NEWS STORY. 06/01/2023
“The challenge is to try to match what we did in 2022 and we will do our best to repeat or improve on it,” he added.
Carlo Ancelotti appeared before the media in the Ciudad Real Madrid press room on the eve of the match against Villarreal, corresponding to the 16th day of La Liga (4:15 p.m.). The coach mourned the death of Gianluca Vialli : “It’s a sad day for me, a friend, a teammate and a great player is gone. May he rest in peace”.
After which, he answered questions from the journalists and spoke about the next opponent: “We are playing a difficult game tomorrow, but we have confidence to play a good game. Villarreal play football with a very clear identity. They play good football “We want to play a good game. To beat Villarreal, you will have to be on top and I feel the team is focused and motivated.”
The arrival of Setien
“It’s a team that has changed a bit since Emery’s departure. They like attacking football a lot and play with good positioning on the pitch. It will be an open match. To win there, you will have to be at the top”.
A demanding schedule
“I think we’re used to playing every three days. We’re dealing with it well. So far the squad has come back pretty well from the World Cup. We’ve had some problems, but the physical condition is good.”
Two competitions in 15 days
“Tomorrow a fresh team will play. The majority of those who have not played against Cacereño. In each game I will decide who is better. The Spanish Supercup is a very important title for us and I will try to put the best team”.
Physical work after the World Cup
“Those who played the final on December 18 don’t need a lot of work to get back to a good condition. They already have it. With those who stopped 20 days, we worked more. The current player is a lot more professional. He rests, stops, but he always trains. He doesn’t stop at 100%. He always does something and, when he comes back, he is in a good condition. Before, we tell you gave a month and you did everything but train”.
Compliments to Rodrygo
“He is important in every game. There is no starter. I played very little with Vini Jr. and Benzema. When I replaced Karim, he played centre-forward. He can play up front and he always makes the difference. He can play in any position on the attacking front because he is an attacking specialist”.
What did he ask for Christmas?
“My tradition goes back to December 13, with Saint Lucia. I’m not used to asking anything from Santa Claus. For the moment, we will have to try to match what we did in 2022. We will do our best to repeat it or improve it”.
Guardiola’s words
“I consider myself a person who does a spectacular job, where sometimes I’m right and other times I’m wrong. Besides, I’m lucky to be in the best team in the world. Guardiola is a very great coach and he gave something new and interesting to football, and he continues to do so”.
The Bellingham Rumor
“He showed during the World Cup that he is a great midfielder, like others: Enzo Fernández, Pedri, Gavi… There are a lot of young midfielders who show up and he is one of them. But I keep my backgrounds: Tchouameni, Camavinga, Valverde…”.