Ancelotti praises hat-trick hero Vinicius Junior while Valverde thanks ‘beautiful’ support at Spanish Super Cup final

RIYADH: Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has lauded hat-trick hero Vinicius Junior and Saudi Arabia fans who he said inspired his side to a memorable 4-1 Spanish Super Cup final win over Barcelona in Riyadh on Sunday.

Real Madrid were 2-0 ahead after 10 minutes thanks to a double from Vinicius Junior, who performed a “SIUUU!” (meaning “Yes” in Portuguese) celebration at Al-Nassr’s Al-Awwal Park in dedication to his “idol” Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star would no doubt have admired the Brazilian’s finishing, with his hat trick sandwiched by Robert Lewandowski scoring with a thumping volley for Barcelona.

Rodrygo, however, secured Real Madrid’s triumph in the second half by netting a fourth, much to the delight of the white-clad fans at the sold-out stadium who celebrated as captain Nacho lifted the Spanish Super Cup.

Ancelotti said: “Vini played a great game — there were some moments where he needed to calm down — but he’s doing an excellent job.

“There are many Real Madrid fans here and who have supported the team for many years now. We came here to give them the best version of the team. Football in Saudi Arabia is growing, and we will always want to give the fans the best version of the team.

“This was a match we wanted to win, and we have won it out of merit. It was an extraordinary match, we couldn’t be happier. We were confident of winning because the team is in an environment in which any player can create, everybody has a role, and everybody contributes. We were lucky to score two goals in the first 10 minutes and that made the match much easier to win.”

Nacho said: “Vini has proven that he is the best and we are all helping him so he can continue being the best.”

Real Madrid booked their place in this year’s Spanish Super Cup final by defeating city rivals Atletico Madrid 5-3 in Wednesday’s semifinal in Saudi Arabia’s capital city. And Sunday night’s triumph was sweet revenge for last year’s El Clasico finalists in Riyadh, where Barcelona emerged 3-1 victors.

“This is the type of match in which anything can happen, but we were lucky to go in at half time with a 3-1 advantage and when we scored the fourth goal the match was closed. We were better and the victory was well deserved,” Nacho added.

“When I raised the cup, I was thinking about my family. These are very special moments. I said it before, this was a final and a play that can change the game’s balance can come at any time. We got in the right track early in the game and that was great for us.”

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde also praised the fans in Riyadh — the match was a 25,000-capacity sellout, with the vast majority of the crowd backing Los Blancos — for inspiring their win.

“The support the Saudi fans have given us is beautiful,” Valverde said. “It’s amazing that being so far from home we felt so cozy and that is very beautiful. The fans showed us a lot of love, not only in the stadium, but also in the hotel, being with us, giving us their support. It was beautiful and we have really enjoyed it.”

Real Madrid’s win is the fourth time the Spanish Super Cup has been presented on Saudi soil.

Real Madrid were also winners of the first two Spanish Super Cups held in Saudi Arabia, beating Atletico Madrid on penalties in Jeddah in 2020, and Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in Riyadh in 2022.