Hernán Crespo Reflects on Ancelotti During São Paulo Presentation
In his return to São Paulo, Hernán Crespo recalls the lessons learned from Carlo Ancelotti and promises to lead with his own identity as he takes on new challenges in Brazilian football.
“Carlo taught me—without needing to say it—that at the end of the day, you’re dealing with people, not just players,” said Crespo. “He helped me realize that you can have a great relationship and still know who’s in charge.”
He added that while Ancelotti had a big influence on him, he intends to follow his own path with São Paulo. “I won’t be Carlo, or Marcelo Bielsa. I’m Crespo,” he affirmed.
New challenges in familiar territory
This marks Crespo’s second stint with the Brazilian side, and he faces tough challenges ahead. São Paulo currently sits in 14th place in the Brasileirão, and they have a crucial Copa Libertadores match coming up in August against Atlético Nacional from Colombia.
Still, the 49-year-old coach expressed optimism, claiming he returns “better than four years ago” and “with more tools.” His recent coaching journey took him to the Middle East, where he led Al Ain to an AFC Champions League title before being knocked out of the Club World Cup.
Before that, he coached Al-Duhail in Qatar, where he lifted both the Qatar Stars League and Qatar Cup trophies.
