Real Madrid boss Ancelotti reacts to Giannis’ “no failure” speech

It was a shocking upset when the No. 8 Miami Heat eliminated the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo did not view the loss as a failure, and in fact, what he said to the press after the loss resonated with people around the world - even Real Madrid’s soccer coach Carlo Ancelotti.

What Giannis Antetokounmpo said to the press after Bucks playoff elimination

Ancelotti’s praise for Giannis

Instead of viewing the loss as a failure, Antetokounmpo said that every loss is “steps to success”. He compared it to getting a promotion at a job - you don’t get one every year, but that doesn’t make every year a failure. He also pointed out that Michael Jordan won six championships, but that didn’t make the other nine years a failure either.

“There’s no failure in sports. Good days, bad days, some days you’re able to be successful, some days you’re not,” he said. “Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn. And that’s what sports are about. You don’t always win.”

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, who has won several championships of his own, called Antetokounmpo’s speech “spectacular”.

“Failure is when you don’t try to do something as well as you can,” said Ancelotti. “When you try your best, you have a clear conscience, and that’s never a failure, not just in sport but in life.”

Ancelotti is one of the most decorated managers in European soccer. He has won 20 trophies during his career and is one of just three to have won the European Cup or Champions League three times.

“In sport, you lose a lot more often than you win,” said Ancelotti. “I have a big cabinet with a lot of trophies, but if I had to include all the ones I’ve lost, it wouldn’t be a cabinet; it would be a house.”