Carlo Ancelotti stopped by the Valdebebas press room prior to tomorrow’s classic at the Bernabéu with a calm and unemotional speech. It was one of the most boring appearances by the Italian, who limited himself to praising his rival, showing confidence in his players and giving no clues about what he was preparing. All this without leaving a single touch of humor or irony that characterizes him.
In his first answers Ancelotti praised Barcelona several times: “He has a very clear idea of the game, he is doing very well. “They are a very brave team.” But that does not mean that I see him as a favorite: “I don’t know who is. It depends on the dynamics of the match. It is difficult to choose a favorite in a classic or a derby. It is a problem of how you are able to handle the pressure, the moments of the game…”, he pointed out.
The rival
A Barcelona with a more direct game
Asked how Barcelona had changed from one season to the next, Ancelotti commented that “the philosophy has changed a little and they play in a different way, much more direct. I don’t want to compare Flick’s work with Xavi’s because Xavi did a great job in his own way. This is a different Barcelona that we respect just like Xavi.”
Ancelotti also spoke about Lamine Yamal: “He has started his career in a spectacular way. I really like his way of playing and his attitude. He is a very dangerous player, but you have to be focused on everything you want to do, not on a single player. We respect Barça a lot because they are doing very well, but we prepare ourselves to be able to handle the ball if they go down the line. We are motivated and to win we have to play a complete game.”
Then, Ancelotti spoke about two veteran players: Modric and Lewandowski (whom he coached during his time at Bayern): “They are doing so well because of their seriousness, professionalism and the passion they have for playing football. There is no secret in this longevity and experience.”
Mbappe
“He knows what he has to do”
For Mbappé this will be his first classic. This is what Ancelotti commented: “We are satisfied with him because he has scored goals. It’s important for the team. Against Dortmund he was very present in both goals. Neither I nor the squad nor he are in a hurry. Obviously he is going to do better because he has all the qualities to do better.”
And he continued: “I’m not going to give you special advice. He knows perfectly what he has to do because he has experience and has played against Barcelona many times. His way of preparing the game is very calm and very simple. He trusts a lot in his qualities and I think he will contribute to the team tomorrow.”
Ancelotti believes that in this type of match it is not necessary to give a lot of advice: “Usually in these matches you don’t have to talk much. The idea is to remember a very clear, very simple strategy…and nothing more. It is not a type of game in which much has to be said. When I played I was very worried and Van Basten told me: ‘Don’t worry, the strategy is very clear. Give me the ball and then come celebrate the goal with me.’ And it worked, many times,” he said.
Vinícius
“It will undoubtedly be the next Ballon d’Or.”
The coach also spoke about Vinícius: “Training him means training one of the best in the world, a boy who remains very humble and who has progressed a lot. I believe without a doubt that it will be the next Ballon d’Or.”
Asked if Vinícius was the leader of this Madrid, Ancelotti wanted to clarify: “There is not just one leader, there are many. Vinícius can be a leader, like Valverde can be or Modric can be. Young people can demonstrate with their attitude and commitment that they are leaders.”
The coach is not worried that Bellingham has not yet scored: “Last year it was decisive that he scored because we had lost an important forward like Benzema. We don’t have that problem this year because we have a player who can score 30 or 40 goals,” Ancelotti said.
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