"He lives in his own world" – Carlo Ancelotti fires back at Barcelona legend for claiming no one will remember Real Madrid's 14th UCL win
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has hit back at Barcelona great Gerard Pique after the latter took a dig at Los Blancos' UEFA Champions League victory in 2022.
During a recent interaction on Catalan radio network RAC1, Pique asserted that no one will remember Los Merengues' 14th UEFA Champions League crown. He said (h/t Essentially Sports):
"The last Champions League they won was a miracle, because they were not superior in any qualifier or in the final, and it will never be remembered."
After the former Barcelona and Manchester United defender's comments, Ancelotti decided to respond. He elaborated (h/t MadridXtra):
"Pique's words? He lives in his own world. No one will ever forget our 14th Champions League title. We will remember it for all our lives."
During the 2021-22 season, Real Madrid lifted three trophies, including the La Liga title. They also beat Liverpool 1-0 in the UEFA Champions League final, registering four shots and relishing 46% possession.
Before reaching the summit clash, Los Blancos beat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) 3-2 on aggregate after losing 1-0 in the first leg of the last-16 stage. They triumphed 5-4 on aggregate over Chelsea in the quarter-finals and then defeated Manchester City 6-5 in the semi-finals.
In the ongoing 2023-24 season, Real Madrid are currently at the top of their UEFA Champions League Group C with 12 points from four games. They are followed by Napoli, who are on seven points now.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are also leading their Champions League group with nine points from four outings. However, Porto are also on equal points with similar goal difference of +6 in the Group H.
Carlo Ancelotti makes Barcelona claim after Real Madrid's recent stalemate in La Liga
Following Real Madrid's 0-0 La Liga draw against Rayo Vallecano on November 5, Carlo Ancelotti opined on his team's recent results. He told reporters (h/t Managing Madrid):
"In some games, we've maybe won without deserving to and here, we deserved to win but didn't. I can be sad when we win but don't play well and other times, I can be happy when we play well but don't win. If we had to win one out of the two, better to have won against Barcelona than against Rayo Vallecano."
Real Madrid, who are second in the 2023-24 La Liga standings with 29 points from 12 matches, defeated the Blaugrana 2-1 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys last month. Jude Bellingham bagged a crucial brace after Ilkay Gundogan netted in the sixth minute of the clash.
Meanwhile, La Liga champions Barcelona are currently in third place in the La Liga table with 27 points from 12 matches – four off top spot.