“I talked with Ancelotti and he gave me a lot of advice to help me become a starter with Brazil. He gave me a lot of confidence,” Vinicius told a press conference on Wednesday.
“He was always was tough with me when he needed to be. He is like a father to me.
“He is good not only with the technical aspects of the game, but also with how he deals with his players.
“I have been improving a lot and Ancelotti has helped me with that. He and [Brazil coach] Tite are very similar and they talk to each other a lot,” the Brazilian added.
Vinicius’ transformation at Real Madrid is quite remarkable. Between 2018 and 2020, the 22-year-old was averaging five goals per season. His assist numbers were not impressive either, he managed just 4 in 2019/20 after 38 games.
Fast forward to 2021/22 when Ancelotti returned to the club. Vini’s numbers blew up as he recorded 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 games.
This is exactly why Vinicius is now in the Ballon d’Or discussion with Roberto Carlos claiming he could win it before long.