Ancelotti: "Unfortunately for Vinícius, we already have a Ballon d'Or winner this year"

MADRID, 13 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, has assured that the Brazilian Vinícius had an "impressive" last season, but that "unfortunately" for him the Ballon d'Or already has an owner, in reference to the Frenchman Karim Benzema, and considers, before make his debut this Sunday against Almería, who will have to "rotate a little more" this course due to the celebration of the World Cup in Qatar in the middle of the campaign.

"Vinicius is very happy with what he has done, he has scored the goal of the 14th and I don't think he cares about the position - ninth in the ranking of the best UEFA player 2021-22 -. The important thing is the winner, and unfortunately for Vinícius we already have it this year", he declared at a press conference. "We hope that he continues with the continuity of last year, he had an impressive season, being decisive," he added.

The Italian coach also stated that they have "all the hope in the world" to face the defense of the league title and that "all the matches will be very complicated from tomorrow", when they start LaLiga at the Juegos Mediterráneos Stadium, all in a season marked by Qatar 2022.

"Until the World Cup, we are not going to have many problems. The players want to go to the World Cup in good condition and they are going to prepare well. The big question is after the World Cup, how the players will return; they will come to enter the important moment of the season , and it is necessary to evaluate his physique, if to give them rest... To day of today, we have doubts", expressed.

For this reason, he believes that this course will move the bench much more. "The rotations will happen because there is a World Cup, we have to rest... We need a long squad and in good condition, so the idea is to rotate a little more", he pointed out.

In this regard, he considers that this will benefit players like the Belgian Eden Hazard. "I don't know how much he is going to play, but more than last year. He can play in several positions, we are testing him as a false '9'", he revealed, before talking about the situation with Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio. "They are here, working well. Each one can have an opinion about their future with the club. If something changes, we adapt to it", he pointed out.

He was also very happy about the candidacy of Belgian Thibaut Courtois for the Ballon d'Or, although he did not want to say if he considers him the best goalkeeper he has trained. "I have had a spectacular category of goalkeepers. He is one of the best. Now I enjoy having the best in the world, which is no small thing," he said, and was surprised by the absence of German Toni Kroos among the nominees. "It surprises me a bit, because Kroos has had a fantastic season. Nominating all the Real Madrid players could be a problem. It's a bit strange," he stressed.

On the other hand, the Madrid coach considers that Aurélien Tchouaméni and Casemiro "are compatible" on the pitch. "Although they are both pivots, they have different characteristics; Tchouaméni has more arrival and Casemiro is more positional. They can play together", he analyzed.

Regarding the Uruguayan Fede Valverde, he acknowledged his contribution last season. "If he is a starter I can't say, but he has progressed a lot, because he is able to adapt to playing on the wing. His presence and his ability have helped us many times," he insisted.

Finally, Ancelotti revealed what motivates him to face his 28th season as coach. "The passion for this sport and the enthusiasm I have for coaching the best club in the world. That gives me the motivation to get up every day. I know that one day this can end, but I hope that day comes as late as possible. I am happy to train at this club."