Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti faced a lot of criticism this season for a variety of reasons, and many of them were justified. The displeasure with Carletto’s performances reached a crescendo after a woeful first leg in the Champions League against PSG, and they were not helped by a 4-0 loss to Barcelona in El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Carletto saw the error of his ways and changed the course of the ship, earning plaudits for getting the big decisions right. He has now guided Real Madrid to the LaLiga title, which they won in April, and he has brought Real one game away from winning the Champions League.
In a press conference before Sunday’s LaLiga match against Cadiz, Carlo Ancelotti got honest again. He named the three players who surprised him the most in the 2021/22 season, and all three of them are young players who have been crucial to the Merengues’ success, particularly in the Champions League.
Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga, and Rodrygo Goes.
Real Madrid fans had been asking Carlo Ancelotti to play this trio more often
Madridistas will not be surprised to hear Carletto name these three particular players as the ones who surprised him the most. Because really, the fans were surprised Carlo did not play these young men more often. They had been clamoring for more minutes, especially for the midfielders, who have been masterful in the Champions League.
Rodrygo was always rated highly, but even Madridistas have been pleasantly surprised with how the matchwinner against Manchester City has broken out over the past month. The Brazilian has been on fire, showing the consistency that eluded him in the previous months and seasons at Real Madrid.
Fede is now an untouchable player for Carlo Ancelotti, and Rodrygo is now also getting a lot more starts. Camavinga’s path to playing time is more difficult due to “KCM” and his lack of versatility on the right wing (as with Fede), but he has become trusted by Carlo.
Want your voice heard? Join the The Real Champs team!
Without these three young players, Real Madrid would not be in the Champions League Final. And it is scary to think how good they will become over the next few years. Already, these three are on the cusp of being considered world-class, if not already.