Carlo Ancelotti has sent a very clear message to his squad at Real Madrid ahead of their showdown against Liverpool later this month.
The two giants of European football meet at Anfield a fortnight from today, and while the Reds sit pretty at the top of the Premier League and Champions League, Los Blancos have been surprisingly hot-and-cold as they seek to defend their title in the latter competition.
The 65-year-old is a serial winner, as his glittering managerial CV shows, and he’s left players and staff at the Bernabeu under no illusions as to the standards that he feels are required to beat Arne Slot’s side.
Ancelotti warning to Real Madrid
According to Spanish journalists Sergio Gomez and Alfredo Matilla, as replayed by Madrid Xtra, Ancelotti has called for an immediate radical overhaul of Real Madrid’s physical training plan, even though he only has seven first-team squad members at the club during the ongoing international break.
The former Everton boss is also said to have communicated a firm message which has reverberated around their Valdebebas training complex – “Either we raise our level, or Liverpool will sweep us away.”
JUST IN: Carlo Ancelotti has demanded a new physical training plan during this international break.
At Valdebebas, this sentence has been heard: “Either we raise our level, or Liverpool will sweep us away.” @relevo pic.twitter.com/4DPGYgT4Wy
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) November 13, 2024
Ancelotti fearful of Liverpool revenge
Although Ancelotti’s record against Liverpool is formidable – he’s beaten us 11 times in 19 games with five different clubs, including two Champions League finals – it seems apparent that he recognises what a tough proposition the Reds have been under Slot so far.
It’s also been an unusually inconsistent season for Real Madrid, who’ve failed to win six of their 16 matches this term and been beaten three times, with two of those coming in Europe and the other being a 4-0 drubbing at home to Barcelona in El Clasico.
Los Blancos haven’t been helped by a nightmarish injury streak which has seen the likes of Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao ruled out for the long-term and led to much dissatisfaction among the squad with fitness coach Antonio Pintus.
Recent history suggests that the 15-time European champions will come good against Liverpool, but Ancelotti seems well aware that if his team fall short of the standards that he’s demanding, the Reds might finally score a first win over the Spanish giants since 2009, having lost seven times to them since then.
By demanding a radical change to Real Madrid’s training plans and warning that LFC could ‘sweep them away’, the 65-year-old is paying the Merseysiders the utmost respect ahead of their Anfield clash in two weeks’ time.
