"Ancelotti has done everything for me, he has changed me"

Brazilian Vinicius Junior credits Carlo Ancelotti for his progression to become one of the best players in the world and, four days away from winning his second Champions League with Madrid, acknowledged that the Italian coach ‘has done everything’ for him in his growth.

"He has done everything for me. He has always given me confidence, he has scolded me when I have needed it and we have developed a very good relationship. He cares about me as much as I care about him," he said in an interview with UEFA.

"He has changed me as a player, not on the pitch, but in the way I think about training and development. He always says that my humility is my greatest virtue because I always listen to others. When I score a goal in a game, I always want my teammates to score too, to be in a better position. Every day he teaches me more on and off the pitch," he added.

One key to Vinicius' continued progression is his desire to improve: “I've always had it, but after arriving here with Real Madrid legends who don't stop improving in every training session and always want to win, that started to rub off on me”.

The Brazilian striker admits that he looks to the players with the most Champions League titles in the dressing room, such as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, and the influence Karim Benzema had on him.

"I do everything I can to improve. I learn a lot from all the more experienced players in the squad because they have been through a lot more than me. I always tell them that I prefer to listen to them rather than talk because it will be better for me," he said.

"In the very near future, I can do what all these players, like Luka, Toni or Karim when he was here, have done for me. They transmitted their calm, their experience to me, and I can transmit it to the younger players who are coming into the squad,’ he added.

Happy to have scored in Real Madrid's last Champions League final, when they won the title in Paris against Liverpool with a goal of his own, the Brazilian is hungry for much more.

"I'm happy to have scored in the 2022 final, but I want much more. We always have to focus on the next game, but after this final I want to win another and another. We must be ready and prepare very well for such an important moment that will crown a brilliant season," he conluded.