"I hope he stays here" - Carlo Ancelotti urges Real Madrid star to stay at club amid rumors of exit
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti recently claimed that he wants Marco Asensio to stay at the club beyond the end of the season. The Spaniard is currently in the final months of his contract with Los Blancos.
Asensio joined the club in 2015 and has since scored 58 goals and provided 30 assists in 273 matches for Real Madrid. The Spaniard has been crucial this season as well, chipping in with important goal contributions despite being used sparingly. He has bagged nine goals and provided six assists in 38 matches this term.
Asensio was also on the scoresheet as Los Blancos defeated Chelsea 2-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie. Speaking about the attacker's future at the club beyond the summer, Ancelotti said (via Madrid Universal):
“I hope he stays here at Real Madrid. It’s crucial to have a player like Marco in the squad, he can always help with goals and assists in any moment. I trust him, he always scores!”
Since bursting onto the scene in the 2016/17 season, Asensio has always had the knack of scoring spectacular goals. However, his future at Real Madrid has looked in doubt in recent months. The 27-year-old has even been linked with a move to rivals Barcelona.
"We played a very well-rounded game" - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti after the 2-0 win against Chelsea
Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio were the scorers as Real Madrid earned a 2-0 win against Chelsea in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the Santiago Bernabeau.
Carlo Ancelotti reacted to the win as the Italian manager told the media after the match (via Los Blancos' official website):
"We played a very well-rounded game. We suffered somewhat at the beginning but the objective was to get ahead and that's what we did. We'll have to suffer there because Chelsea have a very good team, with very good players, and we have another 90 minutes to endure. We are satisfied with the result and the performance."
Ancelotti added:
"You might think we could have pressed more against 10, but when it was eleven against eleven we fought a lot and in the end I think we lacked energy and clarity. We have to come away satisfied but there's another 90 minutes to go. We have to repeat today's game at Stamford Bridge because we know Chelsea will give it their best shot next week."
Real Madrid will next play Cadiz in a La Liga away clash on Saturday, April 15. The second leg of their quarter-final tie will take place at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, April 19.