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Carlo Ancelotti reportedly can't stand Real Madrid star Rodrygo Goes after what transpired in Los Blancos' 3-2 Copa del Rey Round of 16 win against Villarreal in January.
As per Spanish outlet El Nacional, Rodrygo exited the pitch in anger when he was brought off in the 56th minute against the Yellow Submarine. He did not greet the manager and went into the dugout in a visibly angry mood, which forced Ancelotti to go over and have a word with him.
Since then, the former AC Milan manager and the Brazilian winger have grown distant, which hasn't pleased club president Florentino Perez. Perez played a big part in bringing Rodrygo to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2019 from Sao Paulo for a fee of over €40 million. He wants the 22-year-old to play regularly to achieve his potential, as he sees Rodrygo as the future of the club alongside Vinicius Junior.
Ancelotti is also not on talking terms with Eden Hazard, and the club are eager to offload Mariano Diaz this summer due to his apparent toxicity. It remains to be seen if the Italian tactician's relationship with Rodrygo reaches a point where his future at the club would be at stake.
However, that seems unlikely as of now, given Perez's trust in the Brazilian. Rodrygo has scored 10 goals and provided eight assists in 40 games across competitions this term.
What Rodrygo has said regarding lack of regular starts at Real Madrid
Rodrygo Goes recently said that he had spoken to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti about a lack of regular playing time in recent months. He said, via the aforementioned source:
"I always want to play, and I tell the coach that I have to play, but he tells me to be calm. ... I respect Carlo because we have very good players, but I am there, and when I am on the field, I help my team. I want to be a starter."
Ancelotti has not started the Real Madrid winger in high-profile games in recent weeks. That includes the 1-0 second-leg (6-2 aggregate) win against Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League last 16 on March 15 and the league loss against Barcelona four days later.
Rodrygo was also reduced to a substitute appearance against the Blaugrana in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg. Fourteen of his 40 appearances this season have come from the bench.
A sizable chunk of his starts can be attributed to Karim Benzema's fitness problems this season.
