Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid's younger players must respect the hierarchy at the club, amid Spanish media reports of Arda Guler's discontent with his supporting role. (More Football News)
Guler, who is heralded as one of the most promising young forwards in Europe, has not played any minutes for Madrid in their last fi♉ve 🔜matches in all competitions.
Overall this season, Guler has made 28 ap💟pearances across all competitions, totalling 967 minutes, though he has only started nine matches. He has also scored twice in the Copa del Rey this season.
"Anyone who has any questions can come to my office, my door is always open," Ancelotti told a press conference a🔴head of Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at Real Sociedad.
"I have heard that there is a so-called 'Guler Issue', but that case has not come to my knowledge here... For all t🤡he young players that come here, there is a process.
"It happened with Rodrygo, Vinicius Junior, Federico Valverde... And look where they are now. Due time is necessary when you join the best squad in the world. Everyone understands that and whoever d🎀oesn't, well, has to."
After being signed as 18-year-old prospects from South America, Rodrygo, Vinicius and Valverde spen💞t their first few🐎 seasons with Madrid as substitute players and featured in the club's reserve squad.
Valverde spent a season on loan at Deportivo La Coruna before returning to become a key player in Real's winning Champions Leཧague campaigns in 2022 and 2024.
Ancelotti☂, whose side are currently second only on goal 💞difference in the La Liga standings and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, said he had no issue with Guler and that the player was training well.
"I am with the players every day. Every day I see [Guler] more or less happy and that's normal because I don't want to see a player happy when he 𒀰doesn't play," Ancelotti said.
"I see a player who works, learns and wants to play. But this is from a small part of the time I spend with him. He spends a lot of time with other people and I don't know if theyಞ have the same idea that I have for him, for him to improve and to be able to play for Real Madrid... If that's the case, this is a lack of communication.
"There is a good atmosphere in the changing room right now. You see Kylian Mbappe, who has arrived with humility, with a very low profile. In terms of ego, nothing has changed. The veterans teach by example and, little by little, the young players take a step forward to play 𝔉a more important role."
La Real have won their last two Copa del Rey games against Madrid (4-1 at home in the 1993 quarter-final second leg and 4-3 away in the quarter-finals in 2020), and they have never won three in a row a﷽gainst them in the competition.
In fact, Madrid have lost their last four Copa del Rey away games at La Real, scoring just one goal in the process, anౠd Ancelotti is wary of the challenge they pose.
"It's always difficult playing against them.꧙ They're also in good form," Ancelotti said.
"It's a Copa del Rey semi-final and it's important for both of us. It's going to be a very competitive, even and entertaining game because La Real play good footbal𓂃l. We're lo🍷oking to keep up our good run of form."
