Parma, 11 October 2023 - Carlo Ancelotti back in Parma, from now on he will be called Doctor. He received an honorary degree from the University of Parma, during the ceremony of awarding his Master’s Degree in Theory and Methods of Preventive and Adapted Physical Activities. A touching and emotional moment, which moved the Real Madrid coach to tears during the Lectio Doctoralis he gave in a packed and attentive lecture hall. 

A delegation from Parma Calcio was present, the team for whom Ancelotti both played and managed. To welcome him into the Paganini Auditorium was Managing Director of Sport Roel Vaeyens, coach Fabio Pecchia, coaching staff (Coppola, Ferrone, Troianiello, Visconti) and the Performance & Analytics department, with head Mathieu Lacome and staff (Mandorino, Salvo, Corradini, Morabito, Platone, Becagli, Conti). The famed coach had a chat with Vaeyens and Pecchia before the ceremony, sharing jokes, photos, hugs and handshakes. The Managing Director of Sport, Roel Vaeyens wanted to pay homage to the world’s most successful manager on behalf of the Club, presenting him with a Parma Calcio shirt personalised with the number 10, for how many years Carletto spent at the Club.  

The jersey he wore the most with Parma was the number 9 (46 times), he wore number 10 for 14, while on two occasions he wore number 7. But it was with the '10' that Ancelotti marked the end of the 1978-79 season, from May to June, culminating with the play-off for Serie B won in Vicenza against Triestina, in which he scored the goal for a final score of 3-1. A few weeks later, he moved to Roma.

Today he returned to Parma, 44 years later, to celebrate his Honorary Degree ceremony. In front of the Rector Paolo Andrei, the President of the Master's Degree Course in Theory and Methods of Preventive and Adapted Physical Activities Prisco Mirandola, the Rector's Delegate for Sport Marco Vitale and the journalist Luigi Garlando, Ancelotti recounted his life, his career and recounted the milestones of his life, as a professional and as a man. Before closing with a beautiful thought: 'I also have five grandchildren who remind me that I am a grandfather and that I am no longer that little boy who arrived at Parma in '75'.' Emotion and tears, today Parma and Parma Calcio celebrated the return of Dr. Carlo Ancelotti, in the city where his long 'journey' began 48 years ago.