Why Carlo cannot wait for Anfield...
He arrives at Anfield with a bittersweet past against his opponents on Wednesday evening, but that will all be temporarily forgotten about by Carlo Ancelotti when he has the opportunity to experience an atmosphere that he will always remember.
When the story of May 25, 2005 and arguably the most dramatic European Cup final of all time is retold, the focus is naturally centred on how Rafael Benitez's Reds fought back from three goals down to scoop the trophy after a penalty shootout.
Watching from the sidelines as things crumbled for AC Milan, though, was Ancelotti, their manager. From the supremacy of their half-time advantage, Istanbul had become a well of disappointment for the Italian and his crestfallen players.
He and they would exact revenge two years on, securing a 2-1 result in Athens to get their hands back on that huge silver prize, providing a sense of closure to the drama that had unfolded almost a decade ago.
"That's football," the man who now holds the reins at Real Madrid reflected candidly as he prepares to tackle Liverpool once more - this time with the Spanish giants and on this occasion against Brendan Rodgers.
The two sides meet in their third outing of Champions League Group B tomorrow, the first leg of a much-anticipated double-header that also sends the Reds to the Santiago Bernabeu in a fortnight's time.
Having witnessed the unique noise and feeling generated by a capacity Anfield crowd during his period at the helm of Barclays Premier League rivals Chelsea, Ancelotti is thrilled by a chance to return.
"I can't forget the atmosphere at Anfield - it is fantastic. I'm really excited. Of course, we'll try to win," he commented, before explaining why the tie should delight partisan and neutral observers alike.
"We're really excited to play against Liverpool at Anfield with the fantastic atmosphere. It will be really exciting to watch this game because both teams like to play and attack, so it will be a really exciting game."