Carlo Ancelotti

Madrid won the game 2-0 thanks to a Karim Benzema double, but shocking footage emerged after the final whistle of Vinicius being racially abused as he was substituted late on, while objects were also thrown at the Brazil international from the stands.

Vinicius voiced his frustration on social media over LaLiga bosses' inaction in tackling racism, saying the league "continues to do nothing".

Ancelotti agreed with Vinicius that racism needs to be stamped out with more action, though he stopped short of criticising LaLiga.

When asked if he had discussed the topic with the Brazil international, Ancelotti told reporters: "I don't have to [talk to Vinicius].

"It's quite clear to me. Racism shouldn't exist, and xenophobia shouldn't exist. Talking about it with Vinicius would be a mistake.

"It's society's problem, it shouldn't exist, for me it has to be zero tolerance.

"I don't think it's LaLiga's problem. It's a general, cultural problem in society. Society doesn't have the education it should have.

"With such an important issue I wouldn't focus on Vinicius or LaLiga or the punishments. It's much bigger."

A number of Madrid's key players are set to run out of contract at the end of this season, including midfield pair Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

Ancelotti is relaxed over their futures though, explaining: "Football is changing. When a player reaches the end of his contract it isn't as worrying as it was a few years ago.

"A lot of players reach the end of their contract and it's no problem, if they want to stay, they stay, and if they want to go, they go. Clubs aren't so worried about that."

The transfer window closed on Thursday, leaving Madrid coach Ancelotti with a squad to work with at least until January.

But there remains work to do in the coming months if this hugely successful group is to stay together beyond the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Madrid have a host of players out of contract at the end of the season; some, like Marco Asensio, seem certain to leave, but Benzema, Modric, Kroos and Nacho are all key men.

Benzema is reportedly expected to sign a one-year extension, however, while Modric has done so in each of the past two years.

And Ancelotti sees this approach as sensible, remaining confident these top performers will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu as long as they are wanted.

"There are some players who are in the final year of their contract with the club, but that's not an issue," he said.

Ancelotti added: "You look at Modric, Kroos, Karim, Nacho, these are players who want to stay here until they finish their careers, sometimes signing one-year contracts.

"I don't think having a player in the final year of his contract is an issue.

"There are a lot of clubs who have players in their final year of contract, because you've got to look at the economy of a club and how clubs are run.

"That's why now we're seeing more players reach their final year of contract.

"Look at our veteran players and what we do with them, bringing in their contracts on a yearly basis."

Vinicius has contributed 18 goal involvements (10 goals, eight assists) during another fine campaign in LaLiga, but the Brazilian has repeatedly received harsh treatment from opposing defenders.

The winger was the centre of attention once again during Tuesday's 4-2 defeat at Girona, being booked for his furious reaction after Santiago Bueno aggressively kicked the ball against him.

Vinicius has drawn 113 fouls in LaLiga this season, comfortably the highest tally in the competition – Rayo Vallecano's Isi Palazon is second with 87.

Vinicius has also been targeted by racist chants from opposing supporters on multiple occasions this term, causing LaLiga to release several statements in support of the 22-year-old.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's fixture against Almeria, Ancelotti repeated his calls for Vinicius to receive more protection on and off the pitch, saying: "He's a player that dribbles one-on-one. In order to stop these players, people stop them with fouls.

"We are concerned for our player, and the only way to preserve these players is justice. Only this can prevent injuries from happening.

"It's true that Vinicius suffers a lot of nasty tackles. In the past there were other players, like Diego Maradona and Pele, who also suffered a lot from these challenges.

"We have been very lucky that Vinicius has a strong physique and is capable of enduring them. He has not had any injuries.

"There are two topics – one inside the pitch and one outside the pitch. One of them, on the outside, is bad for society. A modern society cannot be like that."

With Madrid trailing Barcelona by 11 points at the top of LaLiga, some have suggested Ancelotti's own future could be dictated by his team's ability to defend their Champions League crown.

Ancelotti has previously expressed a desire to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu until the expiration of his contract in 2024, and the Italian repeated that intention on Friday.

Asked whether he needed to lead Madrid to a 15th European Cup/Champions League title to keep his job, Ancelotti said: "That is not so. 

"My future is already written, I'll stay until 2024. After that, I don't know."

Madrid never led at Montilivi, falling 2-0 down inside 24 minutes thanks to a couple of goals from Taty Castellanos.

Vinicius Junior pulled one back, but Castellanos added another two in the second half before Lucas Vazquez's late consolation.

Castellanos became the first player this century to score four goals in one LaLiga game against Madrid, and the defeat means Barcelona could extend their lead at the summit to 14 points on Wednesday.

While Madrid's LaLiga hopes are all but over, they are into the Champions League semi-finals and final of the Copa del Rey – they still have much to play for this term, and Ancelotti hopes this defeat jolts them back into life.

Asked if the loss could be a wake-up call, Ancelotti said: "Yes, it can be, although a loss is never good.

"I reiterate the importance of defensive commitment: if we have that, we will always win, and if not, it will cost us. That is the key, our key, and today we didn't have it.

"Of the last seven games, we kept six clean sheets, and in this game, [we conceded] four goals. I hope my players have understood. If not, I will repeat it to them every day."

But it was not just the defence Ancelotti was frustrated by.

He found the individual level lacking across the team and felt they did not work collectively after finding themselves in trouble

"It's tough, because when you lose it has to be tough," he added. "The game was bad in defence and that has been the key, because we did well with the ball, especially at the beginning.

"But we weren't forceful in duels, they caught us on two counters... and from there, everything became more difficult.

"We tried to come back individually, not as a team, because today the team has not played. The individual level was also below normal, but not just for some, rather in general. The level was very low."

Veteran Kroos played his final league game for Madrid on Saturday, with a goalless draw against Real Betis hardly befitting of his illustrious time with the LaLiga champions.

The 34-year-old will still have one more appearance to come for Los Blancos in next Saturday's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley Stadium.

Yet having played for a final occasion at Madrid's storied home ground, Ancelotti was quick to praise Kroos.

"One of the greatest, obviously," Ancelotti told a press conference. "A very high-quality midfielder, with a fantastic character, with a small ego, very humble and always at the service of the team, very altruistic. What luck to have had him for 10 years.

"To do better than Kroos has done, in this team, is very complicated. He has made a very strong decision [to retire], because nobody could have imagined it, but he has shown a lot of character and to say goodbye like that is great.

"It is the farewell of a great football character and, I repeat, we have been lucky to have him here. Football has enjoyed a great player."

On his 306th LaLiga appearance, a tally bettered by only one other German (Bernd Schuster, with 316), Kroos bowed out in typical style, having the most touches (122), creating the most chances (three), playing the most passes (110) and completing the most passes (107) of any player on the pitch.

"I can only say thank you to all the Madridismo, to the club, to my team mates, to the stadium," Kroos told reporters after his Madrid farewell.

"I've always felt at home during these 10 years. I couldn't ask for more. They have been 10 unforgettable years.

"I was pretty strong until I saw my children, that moment killed me."

Kroos will end his playing days with the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament, where he will hope to guide hosts Germany to glory on home soil.

Koeman was axed by the Blaugrana following their dismal start to the new season, capped by Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano, leaving them ninth in LaLiga.

Intense speculation and pressure had mounted about the Dutchman's future for the past month and former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss Ancelotti weighed in.

"I've been sacked several times and I'm still here, alive and happy," Ancelotti told reporters after Madrid's 0-0 home draw with Osasuna.

"Getting sacked is part of the job and you have to give it everything you've got until the day you're sacked.

"You have to look forward while keeping a clear conscience. He’s giving everything he has to give."

Madrid's draw with Osasuna moved them into top spot in LaLiga but left them with only four points collected from their past four league games.

Ancelotti's side are also winless from their past three home games, including a 2-1 home defeat to Sheriff in the Champions League.

The stalemate with Osasuna follows a goalless draw with Villarreal in LaLiga, meaning Madrid have recorded back-to-back 0-0 draws in home games in the league for the fourth time, and first since November 1996 under Fabio Capello.

"Of the three games, we deserved to win two of them," Ancelotti said. "We have to understand that they are difficult games for this squad, because in this game we lacked presence in the box.

"But do you want the truth? You can call me crazy, but I liked the performance. Especially in the second half. My players have given everything and we have to keep going."

Ancelotti bemoaned a first-half incident where Los Blancos were denied a penalty after Vinicius Junior was stamped inside the box by Osasuna's Lucas Torro. The Madrid boss also felt aggrieved at a lack of stoppage time in the second half.

"The penalty is a complicated issue. All I saw, was Vinicius asking the referee to take a look at VAR and he didn't get why," Ancelotti said.

"Then I understood why, he stamps on him and I think it's a penalty. Why VAR did not intervene I don't know.

"I told the referee I felt he hadn't added enough injury time given how the game had gone. I asked him for an explanation but it wasn't very convincing."

Vinicius Junior was busy throughout, attempting 71 passes (64 completed), which was his highest in a single game for Madrid in all competitions.

Despite Benzema's return from a three-week injury lay-off, Madrid produced a disjointed performance on Sunday, squandering a first-half lead when Kike Garcia cancelled out Vinicius Junior's fortunate opener.

Benzema had the chance to fire Madrid to a seventh consecutive league victory when David Garcia was sent off for a push on the striker six yards out, but the France star crashed his spot-kick against the crossbar.

Osasuna's 10 men held on for a point in comfortable fashion thereafter, and Benzema has now missed three penalties against Jagoba Arrasate's team in LaLiga this year.

Ancelotti refused to blame Benzema for the result, however, and insisted Madrid had not performed badly, telling DAZN: "Karim usually scores. 

"The match wasn't spectacular, but after the goal we conceded, the team played as it had to play. 

"Karim had no problems starting to play 90 minutes. He has to get in the best shape by playing. 

"It's a footballing accident that can sometimes happen. We've been quite solid at the back, we had a good balance, we hardly conceded any counter-attacks."

Osasuna have now claimed three draws against Madrid since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, more than any other team in LaLiga.

Madrid's failure to find a winning goal means they remain behind Barcelona on goal difference at the summit, and midfielder Dani Ceballos says they lacked dynamism in Sunday's draw. 

"We wanted the three points, we tried until the end, but we have lost two points," he said. "We improved in the last minutes, but we have not been able to get the victory.

"We were not good facing the goal, nor with the ball, we lacked a bit of dynamism. We have another game on Wednesday [against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League] to face in a good way."

Benzema scored twice in five second-half minutes to put the game beyond Madrid's hosts on Monday, but he looked in some discomfort while celebrating Los Blancos' third goal.

Soon after, in the 85th minute, Benzema departed having indicated a problem with his calf, forcing Madrid to close out the match with 10 men as they had already used their five permitted substitutions.

The two goals moved Benzema's season tally to 22 in 25 LaLiga matches, and although Ancelotti admitted they are in "wait and see" mode, he does not expect anything serious.

A major problem for their key man would be a significant blow for Madrid ahead of Sunday's El Clasico.

"We have to evaluate him in the next few days – things don't seem very serious," Ancelotti said.

"Karim did not feel good after a jump – we have to wait until Wednesday [to learn more]."

Real Madrid now sit 10 points clear of second-placed Sevilla but face a serious test of their credentials next with the visit of a resurgent Barcelona.

Chelsea caretaker manager Frank Lampard revealed on Monday that Boehly routinely speaks to the team, saying he is fine with that being the case.

Former Blues boss Ancelotti said that if Lampard is comfortable with it, he does not think it is a problem.

Chelsea's 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday was their third loss in a row, and they are without a win in six (D2 L4), sitting in 11th place in the Premier League.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Madrid's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea, Ancelotti said: "To have a speech from the owner could be an important thing for the players. The Chelsea moment is not a good moment... if the owner wants to talk to the players, absolutely."

However, he stopped short of signing off on the idea of Madrid president Florentino Perez doing the same in his dressing room.

"If [Perez] wants to talk to me every game, I would be happy to do that," he said. "The owner[/president] has the right to know what the decisions of the manager are."

Los Blancos take a 2-0 lead into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, and Ancelotti knows the job is not yet done, with his team almost throwing away a two-goal advantage at the same stage against the same opposition in last year's competition.

After winning 3-1 at Stamford Bridge, Madrid were 3-0 down in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, only for a Rodrygo goal to send it to extra-time before Karim Benzema scored the winner.

"[We have] plenty of motivation," he said. "It's a big game, and we know we have to put in a good performance.

"There are still at least 90 minutes to play, and anything can happen, but we will be ready."

The Italian would not be drawn on links with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, with reports suggesting Madrid and Manchester City are at the front of the queue for the England international after Liverpool allegedly withdrew their interest due to finances.

"Unfortunately, Bellingham is a Dortmund player, and I don't like to talk about players of other teams. Sorry," Ancelotti said.

Los Blancos advanced to the final after prevailing in a thrilling encounter at the King Fahd Stadium on Wednesday.

Madrid were twice pegged back, so the contest went into extra-time as strikes from Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema were cancelled out by Luuk de Jong and Ansu Fati. 

But Ancelotti's side edged their noses back in front through substitute Federico Valverde in the 98th minute, claiming their fifth successive win over Barca.

And the Italian saluted the efforts of his players, who must prepare to do battle against either Atletico Madrid or Athletic Bilbao in Sunday's final.

"I have to be honest, Barcelona played a good game," he told Movistar.

"I don't think Barcelona dominated us, they controlled the ball; we were very effective on the counter. It was an entertaining game.

"There was a good atmosphere in the stands and although it is not the most important title, it was an important game.

"The physical and mental effort was very big, but we held up well until the end. The changes helped; we are tired, but very happy. 

"The important thing is to be in the final, not the rival."

Madrid were held to a 0-0 draw with Osasuna on Wednesday, making it three home matches without a win in all competitions.

However, Los Blancos felt they should have had a first-half penalty, Vinicius Junior supposedly taken down by Lucas Torro but neither referee Cesar Soto Grado nor VAR saw an infringement.

Speaking before the trip to Elche, Ancelotti explained his frustrations with Spanish top-flight officiating while comparing the quality to his previous tenure.

"I don't want to get into the issue of the referees," Ancelotti told reporters at Friday's pre-match news conference.

"There is a lot of trouble. I think that in general the end of matches are very interrupted and that has to be fixed because it is not good for the show.

"I am convinced that VAR is a good invention but in things that are not objective it is a bit complicated. I believe that VAR has fixed many things up to now.

"There are some rules that are complicated. And some unfair. For me, when a player is offside, he is offside.

"The level of the Spanish referees is neither better nor worse. It is different.

"Spanish football is now a more global football, with more styles than before when I was there. In my first stage, Spanish football was more physical."

Madrid have enjoyed consistent success on visits to Elche, who have lost nine of their last 10 LaLiga meetings with Saturday's opponents.

Indeed, Ancelotti's side have gone five top-flight away games without losing at Elche but the former Milan head coach implored his team to improve their finishing.

"We prepare for the game knowing that we have to continue with this commitment and try to play well and do things well from a strategic point of view," he continued.

"We need to work on the offensive aspect. We work to create opportunities and we have them but we must improve the finishes.

"I don't have any non-negotiable system. I think 4-3-3 is where the players are most satisfied but nothing else. You also have to see the situation of the matches."

The 33-year-old has scored 34 goals for Madrid this calendar year and was recalled to the France squad in May after a six-year exile.

Benzema's combined 46 goals and assists in 2021 has been bettered only by Erling Haaland (48), Kylian Mbappe (51) and Robert Lewandowski (59) from Europe's top five leagues when taking all club competitions into account.

The Madrid striker finished behind Euro 2020 winner Jorginho, Lewandowski and record seven-time winner Lionel Messi at Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony, with N'Golo Kante completing the top five.

Benzema's Madrid team-mate Toni Kroos has argued the Frenchman did more than Paris Saint-Germain star Messi this year to win the award.

But Ancelotti accepts the decision, determined by journalists from across the world, and insists Benzema will not be fazed by finishing outside the top three.

"We have to give fair value to the classification," he said at a news conference previewing Wednesday's LaLiga contest with Athletic Bilbao.

"Messi has won and we must congratulate him. The individual awards are important but if they do not win it is not a catastrophe. I hope next year a Madrid player will win it.

"Benzema has had a great season and finished fourth. He will continue to be motivated to try to be first next time.

"If I had a vote, I would not choose any player outside of my own team. I'd have voted Benzema first, Vinicius [Junior] second, [Thibaut] Courtois third, Casemiro fourth.

"But you have to respect and congratulate Messi on winning."

Madrid-linked forward Kylian Mbappe finished ninth, but Ancelotti does not believe leaving Paris Saint-Germain will necessarily enhance his chances of winning the coveted crown.

"Playing for a great club can help you, but it is still an individual prize," Ancelotti said when asked specifically about Mbappe.

"These players will not cry because they have not won the award. The likes of Benzema and Courtois will accept it without a problem."

Benzema and Vinicius are in contention to start Wednesday's clash with Athletic as Madrid aim to make it five league wins in a row and maintain a four-point lead at the top.

Madrid are unbeaten in their last 12 LaLiga games against Athletic (W8 D4), one short of their best unbeaten run against the Basque club in the top flight.

Ancelotti, who has lost only one of his four LaLiga games against Athletic, is prepared to make changes to Madrid's line-up three days on from their 2-1 win against Sevilla.

"It's an evaluation I make every day," he said. "The dynamics of the team right now are very good. I won't rotate for the sake of it, but if we have any risks then of course we will do it.

"We are facing a well organised team at the back. Marcelino trains all his teams very well, especially in a defensive sense.

"This game will demand a lot from us and we need some offensive clarity. They are also a team that attacks vertically, so we must show good balance."

Despite having to contend with injury problems and a congested schedule, Ancelotti reiterated Madrid are not likely to bring in any new players in January.

"You have the summer to improve the squad," he said. "I don't like using January to adjust as that means something must have gone wrong in the summer.

"If players are not happy then we'll think about it, but we are not looking to sign. The squad is fine and will compete until the end."

Barca claimed a smash-and-grab victory at the Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday to take a slender advantage into next month's return game at Camp Nou.

The decisive goal came in the 26th minute when Franck Kessie's shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois before going in off Eder Militao.

Madrid were largely dominant otherwise, with Barca having just 35.3 per cent of the possession – that is their smallest share of the ball in a single match since Opta records began (2013-14 season).

Similarly, it was only the third time since the start of last year that Barca have recorded less than 50 per cent possession in a match.

Ancelotti was unimpressed by Barca's performance and remains confident Madrid will reach the final, despite Los Blancos failing to get a single shot on target for only the third time in a decade.

"The team played well," he told reporters. "Barcelona played like they didn't want to play.

"We haven't been good in the last third. Defeat hurts, but if we do the same in the second leg, we have a chance to progress.

"We played the game we have to play: pressing, playing with intensity. We lacked a goal, but they did nothing to score. They were lucky with a rebound. We have 90 minutes [to turn it around]."

He added: "We've failed, but we did not deserve to lose. But in 90 minutes we can score a goal in Barcelona."

Despite the obvious frustration in his voice, Ancelotti was undoubtedly impressed with how Madrid managed to control the majority of the game, forcing Barca to play mostly on the edge of their own box.

"It's a very bad result, undeserved, but it was a game well done on our part, with intensity and commitment.

"We didn't let Barca play the way they want. They had a very low block, not because they wanted to, but because we made them do it.

"It was difficult to have opportunities, we tried from outside the box, but they have great defenders and they gave us problems in the crosses.

"It was difficult to find spaces. They were very closed off. I have nothing to reproach. I am very happy and I am very excited to do the same in the second leg.

"They have an advantage, but we have all the confidence in the world to be able [to turn it around]."

The second leg is at Camp Nou on April 5.

French striker Benzema captured world football's most prestigious individual annual prize on Monday, finishing ahead of Sadio Mane and Kevin De Bruyne in the podium places.

He was the obviously outstanding candidate after starring – and often captaining – Madrid on their way to LaLiga and Champions League success last season.

The timeframe for the award has changed, shifting from a calendar year gong to one that celebrates achievement from August 1 to July 31.

The new system will continue, so early season efforts in 2022-23 will count towards next year's Ballon d'Or.

Benzema has made a steady start to this campaign, certainly not as eye-catching as Erling Haaland at Manchester City, whose goals could put him in the picture, despite Norway failing to qualify for the World Cup.

Now Ancelotti is urging Benzema to kick on, saying of his prize: "We are very happy. He said that he is very proud of this award and has thanked all his colleagues.

"We have to think about the next Ballon d'Or. He can start tomorrow."

Ancelotti said he felt "proud" of the 34-year-old and also Thibaut Courtois, who landed the prize for the best goalkeeper and finished seventh in the main vote.

Courtois questioned whether a goalkeeper stood any chance of taking the top prize. Lev Yashin, in 1963, is the only keeper to have laid his hands on the trophy.

Speaking after the awards, Courtois said: "It seems that it is better to score a goal than to save one. It is a battle that remains to be won. Seeing the logic of the vote, I had no chance of finishing very high, nor of winning it of course."

At least Courtois could join Benzema in celebrating individual prizes, with Madrid surprisingly pipped to the team award by Premier League champions Manchester City, who Madrid beat in the Champions League semi-finals.

Ancelotti, who will be without the injured Courtois at Elche, saluted Benzema's development into a talisman for the Spanish capital giants.

"He is a player who has much more responsibility and feels much more like a leader than he was eight years ago," said Ancelotti.

"Technically he hasn't changed much, because his technical quality is the same. What has changed is his responsibility and his attitude."

Madrid will hope to follow the individual success with another win on the road, having won all of their five away games so far in LaLiga this term.

They lead LaLiga by three points from Barcelona after winning Sunday's Clasico.

Elche, meanwhile, are winless in their last 12 matches against Madrid in LaLiga (D2 L10), since a 3-1 victory in March 1978.

Rather than just run through the usual categories highlighting the best player and best coach – although we will do that, too – why not focus on some alternative prizes?

The NBA Awards provide a fine blueprint, rewarding superstars alongside breakout performers, recovering veterans and valuable bench players.

Relying heavily on Opta data, we'll steer clear of team honours – a blow to Wout Weghorst, whose eight blocks (leading all forwards in Europe's top five leagues) might have carved out a spot leading the All-Defensive First Team – but there remains plenty to go at...

Most Valuable Player

Only one player had more goal involvements than Karim Benzema (39) in the top five leagues this season, and Real Madrid would really rather not talk about the man top of the charts. That other leading France forward had a hand in 45 goals, yet the value of Benzema's contributions to a LaLiga title triumph separates him from the rest.

Benzema's goal involvements were worth 29 points across the season, the most of any player, with Kylian Mbappe, of course, second on 28. Just considering Benzema's 27 goals, he accounted for 20 points – trailing Dusan Vlahovic (22 points) alone.

Required to perform repeated rescue acts in the Champions League, too, Madrid's number nine played only 2,596 minutes in LaLiga – or 75.9 per cent of the full season. He was therefore involved in a goal every 67 minutes, narrowly second in this regard behind Erling Haaland (66 minutes) among those to play 1,000 minutes or more across Europe.

Coach of the Year

Were this the NBA, Carlo Ancelotti would surely also qualify for the Lifetime Achievement Award. In guiding Benzema and Madrid to the LaLiga title, the Italian became the first coach to win each of Europe's top five leagues, following successes in Serie A with Milan, the Premier League with Chelsea, Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti, also the oldest LaLiga-winning coach at 62, earned only two more points than Zinedine Zidane had in finishing second in the prior season, but Madrid maintained this high standard despite losing both of their senior centre-backs heading into the campaign as they seemingly saved for the now failed pursuit of Mbappe.

Meanwhile, Everton, the team Ancelotti left for his second Madrid stint, finished 20 points short of their 2020-21 total, spending the season battling relegation rather than chasing Europe and perhaps putting his work at Goodison Park in context.

Rookie of the Year

Given the differences between the NBA and Europe's top five leagues, it is difficult to quantify exactly how many players might be considered 'rookies', let alone identify the best of them. Someone like Luis Diaz, for example, played his first minutes in the top five leagues this season, yet he had already scored goals in the Champions League and Copa America so surely doesn't fit the bill.

On the other hand, Hugo Ekitike definitely does.

Among the nine players who were teenagers at the start of the season and finished with 10 or more goal involvements, only Ekitike had never previously started a game in Europe's top five leagues. His 13 involvements in 2021-22 (10 goals, three assists) arrived every 98 minutes on average, the best rate of this group and the 18th-best overall – just behind Neymar (also 98 mins) and ahead of Son Heung-min (101 mins).

The 19-year-old Reims forward, who turned down a transfer to Newcastle United in January before sustaining a thigh injury, scored with an astonishing 32.3 per cent of his shots – second behind Wissam Ben Yedder (34.7 per cent) among players with 20 or more attempts – and has been linked with moves to PSG and Borussia Dortmund, as well as St James' Park.

Defensive Player of the Year

As elsewhere, many of these awards focus on offensive talents, so there is a dedicated category for the best defender – and there could really only be one winner this year.

Injury restricted Virgil van Dijk to 371 minutes in 2019-20, and he was badly missed by Liverpool in their title defence, as they conceded 42 Premier League goals – their most since shipping the same number in the season before the centre-back's 2018 arrival.

With Van Dijk fit again this term and missing only four matches, the Reds conceded the joint-fewest number of goals across the top five leagues (26, tied with Manchester City). No defender played a part in more clean sheets (21).

Those figures show the impact Van Dijk had on the team as a whole, but his performances in individual battles were equally impressive. The Liverpool man won 73.5 per cent of his duels and 77.5 per cent of his aerial duels – both the best marks of defenders to make 30 or more appearances in the top five leagues.

Comeback Player of the Year

Okay, so the NBA no longer highlights a Comeback Player of the Year, but the NFL continues to identify an individual who has overcome the adversity of the previous campaign, allowing us to recognise one of the stories of the season.

Of course, for the reasons outlined above, Van Dijk might have had a claim to this prize in any other year, yet he is beaten this time by a player who actually won Serie A in 2020-21.

Within weeks of that title triumph, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, prompting fears for his life and then, even after his recovery, his career.

But Eriksen was fitted with an ICD, left Inter, joined Brentford in January and promptly won each of the first five Premier League games he started for the relegation-threatened Bees. Finishing with seven victories from 10 starts, only nine players in the top five leagues created more chances over this period than Eriksen (29, including four assists).

Most Improved Player

There were no shortage of players showing signs of significant improvement in 2021-22. Five-goal Euro 2020 forward Patrik Schick starred on the club stage at last, Newcastle striker-turned-midfielder Joelinton enjoyed a resurgence and Vinicius Junior was outstanding as Benzema's foil, but Christopher Nkunku stood head and shoulders above the rest as he swiftly established himself among Europe's elite.

Nkunku had scored a mere six goals and assisted the same number for RB Leipzig in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, but those goal involvements increased dramatically from 12 to 33 this season, ranking fifth across Europe's top five leagues and joint-third when excluding penalties (32). With 20 total goals and 13 assists, the newly capped France international was one of just 12 players to reach double figures in both categories.

Of players to feature in at least 20 games in each of the past two campaigns, only Moussa Dembele (20) and Schick (15) improved their season-on-season goal tallies by a greater margin than Nkunku (14); Dembele alone (24) showed greater improvement in terms of goal involvements (21).

In a season in which Leipzig recovered from a slow start to make the top four by a single point, Nkunku's contributions were vital. He had a hand in 45.8 per cent of their Bundesliga goals and 50.8 per cent of those he was on the field for.

Twelfth Man of the Year

The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year is recognised as the season's most impactful bench player, which feels like a nice addition here.

Were this a long-standing European football award, it might have by now been renamed in honour of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored 17 goals in 84 Premier League substitute appearances – one every 88 minutes on average. Given Rodrygo Goes and Eduardo Camavinga largely reserved their heroics for the Champions League, the 2021-22 equivalent in the top five leagues could be Matheus Cunha.

Ben Yedder scored the most goals from the bench this season, but those seven counted towards 25 in total as he also started 29 matches. Cunha was restricted to only eight starts for Atletico Madrid, yet he scored three and assisted four in 21 outings as a substitute, matching Ben Yedder and Ignacio Pussetto with a Europe-high seven such goal involvements.

Atletico's man in times of need, Cunha contributed to vital goals, too. He was one of only two players to both score and assist in the same game as a substitute on more than one occasion (also Arnaud Nordin), with the second of those two performances seeing the Brazil forward introduced against Valencia with his side 2-0 down; Cunha scored seven minutes after his introduction and later teed up the winner in a 3-2 victory, justifying his season-long role as a super-sub.

Plying their trade in the Segunda Federacion, Cacereno more than held their own as the the European and LaLiga champions were unconvincing with Carlo Ancelotti having made nine alterations following the victory over Real Valladolid on Friday.

But in the 69th minute, Rodrygo jinked onto his right foot before arrowing into the top-right corner and that proved be enough to see Madrid through.

Madrid's hopes of winning a 20th Copa del Rey, and their first since the 2013-14 campaign, remain alive but they made hard work of the victory.

It took until the 16th minute for the first shot on target of the contest, Dani Ceballos sending a tame long-range effort into the waiting hands of Ivan Moreno in the Cacereno goal.

The underdogs largely kept their opponents at bay during the first half and had a couple of attempts of their own, with David Grande testing Andriy Lunin before Carmelo Merenciano saw a shot deflected over the crossbar.

Ancelotti made a pair of changes at the break, but they had little impact as Cacereno continued to look the more threatening of the two teams, though Marco Asensio stung the palms of Moreno with a fierce drive.

Madrid were in need of a moment of quality, and Rodrygo provided one it in abundance when a mazy run into the box ended with the forward superbly curling home.

Ancelotti's men would not relinquish that lead, despite some late pressure, and they are in the hat for the next round.

Brazil are yet to appoint a successor to Tite, whose six-year stint in charge came to an end after the five-time world champions were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the 2022 World Cup by Croatia.

Ramon Menezes, who guided Brazil's Under-20s to South American U-20 Championship in February, has taken over on an interim basis for Saturday's friendly against Morocco.

The coach who has been linked with the full-time role the most, however, is Ancelotti.

Several Brazil players have openly approved his potential candidacy and Casemiro joined the chorus, though the former Madrid player reminded his team-mates of a need to respect Ancelotti's employers.

"Firstly, what we players would like to have is a capable coach with great players," Casemiro told reporters on Friday.

"We have 30, 40, 50 players of exceptional level. You could make three, four teams that could compete with any other team in the world.

"As far as Ancelotti is concerned, he is a coach that I already know, I know very well. He is a friend of mine, he is someone I have admired in football and it was a pleasure to work with him.

"But there is also another side to this; Ancelotti has a club, which is Real Madrid. We have to respect the club and Ancelotti."

He added: "Ancelotti has already won everything in his career. He is a coach with a lot of experience and, without a doubt Ancelotti is a great coach."

Casemiro was also careful not to completely rule Ramon out of the running.

A former Brazil international who enjoyed a 26-year professional career and has spent much of the past decade in various coaching roles, Ramon is not thought to be among the frontrunners for the full-time job.

But Casemiro pointed out the 50-year-old now has an opportunity to stake his claim and insisted the players are treating him as if he was there for the long term.

"We also have a coach here, who is Ramon," Casemiro continued. "He is not the permanent one, but he is here to play this game and we know that in life there are opportunities.

"Today, he is not permanent, but if he does a great job, [and] if the names that the president [of the Brazilian Football Confederation] wants do not accept, Ramon is there.

"From the moment I came here, I am respecting that and treating him as if he was the coach of a World Cup. Not only me, but all the players are respecting him because he is the coach now, and you have to have respect for the coach."

With the outbreak of COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the globe, it has resulted in the postponement of competitions worldwide as governments attempt to combat the pandemic.

A small number of events still went ahead, but sports stars, teams and indeed supporters were otherwise left to find other means of entertainment.

With the number of confirmed cases worldwide now totalling over 155,000, we round up all the latest news and updates.

Germany's prestige friendly with Italylater this month became the latest football fixture to bite the dust, with the majority of upcoming international matches having now been wiped out.

More major organisations have halted all footballing activities until a later date, including Qatar, Moroccoand Egypt.

A small number of competitions, most notably the A-League, Russian Premier League and Mexico's Liga MX, did manage to go ahead as planned.

Indeed, NRL games also avoided the cut, as did a handful of Super Rugby matches before an indefinite ban was put in place later in the day.

Another competition to fall was Australia's one-day international series against New Zealand, which was already being played behind closed doors.

With New Zealand's government introducing strict protocols to attempt to slow the spread of the virus, the Black Caps – along with Super Rugby side Highlanders – returned home from Australia and Argentina respectively in order to beat the new restrictions, which will mean any new arrival to the country, even if they are a citizen, has to self-isolate for 14 days.

With the top-four tiers of English football being shelved until at least early April, there was plenty of focus on the National League as six games were given the green light.

There was some controversy in Argentina as River Plate's Copa Superligaclash with Atletico Tucuman was suspended after the home side refused to open their stadium.

Independiente's tie with Velez Sarsfield was played out in full, albeit behind closed doors, with the hosts claiming a 1-0 victory.

In Italy, Napoliurged their supporters to sing from their balconies in unison as Fiorentina's Patrick Cutrone and two more Sampdoriaplayers tested positive for COVID-19.

Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy revealed a negative test result after recently self-isolating, but Carlo Ancelottiand Angelo Ogbonna questioned the Premier League's handling of the outbreak, while Jordan Pickford denied reports he is self-isolating.

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady, meanwhile, claimed the competition should be "void" – a suggestion Liverpoollegend Jamie Carragher quickly dismissed.

The lack of football did not stop certain clubs from keeping supporters entertained, though, with LaLiga side Leganes posting live updates of a fictitious match against Real Valladolid, which they won 2-1.

Perhaps inspired by their Spanish counterparts, Southamptongot Manchester City involved in an online game of noughts and crosses to help fill the void.

The downtime also gave football stars a chance to recuperate, with Sergio Ramos and Alexis Sanchez among those to post images of their extra-curricular activities.

Others, such as Liverpoolgoalkeeper Alisson and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, opted to use social media to educate their followers on how to properly wash their hands, while Barcelonasuperstar Lionel Messi used his profile to echo the sentiments of Cristiano Ronaldo in calling for people to follow the guidance of health organisations.

As Ronaldo and Jurgen Klopp were praised by the World Health Organisation for "protecting people from coronavirus", former United States president Barack Obama hailed a host of NBA stars – including Giannis Antetokounmpoand Zion Williamson – for donating large amounts to help support arena staff during the league's hiatus.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor labelled the pandemic "a stupid f****** virus", but later moved to clarify his aunt did not die after contracting the disease after previously suggesting as such.

And in more positive news, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe revealed his country still plan for the 2020 Olympic Games to go ahead in Tokyo, starting in late July.

The International Olympic Committee will have the final say, but ABE is confident the Games will be staged "without problem".

The Premier League performed a U-turn on Friday by announcing all games will be suspended until April 3 in wake of a number of high-profile incidents.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is among those to have contracted COVID-19 and Everton's squad and staff were told to self-isolate after one of their players showed symptoms consistent with the virus.

Ancelotti feels the time is right to postpone football at all levels and is unsure when exactly his side will reconvene to complete their remaining fixtures.

"We're not really self-isolating at all, but some prevention measures did come in after a player had a fever, but his temperature has dropped now and that’s the most important thing," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"The Premier League did stop eventually, and it's about time. It was the right decision faced with the scenario. We couldn't continue. Health is the most important thing for everyone: teams, fans, media, everyone who works in football.

"In theory, we ought to get back to work on March 22, but if the situation should worsen, how can we even think of that? If the coronavirus is still spreading rapidly, football cannot resume.

"Football counts for zero right now and it almost irritates me to be talking about it, faced with the tragedy that is unfolding in front of our eyes. This is a pandemic, a situation none of us had experienced before now."

There have been more than 21,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in Italy, with close to 1,500 deaths - second only to China - while 21 people have died in the UK.

And the Italian coach was unconvinced by comments from Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday when suggesting life should continue as normal.

"The number of deaths in Italy is terrible. In one day, another 250 people died. The priority is to concentrate on this fight, the rest doesn't matter," Ancelotti said.

"Italy were forced to understand that it was time to stop being superficial, they had to respect the orders and stay home, to respect themselves and others during this war.

"I watched Boris Johnson's speech on TV and it seems to be someone here hasn't realised the gravity of the situation. Life continues as normal, to a certain degree."

Everton head coach Ancelotti has spoken with Klopp amid the coronavirus pandemic and said the German had concerns over his side’s continental fixture going ahead in front of a full stadium on March 11.

Liverpool went out of the Champions League after the second leg of their last-16 tie ended in a 4-2 aggregate defeat, their last match before top-level football was widely halted due to the outbreak.

Ancelotti told Corriere dello Sport: "I heard from Klopp the other day, he told me that going ahead with the game in those conditions was a criminal act. I think he was right."

Former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Milan boss Ancelotti predicts there will be an economic "downsizing" after the virus has passed, with football feeling the effects of that.

"We are all living a life that we were not used to and that will change us profoundly," he said. "I'm sure we will all have to downsize, starting with football.

"Today, the priority is health, limiting the contagion. When you start again, when you finish, the dates - believe me, I don't care. At the moment, that's the last thing on my mind.

"I hear talk about cutting salaries, suspension of payments. They seem like inopportune solutions.

"Soon the economy will change, and that's at all levels: The TV rights will be less, players and coaches will earn less, tickets will cost less because people will have less money.

"I repeat, what matters now is to fight the virus effectively. Then, of course, if it will be possible to continue the season... otherwise, amen."