Real Madrid News
Ancelotti’s message to Real Madrid superstar after FIFA FIFPro World XI snub – report
The FIFA Best Awards on Monday brought with it an array of storylines, especially for those in Real Madrid colours. The Merengues were harshly done at the awards, with their UEFA Champions League exploits grossly overlooked and stars left unrecognised.
While the World Cup was certainly the biggest event of the year, many feel that at least one of Thibaut Courtois, Karim Benzema, and Carlo Ancelotti should have been honoured with the title of ‘The Best.’
However, the most shocking part of the ceremony, undeniably, was when Vinicius Jr was not named a part of the FIFPro World’s Best XI on the night. The youngster had recorded the most complete season of his career in 2021-22, and his exclusion was inexcusable.
According to reports from ABC (h/t Madrid Xtra), Carlo Ancelotti has sent a special message to the Brazilian winger after his shocking treatment and encouraged him to keep pushing on and shutting his haters.
“You deserved to be there. We all know it. Now it’s time for you to show it once again, starting with Barcelona.”
Fresh from the wounds of the ceremony in Paris, Vinicius will return to action on Thursday night in a special Clasico at home. Needless to say, the youngster will be fired up and hungry to prove his worth.
While the youngster was not present in Paris from the event, his name did come up during the proceedings when former teammate Casemiro opted to speak up for the Brazilian in front of the world.
The Brazilian midfielder brought up the topic of anti-racism and reignited unity against the atrocity, saying (h/t Madrid Zone): “We have to stop with this now (the insults & racism against Vinícius) La Liga has to do something, because this is very serious.”
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
