MADRID, 9 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, acknowledged that he saw most of his players at a “lower level than normal” this Saturday in the defeat (2-3) against Villarreal, a game that he acknowledged was less important than the other day against Barça for a place in the Cup final and that of Chelsea on Wednesday.
“It has been difficult for us to recover the ball. We have not been balanced, it is the reason why we have conceded three goals, it has been the key. Villarreal handles the ball well. We have gone ahead twice, we have had the third, then we have lost the match”, he said at a press conference at the Santiago Bernabéu.
“All the players have had a lower level than normal. Motivation has been difficult after the wear and tear of Barça. Few players have maintained a high level in today’s game,” he added, acknowledging the drop compared to the 0-4 at the Camp Nou.
The coach of the whites pointed out that for Wednesday, in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Chelsea, it will be “another story”. “Looking ahead to the Champions League, our mood doesn’t change, it’s going to be a totally different game. Wednesday is another story. Compared to last year, we’ve lowered the level in the League. I haven’t changed because I’m thinking about Chelsea, it has It was because of the wear and tear. The game didn’t go well”, he stated.
“The defeat is not deserved, but we have not played at a level that could be played. The team is physically fine, everyone. Those who do not usually play could do better,” he added, before explaining his anger with the referee in the You miss Vinicius. “The repeated foul is a yellow. You can’t get a yellow after nine fouls, that’s why I protested,” he said.
“Preparing for a match between two much more important matches is very complicated. Motivation allows you to be more forceful, to be more successful, to have more balance, all this in today’s match has not happened,” he confessed, although he ruled out that his team go to “lower arms” in the League.