The Real Madrid coach demands restraint in the face of the avalanche of games, but makes it clear that he does not want to throw away any competition
Carlo Ancelotti is suspicious of the avalanche of matches that await Real Madrid in the coming weeks. His team’s participation in four competitions will put pressure on his side, so the Italian took advantage of the previous duel against Valencia to sound the alarm and demand restraint from the bodies that govern the beautiful game. “It doesn’t stop here because the League wants to do its thing, the Federation wants to do its thing, FIFA wants to do its thing, UEFA wants to do its thing. We have to stop for a while because when the players get tired we close. This calendar issue is a very serious matter. Fighting in all leagues is a great illusion, but there is a limit to everything and the calendar limit is being crossed. We have to do something,” said the coach.
Despite this claim, Ancelotti made it clear that all tournaments remain a priority, as that is the demand imposed by a club like Real Madrid. “Don’t throw matches because we are very close, in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, in the Champions League round of 16, in the semi-finals of the World Cup for club teams, fighting for the league… This club does not throw away games, we don’t want to throw away a single game,” boomed.
Ancelotti was satisfied with his team’s performance against Real Sociedad on Sunday and sees his players on the right track. “We played a good game and repeated the good thing we did with Atlético and against Villarreal in the second half. Against Real it was a complete game from the first to the last minute. The team is improving in every way, the players are improving their physical fitness and the performance of the team will grow,” he analyzed.
He tried to downplay the loss to Mendy’s injury: “Camavinga came in as a left back in a moment of need because he didn’t have Alaba. Nacho did well there against Valencia and we are covered. Camavinga is adapting well, but we’re not going to change the idea that he’s going to be a great pivot in the future. That he adapts well shows intelligence and humility,” said the Real Madrid coach, who appreciated the versatility of several of his players when it comes to dealing with the casualties he has in the rear. “We are well behind because there are players who can play in different positions, especially Nacho. We’ve taken casualties, but now we’re pretty much behind. In the last three games we have only conceded one goal, against Atlético, and the team has behaved well,” he summarized.
Nor was he too concerned about being five points behind Real Madrid compared to Barça. “We have the rhythm of last year, Barcelona have done better. I don’t know if it is many or few, but we are confident that we can fight to the end. We have seen improvement in this period and we reach a very good level. We are going to fight in all competitions. A slightly more complicated month of January could be foreseen, we came out quite well and I think now the good things will come for us,” he said.
He closed ranks at the club when hinted at the lack of transfers over the winter period. “We didn’t go to the market because we don’t need it. If you make good planning in the summer, you don’t have to visit the winter market. This is what we did. We think it was not necessary to intervene in the winter market, because the team is fine,” he said.
He referred to Saudi Arabia’s interest in recruiting Benzema and Modric for a league that has just entered Cristiano Ronaldo and is sparing no expense. What would happen if the Frenchman or Croat knocked on his door for advice, they asked him. I don’t think they need my advice. The legends of Real Madrid must stay with Real Madrid,” he interrupted.
Ancelotti confirmed the return of Carvajal and Tchouaméni for the match against Valencia: “They are both doing well. The recovery plan has been quite long, but they are one hundred percent ready to play. Alaba is still missing a bit,” he said.
He applauded Ceballos’ good moment. “He’s a player who has a lot of the characteristics that Modric has. He doesn’t mind having the ball, tactically he is very smart, he is confident and he is a player with personality. Yes, he can replace Modric,” he said when asked if the Sevillan could be an alternative to the Balkans in the future.
As for Fran García, Rayo Vallecano’s left-back who already has an agreement to return to Real Madrid in the summer, Ancelotti explained that despite losing Mendy, they preferred to keep the times as it was the best was for all parties. “Mendy can recover quite quickly and it’s good for Fran García to continue at Rayo to progress,” he noted.
He also warned of the impact Gennaro Gattuso’s departure from Valencia could have in Thursday’s game at the Santiago Bernabéu. “Usually when changing coaches is done to change a dynamic that is not positive and to put more responsibility on the players. Tomorrow we are going to see a super motivated team,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
