The match ended and the Madridistas routinely high-fived each other after defeating the innocent Pachuca. There was even a hug. That’s how they played and that’s how they celebrated until a gray-haired Bebeto and a neat Andrea Pirlo appeared with the trophy through the locker room tunnel. It was raised by Luka Modric, who left Lusail two years ago in the World Cup taking the stands for granted that he would no longer return there, but it is still there.
The predictable outcome on the cool Qatari night left, above all, another pike on Carlo Ancelotti’s resume. The Italian became the coach with the most titles in Madrid’s history (15), already ahead of Miguel Muñoz. One has been awarded every 21 matches between the two stages. “I want to be honest: winning in Madrid is easier,” admitted Carletto, who cited the tenth Champions League, in 2014, and the one achieved in 2022 in Paris as the most special.
Another drink and more air for her lungs. It was a moment of joy and also of confession. In the midst of an attack of “honesty,” Ancelotti acknowledged that yes, these first months of the course he has been “more nervous than normal.” “I didn’t like the team, but in 2025 I’ll be back to normal,” he joked. “Now the squad is more complete. We have emerged from the moment of difficulty a month ago. We are not yet at the best level, but we can see something. If we think about Milan’s defeat, the team has grown in attitude and commitment. In front we are very dangerous. If we are able to come out with the ball cleanly from behind, we are dangerous forward,” insisted the man from Reggiolo, relaxed and aware that nothing reinforces more than a title, even against a rival as good-natured as the Mexican.
At 61 years old, in the middle zone of the Premier with Everton, he no longer thought there would be another stage at the Bernabéu. He also recognized that this Wednesday. “I didn’t expect this, I didn’t imagine I could come back. I called the club to see if there were players [que fichar]I threw it there [en referencia a cuando se postuló a entrenador tras la salida de Zinedine Zidane] and they fell into the trap,” he said.
Vinicius: “I never lowered my head”
The trip to Qatar was also comforting for Vinicius, who on Tuesday collected The Best award and this Wednesday, the MVP after opening the victory with his cycling prior to the 1-0 and the final 3-0 penalty. “I have never lowered my head. If people didn’t vote for me [en el Balón de Oro]”I’m not going to change,” he said when asked about his controversial absence at the gala two months ago in Paris.
The Lusail stadium, on Qatar National Day, had welcomed spectators with one of its most deeply rooted traditions: kilometer-long rows of fences so that everyone knew which was the correct path. Inside, the stands, except for the screams for the goals, watched in silence the dull traffic of the night.
“In the first 15 or 20 minutes it was a bit difficult for us, the pace of the ball was not adequate, we were playing a little slowly. From there, the team has started to play better
Madrid, having overcome the initial galbana, found no obstacles to connecting with its attackers. And as it passes, it passes. Rarely, if ever, has this course been handled with so many spaces. A month and a half later, Ancelotti brought back the three attackers (Vinicius, Mbappé and Rodrygo) plus Bellingham to the eleven. The Englishman agitated, Vini brought the defense out of control and Mbappé continued with his December syrup. Four goals – Getafe, Girona, Atalanta and Pachuca – in the last five games. A medicinal evening for Madrid, Ancelotti, Mbappé and Vinicius. 2025, as Carletto announced, should be the year of sustained improvement.
