Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti praises Giannis Antentekounmpo's take on failure: 'I think in 100% the same way'

The Italian said he'd have a house filled with the trophies he's lost

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has sided with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antentekounmpo following the former NBA champion and MVP's comments on failure in sports after his team was bounced in the Eastern Conference first round to the Miami Heat. The Bucks entered as the No. 1 seed in the east but were upset by the Jimmy Butler-led Heat in just five games with Miami winning the series 4-1.

The Greek superstar reacted to a reporter's question on if the early exit should be viewed as a failure, saying, "It's not a failure, it's a step to success.

"Michael Jordan played for 15 years and won six championships. Were the other nine years a failure? It's the wrong question. There's no failure in sports."

Ancelotti, who has his club in the Champions League semifinals, could be on the verge of winning a fifth Champions League crown this season, two with AC Milan and two with Real Madrid, including just last season. But if they don't win it, he won't consider it a failure. 

"What Antetokounmpo said was fantastic. I think in 100% the same way as him," Ancelotti said, per ESPN.

"In sport, you can't talk about failure, and in life, you can't talk about failure. Failure is when you don't try to do something as well as you can. When you try to do your best, you have a clear conscience, and that's never a failure, not just in sport but in life."

"In sport, you lose a lot more often than you win.

"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."

Only time will tell how successful of a season this is for Los Blancos. Likely out of the race in La Liga with Barcelona leading comfortably, Real are in the final of the Copa del Rey, where they'll face heavy underdog Osasuna on Saturday. Real's UCL semifinal ties with Manchester City will take place on May 9 and May 17, and you can see both of those games live on Paramount+.