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‘Good move’ – Carlo Ancelotti reacts to Chelsea dressing room talk from Todd Boehly ahead of Real Madrid’s trip to Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of Real Madrid’s visit to Stamford Bridge, Carlo Ancelotti praised Todd Boehly for his “good move” in having a changing room meeting with Chelsea players.
On Sunday, after Chelsea’s 2-1 home loss to Brighton, Boehly stormed into the Blues’ locker room to confront the players.
Along with fellow co-owners Behdad Eghbali and Hasjorg Wyss, the owner is rumoured to have labelled the current circumstance “embarrassing” and singled out a senior player for criticism.
Boehly’s criticism comes at a vital time as Chelsea looks to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.
Although it is not usual for an owner to speak directly to the players, Ancelotti feels Boehly’s pep talk could act as an inspiration to the players before a season-defining tie.
“From the owners it could be an important motivation for the players. The Chelsea moment is not a good moment, I think to have the support of the club could inspire the players to play better,” he told reporters.
“I think it is a good move to do this and if the clubs want to come and talk to the players I have no problem, absolutely. If he [Madrid’s president] wants to talk to me every game I am pleased because I think the owner has the right to know what are the decisions of the managers, so it is the right of the club to know what the manager does.”
Since taking over from Roman Abramovich the previous summer, the new owners of Chelsea have completely changed the squad.
To bolster the team, they have aggressively invested in player recruitment and have spent more than £600 million overall over the two transfer windows.
The Blues are now in 11th place in the Premier League, having fallen short of expectations. They are also in danger of losing in the second round of the Champions League if they suffer another defeat in the decisive match against Real Madrid.
Tuesday at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea will host Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal matchup.