In a press conference ahead of the Copa del Rey Round of 16 match between Real Madrid and Celta Vigo, Carlo Ancelotti made significant statements about Raúl Asensio and Aurélien Tchouaméni, who have sparked debates about the team’s defensive dynamics.

Real Madrid’s head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has just cooled down young Raúl Asensio. While the name of the young Spanish centre-back has been repeatedly mentioned among Madridistas, especially after Aurélien Tchouaméni’s disastrous performance in the 2025 Spanish Super Cup final against Barça (5-2), the 65-year-old coach has decided to stick with his current plans. Despite Spanish media outlets unanimously predicting that Asensio would get more playing time in the coming weeks, the boss of the team thinks otherwise, insisting that Tchouaméni is better in defensive roles.

Ancelotti’s bitter statement about Asensio

When questioned about Real Madrid’s defensive struggles, ahead of Thursday’s Copa del Rey Round of 16 match against Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabéu, Ancelotti made it clear that he doesn’t fully rely on the new defender, who joined the first team just two months ago. “Raúl Asensio is a centre-back, and he’s not used to playing as a full-back. It takes time to adapt him to the right-back role since he’s unfamiliar with it. He has played very well, showing he can compete, but he’s only been with us for two months,” he said initially.

Even though statistics clearly show that Real Madrid’s defence has been weaker in recent weeks without Raúl Asensio, Carletto remains steadfast in his approach. “I remain convinced that Tchouaméni has put in solid performances as a centre-back. The data speaks for itself, even though it’s not his ideal position. Once the emergency is over and Alaba returns, Tchouaméni will return to his role as a pivot,” he stated on Wednesday in front of the media, including Marca. As with most reactions to Ancelotti’s comments, Madridistas were left deeply disappointed.

When journalists at the press conference tried to dig deeper into the coach’s thoughts, Ancelotti didn’t hold back: “I must clarify something. This is a press conference, not a debate. Debates take place between the coaching staff and my players. Having a debate here doesn’t seem to be the right setting.”

David Alaba already ahead of Asensio?

Criticised for his incomprehensible squad decisions, the Italian coach appears determined to stick to his strategy. Strongly backed by Florentino Pérez, who has no intention of parting ways with him anytime soon, the former Bayern Munich coach is set on following his own analyses, even if it means clashing with observers or external opinions suggesting that players like Tchouaméni fall short defensively. At this rate, further setbacks cannot be ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Contrary to expectations, Raúl Asensio remains a credible candidate to replace Éder Militão in Real Madrid’s line-up. While David Alaba is back in training and expected to return to competition in the coming weeks, it’s uncertain what condition he’ll be in, especially since he hasn’t played since December 2023. Suggesting that Asensio is too young or unfit to be considered a defensive starter at present remains an exceptional perspective that many external Madridistas refuse to accept. Time will tell what happens with this team.