Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists he's happy playing young players.
Ancelotti has leaned on veterans like Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric this season.
But he says: It's like the subject of youth. If a player performs, you don't need to look at the passport. A coach has to assess what happens on the pitch every day. Whether a player is 17 or 38 years old, what he has to do is to perform. The best players have to play. Sometimes people tell me that I don't use the youth players. People forget that I put in a 17-year-old goalkeeper, namely Buffon.
"I wanted to assess his work. He was great at 17, better than other older ones. Paolo Maldini, at 39, trained once a week but played, because he was better than others."
Ancelotti spoke of Nacho's situation as his contract runs down.
He added: I see him every day and there have been times when he wasn't happy. He hasn't really complained to me, he's struggled when he hasn't played, but he's always been professional. When I needed him, he was ready and that's what a player has to do. I fully understand his disappointment. But I'm not here for individuals, my only concern is for Real Madrid has to be happy.
"I feel sorry for my players, because I'm fond of all of them. When I see them not doing well, I suffer too, but I have this weakness. I just want Real Madrid to be happy and that happens when we win games. Nacho is going to play at left-back tomorrow. And I think I'm going to stay at the club, I'm quite relaxed. The only thing I have to do is to win games."
