Real Madrid star's wife slams Carlo Ancelotti and team-mates: 'It's very complicated'
Real Madrid's difficulties continued to pile up on Tuesday night as they fell to a 3-1 home defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League - with the Madrid crowd not happy and one player's wife taking aim on social media
by Alex Richards · The MirrorThe wife of Fede Valverde let rip at Carlo Ancelotti and some of his Real Madrid team-mates on social media during Tuesday night’s Champions League loss to AC Milan.
Cracks are starting to show at the Santiago Bernabeu with a new-look attack featuring Kylian Mbappe failing to find its groove and the European kings were punished by the Rossoneri in a 3-1 home defeat.
It was Real’s first match since being thumped by Barcelona on home soil and the club’s Ballon d’Or no show after boycotting the awards ceremony following the decision not to hand Vinicius Jr world football’s biggest individual crown.
Valverde, the Uruguayan international who has taken Toni Kroos’ No.8 shirt this season following the German’s retirement, has been one of the standard-bearers in recent seasons. But he was ruthlessly hooked at half-time on Tuesday, while Aurelien Tchouameni, being whistled by Madrid fans in the first half at the Bernabeu, was also substituted at the break.
Valverde has been asked to play in a wide midfield role at points this season as Ancelotti looks to balance his side, with the Italian trying to get Mbappe, Vinicius, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham all in the same lineup. And during the defeat to Milan, his wife, Mina Bonino, took aim.
In response to a Madrid fan on Twitter, Bonino wrote: “Fede plays best as a midfielder. What are you talking about? When are they going to understand once and for all that Fede isn’t a winger?”
When another user criticised Valverde for his part in Morata’s goal for Milan, Bonino replied: “He’s playing as a winger. Did you know? Because I never see forwards being reproached for not dropping back, but the idiot who is everywhere is.”
Her comments didn’t go unnoticed and after the game, Ancelotti was promptly asked about what she had said.
“From what people think on social media… for me it’s very complicated,” replied Ancelotti.
“I took him off because for me he wasn’t 100 per cent, he had back problems, it seemed like he had recovered because he trained well yesterday but it seemed like he wasn’t at his best physical level, that’s why I changed him.”
Ancelotti’s side face Liverpool at Anfield in their next European game on November 27 and the Italian admits: “The team is not playing its best and we are all to blame. It is very important that we all take responsibility. Because just as when we win, we all do it, when we have to suffer and fight, we do it too. We gain strength from situations like this.
“The dressing room is healthy. Obviously there will be a lot of criticism now, especially about the attitude, the training sessions - but this has happened many times in the past. And what people think, we have to accept it.
“We have to accept the reality, that we are not doing well now and we have to do better. Because it is very difficult to get to the end of the season like this. We have to fix things, I repeat, we have to defend better because that is the key.
“There may be some solutions in tactical details but without going crazy making changes.
“Of course we need to improve tactically. As I said, the problem is not an individual one. Defensive work is about sacrifice, concentration and collective effort.”
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