Former Real Madrid hero hits out at Carlo Ancelotti and demands one of the Fab Four is dropped
Former Real Madrid hero Predrag Mijatovic says Carlo Ancelotti is “trying to please everyone” and hinted he should drop one of the ‘Fab Four’.
Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo all started last night’s 3-0 hammering by Arsenal at the Emirates, leaving Madrid exposed in midfield and the Gunners capitalised.
@Arsenal 3-0 @RealMadridEn
58′ Rice.
70′ Rice.
75′ Merino. pic.twitter.com/7zX59SmkZn
— Real Madrid C.F.
(@realmadriden) April 8, 2025
Mijatovic, the club’s former sporting director and the man who scored the winner as Madrid clinched the 1998 Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Juventus in the final, believes the Italian needs to show a more ruthless side.
“Ancelotti wants to please everyone,” he said on Cadena SER, before hinting one of the quartet should be dropped. “At a club as big as Real Madrid, there have always been starters and substitutes, like Nacho or Guti, who were super-subs.
“Ancelotti expects more from some players who are neither physically nor mentally in the right condition to perform as he wants, and that creates confusion and a lack of confidence.”
Mbappe arrival has had a negative effect on Vinicius Jr
The arrival of Mbappe on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer was supposed to provide a new dimension to the Madrid attack but Mijatovic believes it has instead had a negative effect on Vinicius Jr, who was poor against Arsenal.
He said: “Since Mbappe arrived, Vinicius has shown a bit of fear – uncertainty about what to do now, especially in trying to convince the Madridistas who is better.
“They have not delivered as we expected.”
Madrid were very poor – Mijatovic
Madrid were very much in the tie at 0-0 approaching the hour mark but two stunning Declan Rice free-kicks and a Mikel Merino strike means the trophy holders now face an uphill task to reach the last four.
“In the first half, Madrid were not good, but at least they were competing,” Mijatovic said. “In the second half, Madrid did not exist. They were very poor.
“It has been a long time since I have seen Real Madrid play a Champions League match like this, without creating a single chance. The result was actually flattering.
“I saw acceptance, especially in the players’ faces, as if they were thinking, ‘Let us just get out of this, 3-0 is fine.’ And that is what worries me.”
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