Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid, openly expressed his hope that Manchester City fail to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League this season.
Speaking to the media after his team’s dominant 5-1 victory over Salzburg at the Santiago Bernabeu, Ancelotti shared his thoughts on City‘s tough situation in the competition. Following their 4-2 loss to Paris Saint-Germain, City dropped to 25th place in the standings, putting them outside the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16 and even the play-off places.
Why did Carlo Ancelotti appear angry despite Real Madrid’s win?
Ancelotti, in comments reported by the Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, stated: “It would be good for Manchester City to be out now because, for me, they are one of the favourites to win the Champions League again.”
However, the Italian coach expressed frustration, saying: “Despite this good news, I cannot overlook the disrespect shown by delaying the press conference for a full hour. This is not respectful to me or to you.”
When asked about the possibility of facing a strong opponent in the next round, Ancelotti said confidently: “No one knows. The only thing certain is that we must win our last match. That’s nothing new for this club.”
Regarding Real Madrid‘s qualification chances, Ancelotti added: “We just need to win the final match. It’s always hard to be among the top eight, but we will do what we need to do.”
Ancelotti on Bellingham, Mbappe, and upcoming matches
When discussing Jude Bellingham, who was substituted during the match, Ancelotti explained: “Jude has some back pain, but it’s nothing serious. I had to rest one of the players, so I chose to rest him and Mbappe to keep them fresh for Saturday’s match against Valladolid.”
He also commented on Kylian Mbappe’s leadership, saying: “He is leading the team by building connections with his teammates. Scoring goals isn’t a problem with players of this quality. It was an excellent performance overall.”
Real Madrid’s upcoming fixtures
Real Madrid are gearing up for two important matches in the coming days. In La Liga, they travel to face Valladolid on Saturday, 25 January 2025, at 11:00 PM Mecca time. Later, they will host French side Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday, 29 January.
