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Former Real Madrid star Joselu has called current Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti the best-ever manager that the club has seen. The Spain international played under the Italian tactician during the 2023-24 campaign when he spent the season on loan from Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Under Ancelotti, Joselu made 49 appearances across competitions, bagging 17 goals and three assists. The club also managed to win the UEFA Champions League and La Liga trophies in the previous season.
However, the Spanish giants haven't enjoyed the best of starts this year and are currently three points behind Barcelona in La Liga. They also suffered a 1-0 loss to Lille in their latest Champions League tie.
When asked about Ancelotti's form this year, Joselu said (via @MadridXtra):
"Ancelotti is the best coach Real Madrid has ever had. You can't criticize him for two or three games. But, we know the demand Real Madrid has."
The 65-year-old former Bayern Munich manager is currently undergoing his second spell at the Santiago Bernabeu. He was in the Spanish capital between 2013 and 2015 and then decided to return to the club in the summer of 2021.
Overall, he's managed 303 matches across competitions for Los Blancos, winning three Champions League trophies and two La Liga titles, among other honors. Whether or not he's the best ever to coach the club is up for debate.
Several other coaches have enjoyed good spells at Real Madrid, including the likes of Jose Mourinho, Vicente del Bosque, and Zinedine Zidane, among others.
Carlo Ancelotti says his Real Madrid players are not up to the mark this season
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti claimed that his players were not hitting the levels expected of them as of yet this term. These comments came after the side's Champions League defeat to Lille on October 2.
However, Los Blancos managed to bounce back, beating Villarreal 2-0 in La Liga on Saturday (October 5). Being honest about his team after their midweek loss, Ancelotti said (via Managing Madrid):
"Sometimes a good run makes you think you're invincible but a defeat brings you back to reality. We are still not at our level, we have players who are not at their best. We are not far from where we want to be."
Ancelotti and Co. will have time to reflect and regroup with the international break ongoing. His team will return to action when they travel to Celta Vigo for a league tie on October 19.
