I signed Manchester United legend for Real Madrid and had to sell Ronaldo – Carlo Ancelotti has the same problem
A former Real Madrid president has admitted he faced the same problems Carlo Ancelotti is currently dealing with. The Spanish giants have struggled to reach their usual standards so far this season, despite the heralded arrival of Kylian Mbappe. It’s not going to plan for Mbappe and Real MadridGetty Ancelotti faces the challenge of playing Vinicius Jr and Mbappe togetherGetty The World Cup-winning French superstar was signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer – a deal that was years in the making and was believed would usher in a new era of Los Blancos dominance. But Galaticos 2.0 has not gone to plan – Tuesday’s 3-1 home loss to AC Milan was their second defeat in the Champions League already this term. Meanwhile, they were thrashed 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu by Barcelona in last month’s El Clasico. Ancelotti’s side has been criticised for their lack of balance as the manager looks to play both Vinicius Jr and Mbappe together in the same team. Former club president Ramon Calderon understands the challenges Ancelotti is facing after serving in the role between 2006 and 2009. Calderon signed Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United during his first summer at the club, adding him to an attack which already included Ronaldo. However, just six months later, Real Madrid sold the Brazilian icon to AC Milan at the request of then-manager Fabio Capello. Comparing the two situations, Calderon told Hawksbee and Jacobs: “I think it’s a good problem for the coach to have too many good players, but it’s also a problem. “Sometimes you don’t know how to fix it and you see some, as I said at the beginning, some unbalance in the team. “I think Vinicius, there’s no doubt with Mbappe, are one of the two top players of the world but they cannot play in the same position. Capello had a big call to make between Van Nistelrooy and Ronaldo during his spell in charge of Real Madrid – which ended with the Brazilian legend leaving the BernabeuGetty Images Calderon sold Ronaldo just six months after signing Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2006Getty Images - Getty “It reminds me when I signed Van Nistelrooy from Man United, that we had Ronaldo the Brazilian and [former striker Predrag] Mijatovic told me, ‘Mr President, they can’t play together’. “Capello insisted on having them and in December he told me, of course, he came and said, ‘well you were right, you have to sell Ronaldo’. “Sometimes coaches do things like that. They, of course, want to have the best players they can. They think they can sort out the problems, but the point is that football is a team game. “It plays collectively. so you need to have a balanced team and I think ours is not balanced now. That’s the problem.” Van Nistelrooy went on to win the LaLiga golden boot in his debut season before winning a league and cup double the following year. Across three-and-a-half years with Real Madrid, he scored 64 goals in 95 appearances. Ancelotti will be hoping Mbappe can have similar success alongside Vinicius Jr sooner rather than later. Real Madrid have already been beaten twice in this season’s Champions LeagueGetty Real Madrid are already nine points adrift of Barcelona in LaLiga after their El Clasico defeat. Meanwhile, they sit 17th in the Champions League table, with elimination at the league stage still a possibility for the reigning champions and 15-time winners.
A former Real Madrid president has admitted he faced the same problems Carlo Ancelotti is currently dealing with.
The Spanish giants have struggled to reach their usual standards so far this season, despite the heralded arrival of Kylian Mbappe.
The World Cup-winning French superstar was signed on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer – a deal that was years in the making and was believed would usher in a new era of Los Blancos dominance.
But Galaticos 2.0 has not gone to plan – Tuesday’s 3-1 home loss to AC Milan was their second defeat in the Champions League already this term.
Meanwhile, they were thrashed 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu by Barcelona in last month’s El Clasico.
Ancelotti’s side has been criticised for their lack of balance as the manager looks to play both Vinicius Jr and Mbappe together in the same team.
Former club president Ramon Calderon understands the challenges Ancelotti is facing after serving in the role between 2006 and 2009.
Calderon signed Ruud van Nistelrooy from Manchester United during his first summer at the club, adding him to an attack which already included Ronaldo.
However, just six months later, Real Madrid sold the Brazilian icon to AC Milan at the request of then-manager Fabio Capello.
Comparing the two situations, Calderon told Hawksbee and Jacobs: “I think it’s a good problem for the coach to have too many good players, but it’s also a problem.
“Sometimes you don’t know how to fix it and you see some, as I said at the beginning, some unbalance in the team.
“I think Vinicius, there’s no doubt with Mbappe, are one of the two top players of the world but they cannot play in the same position.
“It reminds me when I signed Van Nistelrooy from Man United, that we had Ronaldo the Brazilian and [former striker Predrag] Mijatovic told me, ‘Mr President, they can’t play together’.
“Capello insisted on having them and in December he told me, of course, he came and said, ‘well you were right, you have to sell Ronaldo’.
“Sometimes coaches do things like that. They, of course, want to have the best players they can. They think they can sort out the problems, but the point is that football is a team game.
“It plays collectively. so you need to have a balanced team and I think ours is not balanced now. That’s the problem.”
Van Nistelrooy went on to win the LaLiga golden boot in his debut season before winning a league and cup double the following year.
Across three-and-a-half years with Real Madrid, he scored 64 goals in 95 appearances.
Ancelotti will be hoping Mbappe can have similar success alongside Vinicius Jr sooner rather than later.
Real Madrid are already nine points adrift of Barcelona in LaLiga after their El Clasico defeat.
Meanwhile, they sit 17th in the Champions League table, with elimination at the league stage still a possibility for the reigning champions and 15-time winners.
