Ancelotti: “We have not properly evaluated the players' fatigue”

“The VAR calls the referee and the referee makes the correct decision”

MADRID, 21 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, acknowledged his mistake in the lineup this Sunday against Almería for not correctly evaluating “the fatigue of the players”, while highlighting the reaction of the Santiago Bernabéu to win 3-2 in a duel marked by the VAR and the referee, although with “correct decisions”, as he verified after the game.

“It was a strange game because we played the first half very poorly, with little energy. The evaluation I made after training yesterday was wrong, a tired team played the first half, some paid extra time against Atlético and I I made a mistake in the lineup,” he said at a press conference.

“We did very badly. Then it happened that the character of the team, our stadium, we were able to overcome a very complicated game by playing a completely different second half.
It is a first half that cannot be played, the whistle of the fans is acceptable and correct. In the 30th minute he was already thinking that he was going to make changes. “I went into the locker room to say the strategy for the second half,” he added.

The white coach was asked about Almería's complaints about refereeing decisions, in a match where Madrid found themselves 0-2 down. “We have not properly evaluated the tiredness of the players. The only thing that could be done was to change. I understand the anger, the complaint of Almería, perfectly. They have been decisions reviewed by the VAR, the referee has made the decision, I think there have been three “pretty clear decisions. The VAR calls the referee and the referee makes the correct decision,” he said.

“We have changed the system with Brahim and Joselu, it has gone well. Those who have come in have shown that they could play from the beginning. We have to be more solid again, more forceful at the back, because you don't always have the energy to come back two goals “, he pointed out, before evaluating his variation in goal with Kepa and Lunin. “They are happy. It didn't go badly with Casillas and Diego López and I hope the same can happen this year,” he concluded.