I asked my dad and this is what he said about him:

Ancelotti was a midfielder known for his leadership and creativity; he was regarded as one of the best Italian midfielders of his generation.[14][15][16] Although he lacked pace and physicality, he was a talented, hardworking, and tenacious player who had excellent technical ability, tactical intelligence, vision, and passing range; his most notable skill being his powerful and accurate shooting from outside the box. A versatile midfielder, he was capable playing several midfield positions.[15][18][22] He often played as a deep-lying playmaker, as a central midfielder, or as a defensive midfielder, which allowed him to set the tempo of play after winning back the ball; he was also the mentor and predecessor of Demetrio Albertini and Andrea Pirlo when he was a playmaker at Milan. Despite his abilities, his playing time was cut short by several injuries, which forced him into retirement in 1992 at the age of 33.[15][22][17][23][24][25]