In his first appearance after the fateful night on Wednesday in Manchester, coach Carlo Ancelotti closed the reopened debate on his continuity on the Merengue bench and assured that Real Madrid’s leadership has already guaranteed him that he will continue to lead the first team on next year and will therefore fulfill the year plus that he has on his contract. Of course, a much more emphatic statement than those made in recent times by President Florentino Pérez and the Director of Institutional Relations, Emilio Butragueño.
The veteran Italian coach looks somewhat tired of having to answer the same questions over and over again but at the same time calm, eager to close this campaign as well as possible, starting with a victory and a good match this Sunday at Mestalla against a Valencia that is at stake to virtually ensure permanence, and to think about the planning of the coming campaign.
“Madrid has guaranteed me that I will fulfill my contract and I think that everyone knows that I want to finish my commitment”, which ends in June 2024, responded to the recurring question about the possibility of leading the Brazilian team. «And after a defeat like the one on Wednesday I am even more excited and more eager to do better. The illusion of being at Real Madrid is always maximum, “he continued.
Summit with Florentino
Carletto even referred to the summit he held this Thursday with the president, Florentino Pérez: “I met with him, he showed me his support and we talked about Wednesday’s game. We continue forward with the same illusion of doing things well, “said the man from Reggiolo.
After the severe defeat against City, Ancelotti acknowledged that “elimination hurts”, but qualified that “we must not forget that they were semifinals”. «We have been close to playing another final. We are hurt, but sometimes you can find a team that does it better. You have to look at the next Champions League now,” he remarked.
The coach also appreciated Benzema’s bad game in Manchester, but without logically focusing the result on the French striker and without discussing him: «There is no point in doubting Benzema. He had a bad game, but not only him. And he is still a legend of this club. On Wednesday the team was not successful, not only Karim », he said.
For Ancelotti, despite the elimination in the Champions League, the season is good: «The season could be better, but it has been good. Of course we are not satisfied with the League, but we have fought to the end in the other competitions and won three,” he stressed, referring to the Copa del Rey, the European Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
He avoided talking much about planning for the next season and about the ups and downs: “We still have to wait. We are doing an evaluation of what happened on Wednesday and what has happened in the season. It’s not the best place to talk about this. The last game was bad, but the two seasons have been unforgettable,” she noted.
“The transition already began with the departure of Cristiano”
He was slow to answer the key question of whether he considers a transition in the squad necessary in view of the age of Benzema, Kroos and Modric. After much thought, he replied: “Good question. It’s hard for me to answer, but I do. I think the transition will not start next season. Before my arrival, this squad, which had done great things, had already begun to lose pieces, like when Cristiano left in 2018. From there, young people with a lot of quality have begun to arrive, “he explained before referring to already basic players such as Vinicius, Rodrygo and Camavinga. »This transition will end the day Modric, Benzema, Nacho or Carvajal stop playing for this team«.
What Ancelotti did not clarify is the future of players who end their contract on June 30 and have not renewed like Ceballos, Asensio or Nacho, in addition to the well-known Kroos and Modric: «They act seriously and professionally. They are talking to the club and they will make the decision whenever they want,” he commented.
He expressly asked the club not to sell left-back Ferland Mendy: “Obviously I want him to stay next season. Last time he showed defensive solidity at a high level and now, that he is recovered, he will be important again. Because he is. He has recovered well from the injuries,” he stated.
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