Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has on Wednesday night tipped a leading member of his squad to lift the next Ballon d’Or. The player in question? Vinícius Jr. Wide-man for his part, is of course fresh off another scintillating display on the grandest stage......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
With his side looking altogether bereft of ideas in the attacking third in their Champions League semi-final 2nd-leg showdown with Bayern Munich, the Brazilian took the game by the scruff of the neck, to carve out chance after chance from his berth on the left flank.
Though he did not manage to get himself on the scoresheet on the night, Vinícius was the driving force behind everything which his side did, on their way to booking a place in yet another European finale.
And one individual for whom as much certainly did not go unappreciated comes in the form of the aforementioned Carlo Ancelotti.
Speaking to the media on the back of the full-time whistle at the Santiago Bernabéu, Ancelotti was drawn on the latest performance put forth by his attacking talisman.
And Real Madrid’s headmaster made use of the opportunity to push Vinícius’ name to the very forefront of the conversation to be crowned world football’s best player:
“I think Vinícius is close to winning the Ballon d’Or.”
Ancelotti praised Madrid president Florentino Pérez “There is a captain here and his name is Florentino Pérez. The rest of us are sailors. He has been able to create this great generation of footballers and hopefully, we can achieve another Champions League”.
Ancelotti on what just happened, “It happened again. A fantastic stadium, with players that you can’t stop believing in. It’s something magical. We played well. It was complicated. We had good control of the match and then we had the strength not to lose our heads. We have to thank the fans and the club. And to the players, because they have had a season that nobody expected. I didn’t either. Reaching the final is a success and after that, whatever happens. If I think about the days to get to the final, we’ll have a great time. We will celebrate the league. I ask you to celebrate by going to Cibeles. Happiness infects the atmosphere and the players.”
Ancelotti on Joselu, “Yes, he is a perfect reflection of what this squad is. Of players who have contributed a lot.”
Ancelotti on why he was surprised, “Because we have had a lot of injuries. Everyone talks about Courtois and Militão, and we have never complained. The team has used these problems to show the value, the character, of this squad.”
Ancelotti on the controversial late goal for Bayern being disallowed“The last play is quite clear. It might be offside. And we stopped. It’s a high-level referee. They complain and we complain about the goal to Nacho. Kimmich dives.”
Ancelotti on the VAR check on Joselu’s second goal, “I said from the bench that it was a legal goal. What I was thinking was to try to hold on to the advantage, because it was clear to me that it was a legal goal.”
Ancelotti on the atmosphere“The fans made the difference as always. It seems customary in this magnificent stadium, we are delighted.”
Ancelotti on defining Real Madrid, “It is a family. Managed very well by the president. It is a football club with a history and tradition that weighs heavily. Those who work here are lucky to wear this shirt.”
