Dani Carvajal Reveals Differences Between Xabi Alonso to Carlo Ancelotti, and Vinicius Jr. Benching

It's been a welcome return to the Real Madrid squad for Dani Carvajal, who missed a significant chunk of last season with an ACL injury. He picked up the injury in October 2024 against Villarreal, the last time he played under former head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

After this season, Ancelotti left to take over as the head coach of the Brazilian national team. In came a Real Madrid legend, Xabi Alonso, a player Carvajal played alongside for a brief spell at Los Blancos in 2013. Things have changed, but the veteran defender believes it needed to for the club to move forward when asked in a recent interview with COPE.

Ancelotti has been a legend at Madrid, and he will always be one in its history, but I think we needed a change. I think the manager saw it too. In the end, we'd already been with him for many years. Often, you need that change to change everyone's mindset; people who perhaps weren't so connected to it come online, to wake everyone up a bit, and I think it's been good for everyone.
Dani Carvajal

"Alonso and Ancelotti are Very Different" - Carvajal

Dani Carvajal and Carlo Ancelotti — IMAGO / Italy Photo Press

In the interview, Caravajal was asked about the differences between his current and former coaches. He has only worked under Alonso for a short time, but he does see a different style, possibly due to other generations.

In the end, each coach has his own methodology, as you say, they're different generations. It's true that, for example, with Carletot, we had much more freedom in that sense of, well, you came out a little later, although he got angry with us. Xabi is a little more upfront, with more discipline, but well, within each one, his own ideas. Football was invented many years ago, so each one takes the concepts that each one believes are best.

The manager has his ideas too. I think he adapts his game a bit to the opponent, to the players we have, which I think is good. He makes match plans, depending on the opponent, depending on which starting 11 you want to use, he looks for one alternative or another, and I think they prepare well for matches
Dani Carvajal

The 33-year-old has played under Ancelotti for many years and has won several trophies, including three Champions League winners' medals. He has enormous respect for both, but a fresh start for all parties could be beneficial, with Alonso bringing fresh ideas.

The interesting questions continued to come, with Carvajal also being asked a question related to Alonso's methods. The Spaniard was asked his thoughts on Vinicius Jr. starting on the bench against Real Oviedo, wanting to know if he felt it was a positive move for the squad.

I think you always have to take positives from this. Vini, in Oviedo, comes on, scores a goal, makes a goal and an assist, and the next day he scores again. He has to realize that it's still very difficult to be at a very high level 60 games every three days. Vini, with the quality, the ability he has in half an hour, is decisive. I think the coach's idea is for us all to be in a cycle of being fresh to play, and that often the one who comes off the bench is even more important than the one who starts.
Dani Carvajal

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