Carlo Ancelotti played down comparisons between himself and predecessor Jose Mourinho after being officially unveiled as Real Madrid's new coach Wednesday - and revealed he will be joined in the dugout by World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane.
Mourinho ended his three-year spell at Madrid in conflict with captain Iker Casillas and defender Pepe, and also criticized star forward Cristiano Ronaldo in one of his final interviews.
Ancelotti, when asked at his official presentation in the presidential box at the Bernabeu on Wednesday whether he saw himself as a peacemaker, replied: "I have never been called that.
"I'm a coach and so I want to have a good relationship with my players, but I don't think Madrid needs a peacemaker. I don't think it's right to make a comparison between Mourinho and myself.
"He did a certain job here; I will do my work here. He has certain characteristics; I have mine. But I have total respect for him.
"I don't know what went on here and nor will I try to find out. There is the start of a new era for me and the players. It's a new relationship and I think it will be a good one."
The former Juventus, AC Milan and Chelsea boss, whose appointment at Madrid was confirmed Tuesday following his departure from Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain, will sign a three-year contract on July 3.
Ancelotti announced former Madrid midfielder Zidane, who he coached while at Juve, will be his assistant, alongside Englishman Paul Clement, who he worked with at PSG.
"Zidane will be with me in the dugout. The only problem is that he can't play," he joked.
The Italian spoke a total of four languages in his first exchange with the press, and was asked how he would cope with the immense pressure at Real Madrid - particularly to deliver the club's 10th European Cup.
"Everyone knows how much this club wants to win the European Cup. It's the biggest objective for everyone involved with the club," he said.
"I have the ambition and the responsibility to win it. It's not a problem - it's a big motivation for me."
He added: "I don't think the pressure here is superior to at any other club.
"When you are a coach you will always have pressure and the challenge is how you deal with it. It's normal for me - I want to work with pressure."
He would not give any clues as to who the club would be looking at in the transfer window, but spoke about midfielder Isco, who Madrid are expected to sign from Malaga in the coming weeks.
Ancelotti did not confirm whether the switch would go through, but felt the Spain Under-21 international would be able to compete for a place in his side.
"From what I have seen of him, it's clear he has a lot of quality," the 54-year-old said. "Spain's Under-21 side has a lot of great players and he is one of the best.
"He could get into any team in the world, so he could also play for Madrid."
Last season Madrid finished 15 points behind arch rivals Barcelona, but Ancelotti was confident his team could catch Tito Vilanova's side next term.
"Barcelona have the most competitive team in Spain but we can compete against them very well and the matches between us will be fantastic," he said. "I have a lot of confidence that we will be better than them."
Ancelotti worked with Madrid midfielder Kaka at AC Milan - a period which saw the player won the 2007 Ballon d'Or. The Brazilian has failed to meet expectations since signing for Madrid in 2009, but Ancelotti promised to work with him and help him return to his best.
"I know him very well. I hope to see him train and then we'll decide what to do. Kaka is a Real Madrid player. We're going to work with him and do everything to make him a better player."
He also praised Casillas, who has not played for the club since January, but was adamant he would not show any favouritism towards the 32-year-old.
"He is going to play some games," he added. "I know him very well. He is a fantastic goalkeeper and he has won everything.
"He is the captain but there is a rule in football that you only play if you deserve to play. It's the same for every player at every team."
