Carlo Ancelotti has passed through the microphones of Real Madrid TV after the victory in the Clásico over Barcelona.
Congratulations. What stands out from the team’s game?: “The final part, obviously. It was a very hard-fought, even, competitive match against a strong rival who gave everything to try to open the League again. We have been able to handle the situations well. Twice we needed to recover the game, we were able to, and in the last effort, in the last drop of energy we had from this week, which is going to be unforgettable, we were able to score.”
How proud are you of your team’s effort after Wednesday?: “Very proud, because they have been two very demanding games. We handle them very well and we are very happy. Now we have to prepare for the last part of the season, but we are well positioned, with great desire and enthusiasm and a fantastic atmosphere at the Bernabéu. I believe that together we can achieve something positive this season.”
11 points above Barcelona… The League is closer: “Yes, much closer. To follow. We have other games. Now we need to rest well, because it has been a very demanding, but unforgettable week.”
What did you think of the stadium, the fans and the new 360º video scoreboard that was released today?: “Impressive. The spectacular stadium, with a spectacular atmosphere. This is a stadium that has given us and will give us many points. It is a stadium that pushes and a fan that has the same enthusiasm and the same desire as us. This connection allows us to always bring out the best in us.”
Subsequently, Ancelotti held a press conference.
Xavi spoke of injustice…
I don’t want to give an opinion on what Xavi thinks, everyone has their opinion. I prefer to talk about the game, it was even, competitive, with good moments from both teams. In the end, with the last drop of energy, we won. And we are good in the table.
Is the League won?
Obviously it is a very important step that we have taken. We have a big advantage, but we cannot give up, we have to score more points, and we have to prepare for the Champions League semi-final.
Vinicius complained when he was changed…
He didn’t like the change, he wanted to continue. The effort from the forwards has been tremendous, taking into account what happened at the Etihad. We ask them to defend, work for the team, they are very fast, they always attack the depth… They wear themselves out a lot. I understand you, I wanted to continue, but we needed fresh legs.
Bellingham finally scored again…
He arrived at the right time, he played a game with a lot of effort, working hard. Now this goal could be fundamental to win the League.
Do you understand Barcelona’s complaints?
There are situations. The possible goal was not a goal, the ball did not go in, the penalty seems quite clear to me. I’ll take the game, it was good on our part and also on Barcelona’s part. It was a high-level match.
Should Lucas Vázquez continue at this level?
Obviously he is a very important player, not only for what he did today, but for the entire season. He competes with Carvajal, who I think is one of the best full-backs in the world, and has made the difference today as in many other games. Carvajal could play, but there are players who are very good now, like Lucas or Modric. They help us a lot in this sense, after immense wear and tear like Wednesday.
How have you managed this enormous wear and tear?
We are trying to recover as best as possible, some have not been able to recover yet, like Nacho or Mendy, and we have given them rest. The best way to prepare for the season is to keep winning and starting on Friday. It’s a difficult game. To prepare well for the semi-final we have to do well on Friday.
Güler has not been at the celebration…
I don’t know, I haven’t seen anything, I can’t comment. Now we will calmly evaluate everything. Güler will now have the minutes he wants.
What approach did you think for this match?
We have tried to repeat what we did in the last games against Barcelona. Obviously we have tried to push higher. Afterwards there was a lack of success. Sometimes the start from behind has been good, other times not. It was a game as it should be, and we did well. It has been a spectacular, unforgettable week. We have done very well, it couldn’t be done better. Very few thought about it, but as usual we have not given up.
Modric tweeted: “It is not a coincidence.” Do you feel that your merits are being haggled over?
I think that at the moment it is a spectacular season with all the problems we have had. Above all physically, we have done spectacularly. That Barcelona deserved to win, you have to see. Honestly it could be a draw, but for us it wasn’t bad to tie.
But the team went to win…
When we tied 2-2, we tried to put many players in attack, we lost some balance. We had easy transitions, we were able to score early and we managed to make it 3-2. There is a good connection with our stadium, with the fans, they have the same desire as us. He helps us a lot, and will continue to help us in the games here.
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