One of the ongoing topics of Carlo Ancelotti‘s tenure at Real Madrid during the 2024-25 season has been his management of young players, particularly Arda Guler, who has seen limited playing time. With the Turkish winger facing a complex situation, Ancelotti has called out Güler’s conflicting entourage.
Despite dealing with injuries and suspensions throughout the season, Ancelotti has resisted giving Guler and fellow young talent Endrick more prominent roles at Real Madrid. When questioned about the players struggling for minutes, the Italian coach was firm in his response.
“Any player who has doubts can come to my office,” Ancelotti said. “I regularly talk with Guler and Endrick. I see that there is a case, but it hasn’t reached here. They want to play, but they’re young and still have a journey ahead of them, just like Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Valverde did,” he added, reflecting on the developmental path of the club’s young stars in comparison to the current key players.
Ancelotti reiterated the importance of hard work and patience in their adaptation: “They need time to adapt to the best squad in the world. I believe everyone understands that, and if they don’t, they need to understand it.”
Arda’s conflicting entourage
Continuing his thoughts on the development of young players, Ancelotti addressed the issue of Guler’s entourage, expressing concerns that they may not be aligned with his approach for the player’s growth.
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“I am with them every day. Every day I see him more or less happy, and that’s normal. I don’t want to see a player happy when he’s not playing. I see a player who works, learns, and wants to play,” the coach stated. “This is just a small part of the time I spend with him. He spends a lot of time with other people. I don’t know if they share the same idea I have for him. For him to improve and play at Real Madrid. This is a lack of communication,” Ancelotti ended his response.
The Turkish prodigy has played 967 minutes across 27 games, averaging just over 35 minutes per match. In that time, he has scored 3 goals and provided 5 assists. Despite these solid contributions in limited opportunities, Ancelotti remains cautious about accelerating the young winger’s adaptation process.
