Carlo Ancelotti has acknowledged that the opinions of senior players like Luka Modric must be respected after the Croatian veteran joined other Real Madrid players in criticizing Vinicius Junior during Wednesday’s win over Leganes.
Ancelotti made several changes to his lineup for the Copa del Rey clash, bringing Vinicius on as a substitute at half-time, just before Leganes equalized to make it 2-2. Despite securing a stoppage-time victory, tensions flared in the second half, with Vinicius facing sharp criticism from Modric.
As Madrid prepared to defend a corner, Modric was seen reprimanding Vinicius for what appeared to be a lack of defensive effort. The Brazilian responded with a gesture, which led to further comments from Federico Valverde.
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After the match, Ancelotti was asked about the incident and, while he was unaware of the details, he expressed his support for the experienced Modric.
“I don’t know if he said anything to him, but if he did, Modric must always be respected,” Ancelotti said in his post-match comments.
Modric himself played down the incident, calling it a normal part of the game.
“These are things that happen in football,” he said. “You see everything that you shouldn’t see.”
