Legendary Italian coach Fabio Capello has shed light on how Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti played a key role in helping Kylian Mbappe find his form after a rough start.

The French World Cup winner arrived at Madrid last summer after a long transfer saga following his dominance in France with PSG. Expectations were sky-high, but his early days at Valdebebas were far from smooth. He failed to score in his first three La Liga matches and managed just one goal in Madrid’s first five Champions League games.

However, Mbappe has since turned things around. He has scored six goals in his last four Champions League appearances and netted eight times in his last nine La Liga games.

Speaking to the press, Capello credited Ancelotti for understanding Mbappe’s needs and guiding him back to his best. “He has helped Kylian Mbappe a lot, and that is his merit. The most important thing for a coach is to understand his players and where he wants to go. If he doesn’t, it’s a failure. Ancelotti understands him perfectly,” Capello said.

He also dismissed early criticism of the French star, adding, “Many people doubted him, but they didn’t understand anything. Now, you can see he is an extraordinary player at the highest level.”

Mbappe has now scored 27 goals and provided four assists in 39 appearances across all competitions this season, proving once again why he is one of the best in the world.