Vallejo's entourage deny he asked to leave Madrid

When Real Madrid published Carlo Ancelotti's squad list for the Copa del Rey match against Deportiva Minera, one absentee caught the eye: Jesus Vallejo. The central defender plays a secondary role in Carlo Ancelotti's squad, so this type of fixture is ideal for him. The problem is that he told his coach that he was suffering from some discomfort that the medical services were unable to confirm.

This is reported in the newspaper ‘Relevo’, which explains that the Italian coach asked his players who wanted to rest ahead of a trip in which they were clear favourites. Most of them, with "indifference", answered yes, that they preferred to rest. Faced with this attitude, the tactician was annoyed and only gave freedom to Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rüdiger. Fede Valverde did tell him that he wanted to be in the game.

In Cartagena, although less regular players such as Endrick, Brahim Díaz and a defensive line made up entirely of home-grown players started, stars such as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior were given minutes in the final stages, when victory was already more than assured. It may have been a kind of ‘punishment’ from their boss to teach them a lesson.

In any case, this does not mean that there is a climate of tension in the dressing room. Carlo Ancelotti has defended his players in all his press conferences. Asked precisely about the two stars mentioned in the previous paragraph, he has shown patience with the former Paris Saint-Germain player, who he understands has been going through a process of adaptation, and understanding with the Brazilian in his confrontations with the stands, opponents and referees.

 

January 16, 2025