Lahm eyes Champions League glory with Ancelotti

Philipp Lahm has set his sights on crowning his career with a second Champions League title, and hopes new Bayern Munich head coach Carlo Ancelotti is the man to deliver it.

Lahm captained Bayern to European glory in 2013, but the Bavarian giants fell short in three consecutive semi-finals under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, who is joining Manchester City from next season.

Ancelotti - a three-time winner of the Champions League as a coach - steps into Guardiola’s shoes at the Allianz Arena, and Lahm has high hopes for his tenure.

“I would like to win the Champions League again,” Lahm told the club’s official website. “But if it does not happen, I cannot change it - I will always look back on a career that has just been fun.

“I really had a good time, but I still have a little bit left!  Ancelotti is an experienced coach, a top international coach, who has won the Champions League on a number of occasions.

“I’ve already had many top international coaches, and now I’ve got another one. This is a beautiful thing.

“For me, towards the end of my career, this is an absolute highlight.”

Despite Guardiola’s shortcomings in the Champions League, Lahm insisted the Spaniard had taken Bayern to new heights.

Lahm continued: “He’s taken us to another level in terms of tactics. We’ve lined up with a back three, a back four, a back five and did so well against Juventus in the Champions League last 16 without any recognised centre-backs.

“He has won three German championship titles in a row. That’s not to be taken for granted either.”