Karim Benzema
“He is like a fine wine,” Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti beamed in the Champions League post-match press conference at Stamford Bridge. “Every day he is getting better, showing more leadership and he has so much personality. He knows how important a player he is for us.”
Ancelotti could have been speaking of any number of the superstars in his squad, from the midfield core of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos – so crucial in the four Champions League titles between 2014 and 2018 – to the thrilling 21-year-old Brazilian Vinicius Junior, who has emerged as a vital difference-maker this season.
Yet Ancelotti was hailing the player whom he is compelled to
