Ancelotti asks his Real Madrid players for one key thing against Manchester City

Carlo Ancelotti has conveyed to Real Madrid’s hierarchy his intention to speak with the team’s captains, urging them to remind the squad of the need to temper their euphoria following the victory in Manchester. The Italian coach will then personally reinforce the message to the entire team: they must remain fully focused for next Wednesday’s decisive Champions League showdown against Pep Guardiola’s City at the Bernabéu. Carlo expects City to come out desperate at Chamartín and does not want his players to lose any of the qualities they displayed in England – work ethic, unity, teamwork, and concentration.

Ancelotti’s biggest coaching disappointment

The Real Madrid manager has painful memories of facing English teams in this competition. His biggest disappointment as a coach came against Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League final, when his team surrendered a three-goal lead in just 45 minutes. Ancelotti recounts the moment in his autobiography.

“We went into halftime with a commanding 3-0 lead. The players were shouting, ‘Come on, we can do this! We’re winning!’ The ones who hadn’t been selected were already putting on victory shirts under their suits... I let them settle down and then told them: ‘Against British teams, a match is never over. We must be careful. We can’t, we mustn’t, collapse. Let’s control the ball and the game. Come on, Milan!’ I didn’t say more, I didn’t say less.

“The second half started, and suddenly, everything fell apart. It was a blackout that lasted six minutes, but they managed to equalize and force a penalty shootout, which they won. When people ask me what went through my mind during Liverpool’s comeback, my answer is simple: nothing. Zero. My brain was like the vacuum of outer space...”

That bitter memory makes him especially cautious ahead of next week’s game. His primary focus, beyond Saturday’s clash with Osasuna (where some squad rotation is expected), is to instill a sense of urgency in his players. He will remind them that this is a winner-takes-all knockout tie, that only half the battle has been fought, and that they are up against the reigning Champions League runner-up. Confidence and complacency are strictly forbidden at Valdebebas.

Vinicius and other contract talks on hold

To maintain the concentration and intensity required to finish the job against Manchester City, Ancelotti believes personal matters – such as contract renewals – must be set aside. In this regard, Vinícius Júnior’s recent slip-up after the last Champions League match was not well received by the coach, nor by the club, which maintains a strict policy of delaying contract discussions until the end of the season.

Vinícius is not the only player looking for a new deal. Others, such as Luka Modrić and Lucas Vázquez, see their contracts expire in June but have remained silent on the matter. Marco Asensio, whose deal the club is looking to improve, has also refrained from commenting. For this reason, one of the key directives within the squad is clear: no contract talks until June. That will be the time for evaluations and decisions - right now, all energy must be devoted to the final stretch of the season.

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