Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, appeared before the media prior to the League match against Espanyol, where the Whites will be mathematically proclaimed champions if they win or draw.
Noise around the equipment
“It is not difficult to prepare for tomorrow, we are aware that we are close to winning a title. We have to get points, we would like to finish it tomorrow, the team is very aware of the game we have to play. There will be no relaxation, we have fought and I work a lot to get to this point. We are very focused. We are missing a point. We have to prepare well and try to win it.”
Marcelo
“I highlight Marcelo who has suffered because he has not played much. He is a fantastic professional, he feels the weight of being captain of this team. He has always trained well, close to his teammates. Marcelo has been a perfect captain. He deserved more minutes, but this is football. He has done his job. All my respect for him as a person and as a player. I hope he is the Madrid player with the most titles”
celebration
“We haven’t thought about the celebration, only about the match. If we have to celebrate, we will celebrate, but we haven’t organized anything. We have only prepared the match to win it.
Rotations against Espanyol
“Benzema and Vini can rest. I am in favor that if a player is well, he has recovered, he has to play. It is true that at the moment the squad is healthy, it has many players who are well and if there is someone who needs rest, they will I give in. Not because the game is easy, but because of the risk of injury
Davide Ancelotti
“He is a very competent assistant, serious, professional, calm. Franceso Mauri too, is a very young staff. Luis with the goalkeepers, Pintus in the physical aspect… They are very enthusiastic, we combine their enthusiasm well with my experience. It is not easy for me to talk about this because there is the personal and family aspect. The fact that Davide is my son has helped him to show that he is not here because he is my son, but because he is competent. I think that in the future he can be a coach very good”
News in the eleven
“We have problems in defense. I don’t have Alaba, Nacho, Militao… I have to put Vallejo who has played very little, I have to choose another central defender who could be Casemiro. In midfield I have many options, like Camavinga or Ceballos who they did well and they give me a lot of confidence. Up front I have to choose, evaluate if Karim can play. I’m going to put a team together to win the game but I have to prevent any tired player from getting injured”.
Sign a replacement for Casemiro
“I have not asked for a replacement for Casemiro, many players can play there, like Kroos or Camavinga. The fact that Kroos cannot play in this position is… for me he can play. He has done very well. In the second half against him Sevilla say that he played as a pivot”
His career as a coach
I don’t consider myself an old man as a coach, I have experience. The coach must travel with the times of football. Football has changed, the rules, the goalkeepers did not play so much at the start. I try to adapt and football will continue to change. You have to keep up with the times.”
Alaba
“He has discomfort. I don’t know if he will be able to play against City, we have to wait until Tuesday, not before”
Be the first coach to win the 5 major leagues
“I don’t like to talk about it because it hasn’t been achieved, I’m superstitious like many Italians and some Spaniards. If you allow me, I’d like to answer you when we’ve won and tell you what I feel and think.”
The league advantage
“Nobody thought about this, that at this point we would be with such an advantage. The team has done very well so far. We have achieved it by winning in very complicated stadiums. Twice in Seville, San Sebastián, Bilbao, Barcelona… made the difference”
think of the city
“Coaches can’t tell the whole truth at press conferences. Now Madridistas think of two things, winning tomorrow and Wednesday. The players are Madridistas and they think of winning tomorrow and Wednesday…
Balance of the season
“I am very satisfied with the work, it has been a very simple season for my work. I have had the support of the club and the players. They have accepted all the decisions I have made”.
Match ball
“We only think about tomorrow’s game. We have match ball. The great tennis players when they have the match ball win it. We are a great team. We have to strike tomorrow”
offensive work
“I know the players well. Karim is doing a fantastic job. Karim and Vinicius and Asensio have scored a lot of goals. Casemiro scored an important goal against Getafe. The offensive work has been good, constant this season. Thanks to Karim and Vinicius but also Rodrygo, who hasn’t scored many goals but has made the difference in several games”
The opinion of the players
“I usually talk to the players to find out how they are. Opinion is important but the decision is made by the coach. I have not come across players who ask me not to play because they are tired. I have to take many things into account, the doctors, the physios … The opinion of the players is important but it is not the most important thing.”
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