Ancelotti Expects Benzema, Modric, Kroos to Extend Stay at Real

Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti addresses a press conference following a training session at the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex in Valdebebas, outskirts of Madrid, on April 7, 2023. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti addresses a press conference following a training session at the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex in Valdebebas, outskirts of Madrid, on April 7, 2023. (AFP)
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Ancelotti Expects Benzema, Modric, Kroos to Extend Stay at Real

Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti addresses a press conference following a training session at the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex in Valdebebas, outskirts of Madrid, on April 7, 2023. (AFP)
Real Madrid's Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti addresses a press conference following a training session at the Ciudad Real Madrid training complex in Valdebebas, outskirts of Madrid, on April 7, 2023. (AFP)

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expects the trio of Karim Benzema, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to extend their stay at the LaLiga club with new deals after their current contracts expire at the end of this season.

Ballon d'Or winner Benzema, 35, and 37-year-old Croatia midfielder Modric have helped Real win five Champions League titles, while ex-Germany international Kroos, 33, has won four.

Though Modric and fellow midfielder Kroos have played slightly less this season, former France forward Benzema is Real's top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions.

Ancelotti said the club are in talks with the players about new deals.

"I think (they) will stay," Ancelotti said on Friday. "We have to evaluate the players not by their age but by what they do.

"You can think the three don't have the physical profile or energy of the younger players, but what these three have in terms of game management is unique, you can't buy it on any market in the world.

"This is born with experience - age takes something from you, but it gives you something back as well."

Real are second in LaLiga on 59 points, 12 behind rivals and leaders Barcelona. They host Villarreal later on Saturday.



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.