Spain coach Carlo Ancelotti sees the series of injuries at Real as an opportunity for the remaining players or talents from the youth team to show off and seize the opportunity.
Real Madrid will be without key players such as Eduardo Camavinga, Vinicius Junior, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois and Arda Guler, all due to injury, when they host Napoli in the fifth round of Group C of the Champions League. However, thanks to being leading with 12 points, five points more than Napoli, Ancelotti's team only need a draw today to be sure of advancing as the top team.
In the pre-match press conference, Ancelotti said that talking too much about injuries is disrespectful to the rest and they are playing. The Italian coach emphasized that players promoted from the youth team also performed well, such as Nico Paz, Gonzalo Garcia, Mario Martin and Theo Zidane. In particular, Nico Paz and Gonzalo Garcia were both given the opportunity to play in the last few minutes of the 3-0 win at Cadiz in round 14 of La Liga last weekend.
Gonzalo Garcia was brought in to replace Bellingham at the end of Real's 3-0 win at Cadiz in round 14 of La Liga on November 26. Photo: AS
"The youth coach Raul is doing well and these players are ready. I have a lot of faith in them," Ancelotti added. "I have to prioritize players like Brahim Diaz, Lucas Vazquez or Fran Garcia, but the ones from the academy are ready."
Napoli made a big change before the match against Real when they fired Rudi Garcia and appointed Walter Mazzarri - an Italian coach who led Inter Milan, Watford, Torino and Napoli themselves from 2009 to 2013. He had a successful debut when Napoli won 2-1 at Atalanta in round 13 of Serie A last weekend.
Ancelotti praised Mazzarri as an experienced coach and was not surprised when he was chosen by the Napoli board. Ancelotti assessed that his compatriot coach would help Napoli gain more motivation, experience and understanding of the game.
Jude Bellingham is currently Real's brightest star, scoring 14 goals in 15 games since the beginning of the season, including 11 goals in La Liga and three goals in the Champions League. The English midfielder also made history as the player who scored the most goals in the first 15 games for Real, surpassing the record of 13 goals held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano and Pruden Sanchez.
When asked about Bellingham's ability to adapt quickly, Ancelotti replied: "Bellingham is smart, professional, serious and mature. Above all, he is a great player. Bellingham can adapt to any league in the world."
Ancelotti has led Real Madrid for two spells, from 2013 to 2015 and from 2021 to present. The 64-year-old coach has helped the royal team win one La Liga, two King's Cups, two Champions Leagues, two European Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups. However, his future at the Bernabeu is currently uncertain. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CFB) has repeatedly hinted that Ancelotti will sign a contract with them in the summer of 2024. The current leader of Brazil, Fernando Diniz, is still in charge on an interim basis.
Coach Ancelotti directs Real Madrid players' training session on November 28. Photo: realmadrid.com
Ancelotti refused to talk about his future, while Dani Carvajal - who was also present at yesterday's press conference - urged Real's board to extend the Italian's contract. "Ancelotti is one of the coaches who has surprised me the most in my career. He never stops developing," the Spanish defender said. "For me, he can lead Real as long as he wants. Not many coaches can give what he has given to Real. The results will decide the fate of the coach, but I would extend Ancelotti's contract tomorrow if I could."
Hong Duy
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