Real Madrid News
Barcelona superstar praises Ancelotti ahead of Real Madrid clash: “He’s a man to learn from”
Robert Lewandowski has been quite a success for Barcelona since joining the club last summer. In just 32 competitive matches, the forward has racked up 25 goals this season and is currently the top-scorer in La Liga.
In a recent interaction with ESPN, Lewandowski offered his thoughts on various topics. But most notably, the forward has heaped praise on his former manager Carlo Ancelotti as Barcelona get set to take on Real Madrid in a league El Clasico on Sunday.
Lewandowski praised the Italian manager for his humility while suggesting that the coach had played a key role in giving him added confidence.
“Ancelotti gave me incredible self-confidence. He gave me something that I didn’t have before. He’s an amazing human being, a man who takes care of you. For him, the most important thing is to be a good guy, not to talk about tactics. He’s a man to learn from,” he said.
Lewandowski and Ancelotti worked together during their time at Bayern Munich. In 57 matches under the leadership of the Italian tactician, the Pole scored 54 goals in all competitions.
Ancelotti, though, managed Bayern for only one complete season before being ousted in the early parts of the 2017/18 campaign. He eventually joined Real Madrid in 2021 and has since managed 98 matches during his second spell at Santiago Bernabeu.
Ancelotti’s position, though, has come under doubt in recent months following Real Madrid’s poor performances in domestic competitions.
As things stand, Real Madrid are nine points shy of Barcelona in the La Liga standings. A defeat on Sunday could widen that gap to 12 and all but end Los Blancos’ title defence.
As a result, the Italian could be sacked come the end of the season if he fails to deliver any major trophies, with the club viewing Raul as a potential replacement.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool monitoring 19-year-old Bundesliga wonderkid – Romano
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all monitoring Bayer Leverkusen and Germany wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
After recovering from his ACL injury, the teenage sensation has been slowly working his way back to his best form. So far this term, Wirtz has managed to rack up a tally of two goals and six assists from 13 matches in all competitions.
The 19-year-old’s talent and potential have never been in question and hence it does not come as a surprise that elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all keeping tabs on the German international.
A versatile attacking midfielder, Wirtz is capable of playing anywhere in the final third of the pitch and backs up with top-notch end product. Be it as a false-nine or in a more withdrawn role, the youngster has excelled for Bayer Leverkusen, catching the attention of top teams.
Real Madrid, for their part, are also understood to be among Wirtz’s admirers. Given the situation surrounding Karim Benzema’s fitness and the lack of backup at the top, the youngster could be an option, as he has shown potential while operating through the middle.
But Barcelona also have a strong interest in the teenager with reports even suggesting that they have already made contact with his father to enquire about his situation.
At the same time, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a huge admirer of his fellow German and with Roberto Firmino on his way out, Wirtz could be lined up as a possible replacement.
However, Romano adds that the expectation is that Wirtz could stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year and depart Germany once the UEFA Euro 2024 is out of the way.
For now, there have been talks or negotiations with any clubs, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are all tracking Wirtz and his progress in Germany.
