MADRID, 25 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, acknowledged that he was not satisfied with this Saturday’s draw against Atlético de Madrid, at the same time that he indicated that it is not a “goodbye” to the League, although he confessed that now “it is even more complicated than before” and highlighted the good performance of youth squad player Álvaro Rodríguez.
“It is not a goodbye to the League, but now it is even more complicated than before, but we have to fight until the end. Álvaro Rodríguez has shown his quality, the little he has played has been a special night for him and for us to think that It can be useful in this part of the season”, said the coach at a press conference.
The coach also confirmed that the young Uruguayan striker will form part of the first team next year. “Next season, Álvaro will be on the first team squad because he has a quality that few have. He’s tall, he’s very powerful and he handles the ball very well. The idea is that next season he’ll be with us and that in Let’s evaluate this last stretch so that it matches Castilla”, he pointed out.
The Italian also explained the substitution of Luka Modric and the entry of Toni Kroos in the pivot. “We thought about having control with the ball. Kroos played very well and the three interior players were in good condition. I tried to put freshness on the field with Kroos as a pivot, because we thought that Atlético didn’t press much and he could have control and In the end it has been like that. When I wanted to put more energy on the pitch, we conceded the goal”, he said.
Finally, the coach analyzed the match, also acknowledging the lack of “mental freshness” of his team. “We conceded the goal because they have a fantastic pitcher in Griezmann and a fantastic header in Giménez and then it happened to us. I don’t think it was physical fatigue, just mental freshness. It’s quite normal not to be at the top after so much party,” he said.
“Now the Cup is the most important thing because we play on Thursday. We are very close to a title. Today it is the most important thing because it is the next game”, he concluded, already speaking of the first leg of the semifinals against Barça in Santiago Bernabeu.