Carlo Ancelotti has the “desire of a child” to keep winning trophies, according to Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.
Los Blancos followed up last season’s Champions League triumph by beating Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 in the Super Cup on Wednesday.
David Alaba put Madrid ahead before Karim Benzema moved to outright second in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts with a second-half finish past Kevin Trapp.
Benzema’s effort took him to 324 goals in all competitions for Madrid, putting him one ahead of legendary Spain forward Raul and trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo (450).
The triumph in Helsinki makes Ancelotti the first coach to win the Super Cup four times.
Casemiro does not think the Italian plans to stop collecting the silverware anytime soon.
Casemiro told a media conference:
“I’ve spoken many times about Carlo Ancelotti. He’s a footballing legend.
“I talk with my heart when I say how much I admire him. I think he’s 63 now, but he still wants to win.
“He has the desire of a child to keep winning, so that’s great for us. With the wealth of experience he has, he can bring so much. He has helped us win many trophies.
“He deserves it; he is a wonderful coach and a fantastic person. When there’s a change of the coach, it’s important to have a winning desire, and we’ve certainly had that with Carlo Ancelotti.”
Madrid will have more players than most involved in the mid-season World Cup in Qatar, yet Casemiro does not think it will harm the club’s season.
The Brazil international said:
“We don’t need to make many changes; we’re professional and want to win.
“We’re excited about playing at the World Cup. We’ve never had the opportunity, and we’re excited to play at one in the middle of the season.
“I don’t think it will change a player’s mentality. I don’t think it changes much in terms of staying fit.”
While Ancelotti also has no concerns about the tournament build-up, he worries about the impact of his players not having a proper break before resuming domestic football.
“Until the start of the World Cup, we are not going to have any problems,” he told reporters.
“They will be focused and fit for the World Cup, but we have doubts when the players are back.
“Before, we don’t have a lot of problems. After we have checked, they could be tired. Most of them usually, after a World Cup, can go on holiday, but after this World Cup, they will be going into the tough moment of the season.”
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