Carlo Ancelotti is struggling to motivate his players at Real Madrid according to reports in Spain which claim that the dressing room are ‘moving away’ from the Italian manager.
Real are having their worst start to a season in three years despite remaining undefeated in La Liga, with Ancelotti’s side suffering their first loss in 36 games in all competitions to Lille in the Champions League.
Although the form is not a major cause for concern as of yet, performances have been underwhelming, with Ancelotti himself admitting he was ‘worried’ by the displays of his team so far this campaign.
Spanish outlet SPORT describe Ancelotti as being ‘more restless’ this season and cite Real’s failure to outrun their opponents as a reason why the manager’s messages are ‘losing strength’.
The report also claims that players are ‘focused more on individual competition than merging with the team’ and that having 12 nationalities among 22 players is causing the squad to break into groups.
Having seen a number of key dressing room figures depart in recent times, Ancelotti could face a struggle to ensure his side do not get affected by any notion of turmoil and continue their dominant streak in Spanish football.
Part of Real’s issue has been trying to get the best out of their new-look front-line with Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman still building chemistry with his teammates despite already having seven goals this season.
Real have seen an alarming decline in performances from Jude Bellingham, with the Ballon d’Or frontrunner still having yet to open his account this season after his blistering campaign last year.
Injuries have also forced Ancelotti to play some of his stars out of position, such as Aurelien Tchouameni who has been fielded at centre-back for the majority of the campaign, while Dani Carvajal suffered a ruptured ACL last week.
Having seen Toni Kroos retire in the summer, Real have relied on Luka Modric for some composure in midfield but the 39-year-old has reportedly been frustrated at being on the bench at some points this season.
Speculation has also continued to persist over the future of Vinicius Junior, culminating in a host of issues for Ancelotti to solve off the pitch as well as on.