Ancelotti Defends Vinicius Jr Amid Racist Abuse and Red Card Controversy

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti hopes Vinicius Jr will avoid suspension after appealing his red card. Read the latest updates on the Brazilian striker's fate.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has expressed optimism that Vinicius Jr will avoid suspension after the club appealed the straight red card he received during their 2-1 comeback win over Valencia. Ancelotti, 63, shared his hopes on Sunday, providing a positive update on the Brazilian winger's status.

Vinicius Jr, 24, is set to travel with the team to Cartagena for their upcoming Copa del Rey match against Deportiva Minera on Monday, Ancelotti confirmed. This suggests that the club is preparing for the possibility that Vinicius's appeal will be successful, allowing him to participate in the match.

Vinicius Jr was given a straight red card for slapping Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski during their LaLiga match on Friday. Despite this, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is confident that the 24-year-old striker will escape the minimum two-game suspension. “It wasn't a red, it was a yellow, and that's why we hope he will not face any suspension,” Ancelotti told reporters.

Carlo Ancelotti also acknowledged the immense mental stress Vinicius, who is Black, has been under due to previous incidents of racist abuse directed at him in Spain. “It's difficult being in his shoes. It's not easy to endure everything he goes through, including the insults. It's not simple, but he's trying to improve. He's upset about it and has apologised, we need to look ahead,” Ancelotti added. The manager expressed his hope that Vinicius will not face a suspension, and confirmed that the player will travel with the team for their upcoming Copa del Rey match. “We hope he won't face a suspension. The only two, who are not travelling, are (goalkeeper) Thibaut Courtois and (defender) Antonio Rudiger. The rest are all travelling.”

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has expressed his support for the new Copa del Rey regulations, which require LaLiga clubs to start with at least seven players from their first-team squad. “We have to respect it, and I have no problem with this rule,” Ancelotti said. “I want to give minutes to those who have played less,” he added, indicating his intention to utilize the opportunity to give playing time to his less-used players.

Ancelotti also addressed Real Madrid's recent struggles with penalty kicks, having missed three of their last four attempts, including two by Kylian Mbappe. “It's a technical aspect that's very difficult to manage,” Ancelotti noted. “There are good penalty takers, but what changes is the atmosphere in the stadiums,” he added, highlighting the challenges of taking penalties in high-pressure situations. Regarding his team's penalty takers, Ancelotti said, “I want to clarify the matter for us as well... I will clarify it before the match... it could be Vinicius, Mbappe, Jude (Bellingham), Arda Guler. We'll see how I feel.”