Ancelotti: “I think Asensio is negotiating a new deal... "

Carlo Ancelotti was a special guest on Rai 1′s Radio anch’io Sport programme this week. The Italian coach spoke in depth about his second spell at Real Madrid as well as the team’s habit of resolving games with winners in stoppage-time: “There’s no lack of emotion - not that I have been asking for it. I prefer for games to be a bit more relaxed… But that’s when the magic of this club and their players comes out. We’re getting nearer to the end of the season and we want to end it in the best way we can”.

LaLiga: “I think I’m a very lucky coach. I’m working with a team who give me a great deal of satisfaction, at a great club which is very well organized. I’m the one who has to give thanks to Madrid for giving me this opportunity”.

Scudetto: “Milan have a chance to win it, so do Inter and Napoli. I think it’s going to be a tight race right to the end, with a lot of surprises”.

Champions League: “Real Madrid, for their history, tradition and quality, can compete all the way to the final. It’s going to be a tough challenge facing City but we had to go through the same against PSG and Chelsea. The new away goals rule has made ties more evenly balanced”.

Title wins: “I couldn’t say which one stirred up the most emotions, it’s always a great achievement - winning the league is a long battle in which consistency makes the difference. Having said that, winning the title with Milan in 2004 was very special, but I could never forget winning the Premier League with Chelsea… It’s difficult to choose one”.

Mbappé: “Thanks to the president, Real Madrid’s past, present and future, was and always will be at the highest level - beyond the players who come here. There’s going to be a new stadium, Madrid have been making history since the 50s and will continue to do so”.

Milan’s future: “We have grown used to clubs being taken over by investment funds - the one who have invested in Milan is one of the top level ones and I think it could be a good operation for both sides. Would I consider going back there? I’ll talk about that once my adventure in Madrid is over. If it continues for another 20 years, maybe I’ll retire! (laughs). Milan made me grow as a coach, they were a huge help to me. Maldini is doing a brilliant job, he doesn’t need my advice”.

Ibrahimovic: “Zlatan can do whatever he sets his mind to. I hope he continues playing, at his best, he can make the difference”.

Napoli: “I was happy there, but sometimes relationships end due to a lack of confidence. A similar thing happened to me in Paris, and it’s fair when that happens, it’s the best for both sides. The relationship between a club and the coach is fundamental to get results, and if that is lacking, it’s best to go your separate ways”.

Asensio: “He’s a player with extraordinary quality. He had a serious knee injury which left him out for a long time and with a slow rehabilitation. He’s an important player who has helped us. I don’t know what will will happen regarding his future. I think he is talking to the club to renew his contract, but I can only speak about his technical qualities”.

Shortening games to 60 minutes: “I’m all in favour. Right now, we are seeing 10 minutes of stoppage-time and the team who is winning always wastes time, it’s time for a change. There are a lot of things which I would change. Players are getting booked for stamping on rivals because a lot of players are simulating fouls - that’s another area I would change, as well as the handball rule, VAR… VAR helps, but it can still be improved”.

Coppa Italia semi-final between Inter and AC Milan: “I don’t think that the Cup game will have any consequences on the league title race. They are always close games. I’ll be supporting the Rossoneri”.

Mourinho: “He’s brought hope to a city which really needed it. He’s doing a brilliant job thanks to his qualities as a coach and as a man. I know that he represents a big part of Roma’s future”.

Racism in Serie A: “I think and I hope that things are improving, there’s still a lot to do. It’s an issue that we have to keep working on”.

Juventus: “It’s surprising to see them up there in the standings, they are in a transition stage. They will be investing heavily, they’ve signed a great striker and very soon they’ll be back where they once were”.

World Cup: “I’ll be cheering on Canada, my second country, the president of the federation is Italian. They classified in style and have very good players”.