Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti: I owe Sergio Ramos my job

Carlo Ancelotti mentioned he would not be Real Madrid supervisor right now if it weren’t for Sergio Ramos, as he prepares to face the Sevilla defender in LaLiga on Saturday.

Ramos was a key participant in the course of the Italian’s first spell as Madrid coach between 2013 and 2015, scoring some of the well-known objectives within the membership’s historical past with the 93rd minute equaliser of their 2014 Champions League closing win over Atletico Madrid.

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The former Madrid and Spain captain rejoined boyhood membership Sevilla final month as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

“I’d love to see [Ramos] and say hello,” Ancelotti mentioned in a information convention on Friday. “I have affection for all the players I’ve had, but above all I have special affection for him.

“If I’m right here right now it is due to Sergio Ramos. If he hadn’t scored the objective within the [Champions League] closing, I in all probability would not be right here. For that, and for all the things he did for this membership, all people has a variety of affection for him… He’ll play properly for positive. Let’s hope he would not rating but when he does, he can [celebrate] nonetheless he desires!”

Ancelotti returned to coach Madrid in 2021 and won a LaLiga and Champions League double in his first season back, but has faced speculation about his future — amid links to the Brazil job — after missing out on both those trophies last campaign.

“As I’ve typically mentioned, I’m very joyful at Real Madrid. I’ll cease there,” he said on Friday, when asked if he’d like to renew his contract. “You made it troublesome for me with that query! Would I prefer to renew or not? I do not discuss my future.”

– Stream LIVE: Sevilla vs. Real Madrid, Saturday 10/21, 12:20 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Madrid travel to Sevilla top of LaLiga on 24 points, three points ahead of third-placed Barcelona, before next week’s El Clásico clash between the big two clubs.

The international break brought complaints from several Madrid players about how they’ve been utilised by Ancelotti recently, with midfielders Eduardo Camavinga and Aurélien Tchouaméni asked to fill in at left-back and centre-back, and Rodrygo saying he doesn’t enjoy playing at centre forward.

“Sometimes you must make sacrifices,” Ancelotti said. “Like Camavinga has, like Tchouameni has, like Rodrygo has typically… The calls for of the group come first, after which particular person calls for.

“If I pick Camavinga at left-back, I’ll inform him that he’s playing there and ask ‘can you do it?’ Nobody has said no. Talking of Sergio Ramos, I picked him at pivot in a game against Atletico Madrid. Obviously he didn’t like it. But with the demands of the game, I did it. There’s a word for it, altruism.”