.

"I just hope that the next Bayern coach will be asked about me as often as I get asked about Pep..."

Another point of contention since he took the hot seat was the style of play that Bayern will adopt during his reign, and the Ancelotti has vowed to play a brand of attacking football to suit the qualities of the players he has at his disposal.

"The characteristics of our players make it possible to play attacking football," he added.

"We have a lot of quality in attack and we can play some very intense football with all the fast players we have."

Next up for Ancelotti's team will be against Serie A giants Inter Milan at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., U.S. on July. 30.

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