Carlo Ancelotti: I don’t speak to agents, they’re not part of my profession

Quite simply, Ancelotti does not talk with agents and expects his players to come to him directly whenever they have an issue, rather than make contact via their representatives.

The Italian famously took umbrage with Gareth Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, speaking directly with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez while he was still in charge at the club, requesting that his client be deployed as a striker rather than a winger.

He is clear that he expects players to come to him first and insists that he does not wish to deal with agents at all in his role as a club's head coach.

"I talk to the players directly. And I hope the players also approach me when there are problems rather than send their agent,” Ancelotti told German newspaper Die Welt.

"But fans come to the stadium to watch the players," he continued.

"The players are the most important figures in football, not agents or coaches."

The 57-year-old understandably has little time for agents given the fact that he has spent much of his career – both as a player and then a coach – not having to rely on their services at all for his relationships with colleagues and players.

Many fans will wholeheartedly agree with his view that agents hold too much power in football, and there are countless examples of clubs who have given their players’ representatives a staggering amount of control.

Ancelotti is a very popular coach, both with players and fans, and his refreshingly open and relaxed approach is a big part of the reason why. A three-time Champions League winner, he has every right to speak his mind about the extent to which agents are now running the game he loves.