Carlo Ancelotti explains how Real Madrid veterans welcomed youngsters in 2021: ‘They saw them as an opportunity to win again’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid’s season has not been a complete disaster this campaign, but it is clear that a lot is going wrong on the field for the Merengues.

Kylian Mbappe’s numbers and heroics have saved the club from serious blushes multiple times this season, but there is a growing sense of dissatisfaction around their performances, inconsistencies, and lack of cohesion on the field.

Xabi Alonso attempted to bring order to the chaos at the club but was shown the exit door before he could hit the six-month mark. Alvaro Arbeloa, meanwhile, has seen a calmer tenure on the sidelines but is clearly restricted in terms of the freedom given to him.

Ancelotti reveals the greatness of the 2021 team

Speaking to Movistar Plus+ Deportes in a recent interaction, the now Brazil national team manager spoke about the state of the dressing room when he returned to the club in 2021.

Four club legends in one frame. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Explaining how even the well-seasoned and established veterans had no sense of ego and extended a warm welcome to all arriving youngsters, the manager said,

“When I returned in 2021, there were veterans like Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Benzema, or Marcelo, and youngsters like Vinícius, Rodrygo, Valverde, or Camavinga.”

“The key was that veterans had no ego. They saw youngsters as an opportunity to win again.”

While Ancelotti’s revelation speaks volumes about the greatness of the likes of Modric, Kroos, Casemiro, and others, it also goes on to show and explain why that Real Madrid team was so successful.

As long as the likes of Modric and Kroos were in the side, even until a year ago, there seemed to be a sense of humility around the players with a feeling of fraternity in the dressing room.

Their departure, however, has not seen the dressing room aggracefully, and multiple reports in recent months have confirmed the sad state of affairs behind the scenes. There is a set hierarchy, and even managers are seemingly not allowed to alter that balance.