“The minimum is to rest for 72 hours, the minimum. Playing next Sunday at 2 p.m. doesn’t seem right to me,” said the Real Madrid coach.
Carlo Ancelotti expressed his displeasure on Sunday about the match between Real Madrid and Mallorca in Son Moix. “We are not happy to play with less than 72 hours of rest. It doesn’t seem right. We will play, because we have to. But the minimum is to rest for 72 hours, the minimum. Playing next Sunday at 2 p.m. does not seem to me good”, said the coach on the eve of a duel that the whites will face on Thursday evening after the victory over Valencia.
The Italian has been warning for some time about the havoc wrought by a saturated calendar and took advantage of Saturday’s press conference to once again express his concern about the effect of so many games on the health of his players. «Recovery is more worked than physical, because there is hardly any time to train. We focus on assessing fatigue and that is why the work of the physio is more important than that of the coach at the moment. And if someone is Catholic, prayer is good too,” he replied when asked about how he faces a month as demanding as Real Madrid’s, immersed in the battle for the League, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the Club World Cup taking place next week.
“At the moment I don’t follow the tournament much. After Mallorca we will fully focus. I know the possible rivals, yes,” said the coach about that last tournament that he doesn’t want to think about yet, because he focuses exclusively on the visit his team will make to the vermilion on Sunday. “There are no breaks for the World Cup for clubs. The best team plays, because tomorrow is the most important game. If anything changes, it will not be because of the Club World Cup, but because whoever stops needs it,” he stressed when they alluded to the possibility of Son Moix to rotate.
A match for which Real Madrid recovers a footballer who was in the infirmary, but for which they lose two more. «Alaba has trained and can play without any problems. In fact, he trained very well yesterday. Militao and Karim… they’re doing tests now and it doesn’t seem serious. They are out for tomorrow, but they will travel to the Club World Cup and we will see if they are available for the first game or maybe the second,” said Ancelotti.
Reggiolo’s coach alluded to Mallorca’s virtues. “It’s a team that enjoys the disadvantages, defends very well. They are solid. Handling the ball well will be key,” he said of the team that trains Vasco Aguirre.
The Mexican coach was the protagonist in the confrontation that saw both teams measure up in the first round after television cameras caught him encouraging his pupils to commit fouls on Vinicius. Ancelotti is confident that the Brazilian will avoid disputes and focus exclusively on the ball. “He’s going to prepare the game as always, focused on his quality. What happens next, we’ll see. I don’t need to talk to him,” he said of the ending, which he considers an example. “For me he is a great footballer. Young people like this type of player, with quality and so spectacular on the ball. My grandchildren all have the Vinicius shirt, all four. And they don’t want another one,” he stressed.
Ancelotti also spoke about Kroos and Ceballos, two footballers whose future is still up in the air. “I don’t look at the renovations, but at their professionalism. Their desire and what they contribute. I’m just thinking about this. They will talk to the club,” he said. Again he praised the Andalusian midfielder. “He’s doing a very good job, serious and with personality. He’s confident,” he said. And he defended Benzema’s continuity in light of the siren songs coming out of Saudi Arabia. “My idea is that the legends of Real Madrid will retire at Real Madrid. And Benzema is,” 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.
