Ancelotti Upset as Rodrygo Chooses Penalty over Modric

Carlo Ancelotti, the coach of Real Madrid, didn’t conceal his annoyance when his players opted for Brazilian Rodrygo to take the penalty instead of following his instruction to let Luka Modric take it. He emphasized that their victory against Celta Vigo stemmed more from their “commitment” than their “quality.”

When asked about Rodrygo’s penalty choice, Ancelotti responded, “There is no freedom, I don’t know what happened.” He further explained, “I told Valverde that Luka had to take it, but they decided that Rodrygo should take it. I’m a bit angry. Maybe it was a misunderstanding, maybe it was a communication problem. We’ll talk about it in the next few days.”

Ancelotti praised the disallowance of Celtic Larsen’s goal at the beginning of the game, recognizing that he “grabbed” Kepa’s shirt. He also commended the performance of Jude Bellingham from England.

“While goals may not be his top attribute, he’s performing well. He’s intelligent and makes good off-the-ball movements. He continues to score and contribute to the team,” Ancelotti remarked. Regarding Vinicius’ injury, he explained that “he felt some discomfort and we decided to substitute him,” even though the Brazilian player initially tried to continue playing.

“We will assess his condition in the next few hours; it’s discomfort in his leg. He wanted to continue because he thought it wasn’t anything serious. He had an impressive start to the game, looking unstoppable. It’s a shame about his injury,” Ancelotti stated. He concluded by highlighting that the victory was a result of their dedication rather than just their skill.