No rain in Spain suits Ancelotti

The rain put a dampener on Carlo Ancelotti’s stints in England and France with the Real Madrid coach hailing Spain as a good fit for him.

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says Spain has felt most like home of his three stints coaching outside Italy after being inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.

Ancelotti was honoured at a ceremony in Florence on Monday as he was named coach of the year, while Diego Maradona and Fabio Cannavaro both joined him in being added to the Hall of Fame list.

The 55-year-old Italian coach, who has won the UEFA Champions League three times as a manager, has led clubs in Italy, England, France and Spain.

Asked about where he has enjoyed working the most, Ancelotti tried to be diplomatic but seemed to lean towards his current home.

“I loved London. I settled down very well and the English people are extremely respectful,” Ancelotti said about his time in charge of Chelsea.

“From this point of view, life is very easy in England. In France, well, these countries have some problems with the weather. In France it rains every day, just like in England. This affects our lives a bit.

“Madrid is very close to Italian culture. The Spanish type, character-wise, is very similar to the Italian one.

“So I get on very well with Madrid, but I couldn’t say any different since here the room is full of Spanish journalists, but it’s the truth.”

Ancelotti guided Real to the Champions League title last season – the club’s 10th crown – while he also led the Spanish outfit to their maiden Club World Cup success in December.