Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Asensio, Modric, Benzema, Vinicius, Rodrygo ahead of RB Leipzig vs Real Madrid
Coming off a strong display against Sevilla, Real Madrid will take on RB Leipzig in the penultimate round of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Los Blancos have already secured qualification to the knockouts and only require one point on Tuesday to guarantee themselves a first place in the standings.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti will be without several key players on the night including the likes of Karim Benzema and Luka Modric. Nevertheless, not a lot rides on the result and the Italian can afford to rotate his squad and prioritise the league given their comfortable position.
Here are the key points from his press conference ahead of the UCL clash.
On wanting to seal the top spot in Group F: “Yes, that is the goal, we want to leave everything closed.”
On the impending FIFA World Cup: “It’s a very intense period of the season, with too many games, in my opinion. We’re holding up well, although we have some casualties. The World Cup comes at the right time.”
On not risking players ahead of the World Cup: “I don’t think the players think about the World Cup, although they want to get to the tournament in good shape.
“You get to the World Cup well if you have continuity. There are small inconveniences and we don’t want to risk. I prefer to lose Modric or Benzema for a match and not for a month. he four, also Ceballos, will return on Sunday.”
On Marco Asensio’s contract renewal: “Asensio and the club know what I think. Many players are ending their contracts and in this break, we can talk about it. Now it makes no sense to talk about this issue.”
On what he demands of Asensio: “I ask him to be professional, serious and endure the difficult moments. This is what Asensio and all those who play less are doing. Some of those who play less are going to play tomorrow and give their contribution to the team.”
On whether players fear getting injured ahead of World Cup: “Injuries exist in the world of football. If you don’t want to get injured, stay on the couch. You can get injured in training, in contact with a teammate…
“For now, everyone wants to train. If someone tells me that he is afraid, then he can stay at home on the sofa, watching a series or a movie.”
On Rodrygo’s versatility and movement: “We don’t want a static striker, we want a mobile one, Karim is the master and Rodrygo is learning from the best. If you want to lead the attacking line of Madrid, that’s how you play.”
On whether he will rest Vinicius Jr: ” “No, Vini is going to play. He is not tired.”
On whether the league games are more important at this point: “At this club, all games are important. There is little time left for the World Cup and we have to try to win to be first in the Champions League and be in a good position in La Liga.”
On if he has bets with other players like with Federico Valverde: “The bet with Federico was a joke that I wanted to have with him. The bet I have is collective and is to be protagonists this year.”
On winning at RB Leipzig while in charge of Bayern Munich: “I remember well, it was the last game of the season. Alaba scored a great goal and we talked about this game. Leipzig are very confident now, they are well organized and I think it will be a very good game.”
Real Madrid and Inter Milan are two clubs where history carries an unusual amount of weight.
The white shirt of Real Madrid and the famous black-and-blue stripes of Inter have been worn by some of football’s greatest players, with both clubs demanding not only talent but the ability to handle enormous expectations.
Moving between the two is therefore no ordinary career decision.
The clubs operate in different football cultures, compete in different domestic environments and have their own tactical traditions, but the pressure attached to representing either institution is remarkably similar.
Despite that, a select group of players have experienced both worlds.
Some arrived at Real Madrid after making their name in Italy, while another made his reputation in Madrid before becoming a key figure in one of Inter’s greatest teams.
On that note, here are three footballers you might have forgotten who represented both Real Madrid and Inter Milan during their careers.
Roberto Carlos: From Inter disappointment to Real Madrid legend
Few players are as synonymous with Real Madrid as Roberto Carlos.
The Brazilian left-back became a cult hero at the Santiago Bernabeu, but his European journey took him to Italy before Madrid. In 1995, he joined Inter Milan and spent one season with the Nerazzurri.
It was a productive campaign on an individual level. Roberto Carlos made 34 appearances and scored seven goals, which is an extraordinary return for a defender and an early indication of the attacking qualities that would eventually make him one of the most recognisable full-backs in football.
His time in Milan, though, lasted only a season.
Real Madrid moved to sign him, and the transfer proved to be one of the most important pieces of business in the club’s modern history.
Roberto Carlos would spend 11 seasons in the Spanish capital and establish himself as one of the defining players of his generation.
Across his Madrid career, he made 584 appearances in all competitions and scored 71 goals.
During his time, the Brazilian won four La Liga titles and was part of the team that reached three Champions League finals in 1998, 2000 and 2002. Madrid won all three.
The 2002 final against Bayer Leverkusen produced one of the defining moments of that era.
Roberto Carlos delivered the cross that Zinedine Zidane spectacularly converted for the winning goal, securing another European crown for Madrid.
Fabio Cannavaro: A Ballon d’Or winner in Madrid
Fabio Cannavaro’s connection with both clubs is perhaps less widely remembered, particularly because the Italian defender’s reputation is strongly associated with his homeland and Real Madrid.
Cannavaro developed through Napoli and Parma before earning a move to Inter Milan in 2002.
The Nerazzurri reportedly paid around €23 million for the centre-back, handing him a four-year contract.
His start at Inter was encouraging, but the relationship eventually became complicated.
Cannavaro left the club in 2004 and joined Juventus, where he spent two seasons before another major move changed the course of his career.
In 2006, Real Madrid signed him from Juventus for a reported €7 million.
That same year, he captained Italy to World Cup glory and produced a series of outstanding performances during the tournament.
His achievements were recognised on an individual level too, as he won the 2006 Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year award.
Cannavaro spent three seasons at Real Madrid and added domestic success to his already extraordinary year.
He won La Liga in both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, becoming an important defensive figure during Madrid’s successful campaigns.
His Inter career never reached the same heights, and Cannavaro himself has spoken critically about aspects of his experience there.
But his journey from Inter to Juventus and eventually Real Madrid produced one of the most decorated defensive careers of his generation.
Esteban Cambiasso: Madrid academy product turned Inter great
Esteban Cambiasso’s story is arguably the most interesting of the three because, unlike Roberto Carlos and Cannavaro, he began his connection with Real Madrid at youth level.
The Argentine midfielder joined Madrid’s academy at a young age alongside his brother Nicolas.
After returning to Argentina to gain regular first-team football with Independiente and River Plate, Cambiasso eventually returned to Madrid.
He became part of the first-team setup in 2002 and enjoyed a trophy-winning spell with the club.
Cambiasso won La Liga, the Intercontinental Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Spanish Super Cup during his time in Madrid.
Yet his stay in the Spanish capital ultimately came to an end when his contract expired in 2004 and the club decided against renewing it.
That decision opened the door to Inter, where he truly established himself as one of the finest midfielders of his generation.
He spent a decade with the Nerazzurri, becoming an important figure in one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
Cambiasso won five league titles during his time at Inter and became particularly important in Jose Mourinho’s side.
In the 2009-10 season, Cambiaso’s Inter won the Champions League by defeating Bayern Munich in the final, completing a historic treble.
