MADRID, 25 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has assured that this Saturday’s games against Rayo Vallecano, in which neither Gareth Bale nor David Alaba will be present due to overloads, and next week’s against Real Sociedad are “two finals ” for LaLiga Santander, in addition to lamenting the “horror” of the war and showing his “love” to a “concerned” Andriy Lunin about the Russian offensive in Ukraine.
“Before Paris Saint-Germain we have two finals; winning in Vallecas and against Real Sociedad would mean a lot for LaLiga. I’m going to play the best team against Rayo and Real Sociedad before PSG,” he declared at a press conference when asked by if he intended to ‘rehearse’ an eleven without Casemiro, sanctioned for the second leg of the ‘Champions’ round of 16 against the Parisian team.
In this sense, he recalled that doing so would be “a good idea if we had friendly matches.” “But we don’t have friendly matches. Kroos can replace Casemiro and he doesn’t need to get used to that position because he has done it many times,” he warned. “I have players with a lot of experience and I don’t need to prove it to us,” he continued.
In addition, the Italian coach confirmed that neither the Welshman Gareth Bale nor the Austrian David Alaba will be available this Saturday. “Tomorrow Bale is not going to play because, like Alaba, he has an overload. They will not be in the game and will return to the team next week,” he explained.
Regarding the duel against the Rayista team, he stated that it will be “difficult”. “Rayo is doing very well, especially at home. It’s going to be a game that demands a lot from us, but the team is ready and we can play a good game,” he said.
He also spoke of the state of the team, denying that there is any problem of fatigue or physical. “It’s not a physical problem. We’ve talked about it, it’s good for us to play against Rayo. It’s one of the teams that plays best in the first 30 minutes. These are moments that pass. The selections affect a lot, we try to combine technical work and tactical with the physical work. We are going to improve it”, exposed.
“I’m optimistic. It’s true that we have to evaluate what’s happened. We haven’t had a good period after the Super Cup, we’ve suffered a bit, but now we’re better. The match against Alavés showed a good reaction and good feelings. Hopefully we can show the improvement tomorrow,” he continued.
Regarding Marco Asensio’s moment, the white coach explained that “he has quality and he can enjoy it”. “Marco is motivated, he is in good physical condition and in many games he has made the difference. He doesn’t just score goals, he scores very important goals,” he indicated.
“LUNIN IS CONCERNED, ALL THIS AFFECTS HIM”
On the other hand, Ancelotti did not avoid talking about the Russian offensive in Ukraine, and revealed how the Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is doing. “I have spoken with Lunin, also the president, to show him our affection. It is a difficult moment, the war is a horror. The whole club is close and shows him his affection,” he said.
“He doesn’t have the spirit he had before. He has close people in Kiev, his mother, friends… It’s normal for him to be worried. The training helps him not to always think about these things. All this affects him,” he added about the state. current goalkeeper.
In this sense, he agreed with the Spanish tennis player Rafa Nadal in reiterating that a war in the 21st century makes no sense. “I agree with Nadal. It is rare that this can happen in 2022, but it is happening. We have to think about this, our lives are going to change. Hopefully it can be solved soon. My grandfather was in the First World War, my father in the Second, and they have told me many things. It is a horror,” he said.
Asked if he would prefer to win LaLiga Santander or the Champions League, the Madrid coach did not want to decide. “We have started the season in four competitions with the illusion of winning all four. We won the Super Cup and fell in the Copa del Rey. It would be important to win, be it LaLiga, the ‘Champions’ or both. The important thing is to reach the end of the season with titles,” he said.
Lastly, he stressed that FC Barcelona has won the tie against Napoli in the Europa League “playing a very complete match”. “Barcelona can always fight for LaLiga, this year they are at a disadvantage but they are doing very well,” he said, without evaluating the words of Carles Puyol, who bet a dinner that Xavi’s Barça would win LaLiga. “I don’t bet. Betting doesn’t make sense. We are doing well in LaLiga and we have to continue”, he concluded.