Ancelotti reveals Pepe asked not to play in the Champions League final

On the eve of the Spanish capital’s derby with Getafe, Carlo Ancelotti spoke about the 2022 World Cup and the impact the competition can have over the course of the season and ended up sparking curiosity.

“The important thing is to assess the fatigue well. The player is not loyal in that sense. He will say he is fine and sometimes he is not sincere and gets injured. I prefer the player who told me he would prefer to stop, but in 30 years only two players have told me: Pepe, in the Champions League final [ndr: na final de Lisboa em 2014]Seedorf in a league match [ndr: no AC Milan]’, he said at a press conference.

The Italian coach of Real Madrid explained that Benzema was absent from the Getafe match at home. “He’s been playing almost two games in a row a month later and feeling a little tired. This injury slows him down a little bit but I see the same Karim. We weren’t worried at all. He’s doing the same thing he’s always done, really.”

Ancelotti also declined to talk about Haaland, who has been linked to the Merengues in recent days. “I’m not talking about Haaland.”

Finally, the hero Spanish coach considered that Toni Kroos’ renewal depends only on the player. “He does a very good job mentally and physically. He is always smiling, never upset. He always tells me that he never gets nervous before matches. If they want to renew, madridismo will be happy. The renewal is in your hands.”