Ancelotti on discipline: “If you want a coach with whip, sign different manager”

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has edged away from the idea that Los Blancos could have done with more of disciplinarian in charge, while also rejecting the idea that their attacking quartet of stars has been responsible for their lack of balance this season. Ancelotti did admit that they are yet to find the necessary balance this season.

The addition of Kylian Mbappe, combined with the loss of Toni Kroos, have certainly been cited as reasons for Real Madrid’s step back this season. Ancelotti has only in fits and bursts managed to find a well-rounded side this year. However rather than those two losses, he pointed to the cruciate ligament injuries to Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal as the decisive absences.

“This season’s problems are obvious: we lost two key players at the back, and they were hard to replace. We changed our game for players with different characteristics, and we struggled to find balance. Hopefully, we’ll find it now. If we don’t, we’ll struggle to win.”

The Italian manager was also under no illusions that any hopes of a La Liga and Copa del Rey double run through snapping a two-game losing streak to Barcelona.

“The two titles we have at stake, not counting the World Cup, depend on beating Barcelona. That’s the only doubt we don’t have right now. We’ll have to come out strong from the next game and focus on the Copa del Rey final. We’re confident we can do it, and we can achieve it. We need to change something here in this regard, and we’re going to change it.”

Ancelotti also wasn’t convinced by the idea that Los Blancos were underdogs for their upcoming tie with Barcelona.

“Not quite, but that’s how it is. They seem to be better than us at the moment, but a final is unpredictable. Casting Madrid as the victim in a final seems a bit exaggerated to me.”

One of Ancelotti’s main complaints this season has been the lack of ‘collective commitment’ from his attacking quartet though, and he was asked if he wished he had been harder on his players earlier in the season.

“In Italy, they say that whenever there’s a problem, they call it your left-hand. It happened in the first stage too. I try to manage my relationships with people based on who I am; in a relationship, you have to show what you’re really about. You think I’ve never been angry this season? I’ve been angry many times. My relationship is about having relationships with people on the same level, and for that, you have to have respect and be respected, and that’s happened, even in the difficult times. A footballer, before being a footballer, is a person.”

“I’m left-handed in life because no one has ever had a right-handed relationship with me: my father, coaches, teacher… I’m not capable of using the whip. Sign another coach. For me, that’s not the way.”

That inability to find the right balance has led to significant question marks over Ancelotti’s future, but the Italian remains intent on remaining at the club, at least according to his public discourse. At the same time, Brazil are once again pursuing his signature, with many believing his time will be up if he does not deliver the domestic double.