Ancelotti: Bellingham is Great, but I'll Stick with Madrid Youngsters

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valladolid and Real Madrid at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valladolid and Real Madrid at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
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Ancelotti: Bellingham is Great, but I'll Stick with Madrid Youngsters

Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valladolid and Real Madrid at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Valladolid and Real Madrid at the Jose Zorrilla stadium in Valladolid, Spain, Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Pablo Garcia)

Carlo Ancelotti hailed English midfielder Jude Bellingham, who has been linked with a move to his Real Madrid team, but said Friday he has plenty of young talent at his fingertips already.

Los Blancos have three of the most exciting midfield prospects in world football in Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde, AFP said.

Borussia Dortmund's Bellingham played well for England during the World Cup in Qatar until Gareth Southgate's side were knocked out by Tchouameni and Camavinga's France in the quarter-finals.

"Bellingham showed at the World Cup that he is a great midfielder," Ancelotti told reporters on Friday ahead of his team's La Liga clash with Villarreal.

"A lot of youngsters stood out, like Enzo (Fernandez) with Argentina, and the Spaniards Pedri and Gavi had a very nice tournament.

"There are a lot of young midfielders emerging but I'll stick with mine. We have very good ones, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde. We have a lot of youngsters."

French duo Tchouameni and Camavinga finished as runners-up, defeated in the final by Argentina.

Bellingham's deal with Dortmund expires in 2025 and the 19-year-old has been linked with various teams, including Spanish champions Madrid, who sold Casemiro to Manchester United last summer.

Long-serving Madrid midfielders Toni Kroos and 37-year-old Luka Modric have contracts that expire in the summer of 2023.

Los Blancos signed Camavinga, 20, from Rennes in 2021 and then last year brought in Tchouameni, 22, from Monaco.

Valverde, 24, joined Madrid's youth ranks from Penarol in 2016, but has often been deployed on the right flank instead of in central midfield.

They are all establishing themselves at Madrid, who are level on points with league leaders Barcelona ahead of their first match of 2023, a tricky test at Quique Setien's Villarreal on Saturday.

"They have changed a bit, they have a very clear identity, different from (Unai) Emery's Villarreal," added Ancelotti.

"Setien likes attacking football, their players are well positioned on the pitch. To win there, you have to be at your best."



Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Takes a Stake in Audi’s Future F1 Team

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - November 29, 2024 Sauber's Guanyu Zhou, Williams' Franco Colapinto and McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - November 29, 2024 Sauber's Guanyu Zhou, Williams' Franco Colapinto and McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice. (Reuters)
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Qatar’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Takes a Stake in Audi’s Future F1 Team

 Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - November 29, 2024 Sauber's Guanyu Zhou, Williams' Franco Colapinto and McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Qatar Grand Prix - Lusail International Circuit, Lusail, Qatar - November 29, 2024 Sauber's Guanyu Zhou, Williams' Franco Colapinto and McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice. (Reuters)

The sovereign wealth fund of Qatar is acquiring a “significant minority stake” in what will become Audi's works Formula 1 team from 2026, in a deal announced Friday ahead of the Qatar Grand Prix.

A joint statement said the Qatar Investment Authority will be “a long-term investor and partner” and provide “a substantial capital injection” that will help the team expand its infrastructure.

The team is currently competing as Sauber and will be rebranded as the Audi works outfit for 2026 after it reached agreement for a full takeover earlier this year.

“This additional capital will accelerate the team’s growth and is yet another milestone on our long-term strategy,” Audi chief executive Gernot Döllner said in the joint statement.

Qatar is already an investor in the Volkswagen Group, of which Audi is a part.

“QIA believes that Formula 1 is a sport with significant untapped investment potential,” QIA chief executive Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi said.

"The increasing commercialization of professional sports as an entertainment offering globally, and the increasingly global popularity of Formula 1, has made for an exciting opportunity for our first major motorsports investment.”

Sauber is changing both its drivers for 2025, as Nico Hülkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto arrive to replace Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. It is the only team yet to score a point this season.