Carlo Ancelotti is sometimes seen angry at a press conference, but this afternoon he was seen upset at Anfield, in the preview of tomorrow’s Champions League match against Liverpool, when he was asked if it wouldn’t have been better to replace Vinícius to avoid the injury that will prevent him from being in the team for almost a month. Ancelotti looked vehemently at his interlocutor and replied: “I have directed 1,300 matches and made 4,000 changes. No one can give me advice” (about this).
There was only one more question on the subject: whether the player should notify as soon as he begins to notice physical discomfort. Here Ancelotti was not so blunt: “The player is a professional. He is serious and is not going to take risks. We value those who returned from their national teams. Vinícius and Valverde were in good condition, period. Then, sometimes it happens that the player gets injured. Because? We already know it. Because there are too many parties. Vinícius was injured at the end of the game, but when is not so important, but rather that he was injured. What matters is that he recovers soon and think about the players who are going to replace him,” he said.
The team moment
“We have improved and we are more solid”
The rest of the coach’s appearance before the media took place through rather unremarkable channels, without escaping the cliché of respect for his rival and trust in his players despite the losses that Madrid brings. Ancelotti is confident: “The team is doing well. We have improved and we are more solid. Tomorrow we have a very demanding team in front of us. It is a great opportunity to return to our best level. I have complete confidence that it will be a great game and that we will be competitive.”
Ancelotti did not want to get too wet about the new format of the Champions League: “I think we have to wait. It’s a little different from the others. In games that go to the end you have to get as many points as possible. I don’t know if we can get into the top eight because we have already lost two games, but we have to get as many points as possible.”
The coach did not venture to talk about his team’s future in the Champions League. Asked if he could win it again, he was cautious: “Each victory gives you more confidence. Liverpool are doing very well in the competition, but we are back and we hope to do well. With a strong lineup. “The end of the season is very far away,” he said.
The last two victories, against Osasuna and Leganés, have raised the morale of a Madrid affected by the defeats in the classic and against Milan: “The difference in the last two games is that we were able to play more compact, more solid. That was the key and it will be tomorrow too,” Ancelotti said.
Bellingham
“The criticism of Mbappé is exaggerated”
Before the coach spoke, Jude Bellingham, who was asked how he had adapted to his new situation on the field this season (he played more on the wing): “It has been like any adaptation. There are players who leave and others who arrive. The way of playing changes. There is another approach, but I have shown that I can adapt. I don’t worry about the position, I just want to play. I’m not being affected by anything. We always propose a team to win any game. Kylian Mbappé is always good. It receives some criticism, but it is exaggerated. When I see him in training I am convinced that he will do even better. We have suffered injuries and that is why we have had to adapt,” he commented.
Bellingham acknowledged that he is more comfortable playing in the center: “In Leganés I think I played well. When you score a goal it still confuses the situation. I always do self-criticism. The headlines come when you score goals. But even though I haven’t scored as much, my level has been good. I’m not a wing player. I play my best football when I can move around the field. With injuries, several positions have to be filled. “I know where I feel most comfortable, but I have the responsibility to maximize my performance in any position,” he added.
What does Ancelotti ask of him? Bellingham was asked: “I arrived last summer and the club lost one of the best scorers of the previous generation, like Benzema. There was a gap and it had to be filled. Collectively we did it. And this year we have signed one of the best players of this generation. He has scored many goals and I know that my role is going to change. But I want to take responsibility. I have the sense of goal again in the last few games. Ancelotti has a lot of impact in the locker room. For its tranquility and calm.”
Finally, Bellingham spoke about the Ballon d’Or: ”When we won the Champions League it was our Ballon d’Or. It is the recognition that the team was the best in Europe. For me, enough. I don’t think too much about the Ballon d’Or. There has been a lot of talk. Personally, I think someone from Madrid, like Vini, deserved it. “Rodri is a great player, but the reasonable thing was that someone from Madrid should have won it,” he concluded.
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