3 players who improved under Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid
Most of the time, the way a player performs on the pitch depends heavily on the manager who is coaching him. That is why most players nowadays prefer to join teams that have top managers in their ranks.
In terms of top managers, there are only a few who could match up to the level of Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager has won numerous trophies in his career, and he is still hunting for more trophies with Real Madrid. Top footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, and Andrea Pirlo, to mention a few, are some big-name players that Ancelotti has managed so far in his career.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at three top players who have hit impressive form under Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid:
#3. Jude Bellingham
20-year-old Jude Bellingham is currently having one of the best seasons of his career. He joined Real Madrid in the summer for £88.5 million, and since then, he has been an outstanding player for the Spanish club.
Before he arrived in Madrid, Bellingham was playing for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Though he was still a standout performer, his performance then and now can’t be compared.
Under the guidance of Ancelotti at Madrid, Bellingham seems to be flying high. He is doing his midfield duties well while executing his new attacking role at the club. Despite not playing as a striker, he is the leading goalscorer in La Liga. He has 13 goals and three assists after playing 13 games in all competitions this season.
He needs only one goal to match the total number of goals he scored last season for Dortmund. If he continues at this rate, he is going to smash that record at the end of the season.
#2. Karim Benzema
Another player who benefited immensely from the appointment of Ancelotti is Karim Benzema. Benzema has been at the club since 2009. He has played under different managers; however, nobody has been able to get the best of the French striker as Ancelotti did.
Without exaggerating, the 2021–22 season remains the best season of his football career. He was an entirely different player who was instrumental in the club's success, especially in the Champions League.
Benzema scored 27 goals and registered 12 assists, having played 32 games in La Liga in the 2021–22 season. While in the Champions League, the France international scored 15 goals and registered two assists in 12 games.
He was also the highest goalscorer in the league as well as the Champions League in the said season. To top it all, he beat the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Mohamed Salah, and Haaland to win his first Ballon d'Or.
Benzema's second year under Ancelotti, which was the 2022–23 season, was still impressive. Though he missed a few games due to injuries, he was still a key player for the team. He scored 31 goals and registered six assists in 43 games across all competitions before making a switch to the Middle East in the summer.
#1 Vinicius Junior
Before the arrival of Ancelotti at Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior was just a regular player, still waiting to shine. Though he was considered a generational talent, he hadn’t been able to prove himself. Vinicius wasn’t considered a regular first-team player. His performances on the pitch kept fluctuating, as they weren’t convincing enough.
However, with the appointment of Ancelotti as manager in 2021, everything changed for the Brazilian winger. A player who wasn’t considered a regular starter before quickly established himself as an important figure on the team.
The Brazilian not only scores goals when needed but also creates assists for his teammates. His explosive runs down the left flank are highly missed whenever he isn’t in the squad.
The 2021–22 season was the turning point for Vinicius in his career. He had an impressive season, scoring 22 goals and registering 20 assists in 52 games across all competitions. He carried on his impressive form into the next season as well. Vinicius was on fire as expected, scoring 23 goals and registering 21 assists in 55 games.
His development made the club give him the number seven jersey. Though he might have had a slow start this season, he is finally coming around, as he has three goals and three assists in 10 games.