day 22
The Real Madrid coach avoids getting into the background of the ‘Negreira case’, but stresses that “sport has to always be clean”
Carlo Ancelotti avoided assessing the scandal that splashes Barça on account of the payments that the Barça club made to José María Enríquez Negreira, vice president of the Technical Committee of Referees from 1994 to 2018. However, he recognized the damage that the matter causes to Spanish football . «That people doubt the competition is not a good thing. Sport has to always be clean, “said the Real Madrid coach at the press conference prior to the game that will measure his team against Osasuna on Saturday, corresponding to the twenty-second day of the League.
«I am concerned about preparing the matches well because everyone has to do their own thing. I am a coach and I am focused on the game”, said the Italian in response to another of the questions he was asked about ‘Barçagate’. Not surprisingly, Real Madrid is risking its chances of remaining engaged in the fight for the championship at El Sadar, an always difficult field for whites. “It is an important moment of the season, the team is in good dynamics and we have to continue”, stressed Ancelotti, who asked his team for “commitment”, “good attitude” and “the illusion of winning”.
Ancelotti confirmed the casualties of Benzema and Kroos in the rojillo fiefdom. «Karim will not be there tomorrow, he is a little tired and we prefer that he recovers well to be ready on Tuesday. Toni is coming out of the flu, he hasn’t trained yet and he’s out tomorrow. Hazard and Courtois are back,” said the Real Madrid coach, who stopped to analyze the situation of the French striker. “After the World Cup, Karim has done very well because he has scored in almost every game. The fact that he is not here tomorrow does not mean that he is injured, but rather that we prefer to give him rest when he is tired so that he can stay in good condition for the rest of the season”, pointed out the coach. “We don’t want to take risks with a player who is a bit tired. Today there are many tired players, but we have to take into account that Benzema is coming back from an injury and we prefer not to risk it. If tomorrow’s game was against Liverpool, he wouldn’t play either », he added about the ‘9’.
Benzema’s physical problems will lead to Álvaro Rodríguez entering the squad against Osasuna, after the attacker exhibited himself with Uruguay in the recent South American sub-20. «He is doing well. He was not in the last call because he was in the South American but tomorrow he will be in the call. He is a boy we trust because he has quality and a profile that we do not have, he is tall, he goes well with his head and he can help us », he commented on the Bull.
Focus on El Sadar
Despite the fact that the visit to Anfield is just around the corner, Ancelotti remarked that the only thing that worries him at the moment is the duel against Osasuna. «I have dedicated zero hours to Tuesday’s game so far because we know Liverpool very well. Tomorrow is a very important game because we can lower the deficit and continue with good feelings. I am not thinking about tomorrow’s line-up based on Tuesday, “said Carletto. «The objective is to lower the disadvantage. It is a very demanding calendar and we have to arrive at this moment with good feelings. It seems that we are fine but each game can improve this feeling or worsen it. Soccer is like that. When the dynamics are good, you have to do your best to stay with these feelings, “he said.
Ancelotti confirmed the ownership of Modric and Rodrygo in El Sadar. “He prefers to start the game and tomorrow it will start,” he said about the Croatian, while regarding the man from São Paulo he specified that, despite his great performance as a left winger against Elche, he will have to continue looking for a life in other places up front offensive because that is the plot reserved for Vinicius. «It would be crazy to put Rodrygo and Vinicius in competition. Rodrygo and Vinicius have to play together », he stopped.
#Ancelotti #Barçagate #Doubting #competition #good