Ancelotti: “The calendar thing is crazy and they have to fix it”

“Hazard is planning for the next season”

MADRID, 22 One. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, has assured that “the strategy” to face the LaLiga Santander match against Elche at the Santiago Bernabéu is “the same” as in the Copa del Rey, and has described as “nonsense and madness” the calendar, which will prevent him from having the Brazilian internationals and Fede Valverde in the next cup match.

“The calendar is nonsense, but it is not just a problem for Real Madrid, there are other affected teams. We are not going to put pressure on any team, we play what we have to play. The calendar is crazy and they have to fix it as soon as possible possible. It’s a problem not only for Real Madrid, but for the players and other clubs”, he declared at a press conference.

In this sense, he reiterated that they will not subject Brazil, already qualified for the World Cup, to “any kind of pressure” to release its internationals. “The Brazilians want to play with the national team, they are going to go and then the coach will make his decisions about whether they play or not. And they will come back,” he said.

Regarding this Sunday’s duel against Elche, the Italian coach confessed that “the strategy is going to be the same” as in the Cup, where they managed to come back with one less after Marcelo’s expulsion. “It cost us a lot to win, it is a team with good dynamics and organization. You have to suffer, be motivated, because they are three important points. The team is quite good, the recovery has gone well,” he said.

In another order of things, he explained that “it is always a good day” for Eden Hazard to be a starter, and assured that he counts on him for the future. “Hazard is in the planning for next season,” he said flatly.

“Isco hasn’t had any injuries. Gareth -Bale- has been out longer than Hazard, they are different issues. Gareth is getting back into good physical condition,” he said, before talking about Dani Ceballos’s condition. “He is beginning to be well, to improve his physical condition. He is a player that I like on a personal level because of the lack of fear he has. It may be that he will have a more important role in the second half,” he ventured.

The white coach also explained that he does not aspire to find a perfect replacement for Casemiro. “If we are going to look for a copy of Casemiro, we are wrong, there is no copy in world football. He is a unique player. As a pivot, another player with different characteristics can play; Camavinga can play, who can do it very well,” he analyzed.

Regarding Marcelo’s three match ban after his expulsion in Elche, Ancelotti assured that “there are many”. “I don’t know what he told the referee, I don’t want to know. I’m sorry, we’re going to lose an important piece for the three Cup games, but he’s ready for LaLiga,” he said.

Finally, he was convinced that his two main rivals will come out of their difficult sporting situation. “When you talk about Atlético de Madrid and Barcelona you talk about great clubs, it is surprising that they are having more difficulties than normal. They continue to be great rivals and with the quality to get out of a complicated situation”, he concluded.