Wife of Real Madrid star blasts Carlo Ancelotti during AC Milan defeat

Today at 08:43 PM

Federico Valverde’s wife hit out at Carlo Ancelotti during Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat at home to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Malick Thiaw gave Milan an early lead at the Santiago Bernabeu before Vinicius Junior equalised for the hosts from the penalty spot. Alvaro Morata then found the net against his former club before the break, while Tijjani Reijnders scored his fourth goal in three games to seal Milan’s victory in the second half.

Valverde started the game on Madrid’s right flank but the Uruguay international was replaced at half time. Aurelien Tchouameni, who was being whistled by Madrid fans in the first half at the Bernabeu, was also substituted at the break.

During the match, Valverde’s wife, Mina Bonino, made it clear that she was unhappy with Ancelotti’s decision to play her husband, a central midfielder, in a wider role for Madrid.

In response to a Madrid fan on X, Bonino wrote: ‘Fede plays best as a midfielder.

‘What are you talking about? When are they going to understand once and for all that Fede isn’t a winger?’

When another user on X criticised Valverde for his part in Morata’s goal for Milan, Bonino replied: ‘He’s playing as a winger. Did you know? Because I never see forwards being reproached for not dropping back, but the idiot who is everywhere is.’

Asked about Bonino’s comments after Madrid’s defeat, Ancelotti said: ‘From what people think on social media… for me it’s very complicated.

‘I took him off because for me he wasn’t 100 per cent, he had back problems, it seemed like he had recovered because he trained well yesterday but it seemed like he wasn’t at his best physical level, that’s why I changed him.’

The defeat to Milan has left Madrid in the play-off places in the Champions League league table and Ancelotti’s side face Liverpool at Anfield in their next European game on November 27.

‘The team is not playing its best and we are all to blame. It is very important that we all take responsibility,’ Ancelotti said.

‘Because just as when we win, we all do it, when we have to suffer and fight, we do it too. We gain strength from situations like this.

‘The dressing room is healthy. Obviously there will be a lot of criticism now, especially about the attitude, the training sessions… but this has happened many times in the past. And what people think, we have to accept it.

‘We have to accept the reality, that we are not doing well now and we have to do better. Because it is very difficult to get to the end of the season like this. We have to fix things, I repeat, we have to defend better because that is the key.

‘There may be some solutions in tactical details but without going crazy making changes.

‘Of course we need to improve tactically. As I said, the problem is not an individual one. Defensive work is about sacrifice, concentration and collective effort.’

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