Solari: "Bale is focused on the game, like the rest"
In the press conference ahead of tomorrow's game against Barcelona, Santiago Solari refused to be drawn into talk about Gareth Bale.
Message to the squad: “It's a beautiful match, the great Clásico of Spanish football. Always put Spain as the world capital of football. Football is another element that makes Spain a fantastic country.”
Bale incident with Vazquez: "Our focus is on tomorrow's game… Gareth’s focus and that of all the players.”
Is Bale 100-percent committed?: "Our focus is set at 100% - his like that of the rest. You can choose to look at many thing but we focus on the game. It can't be on hearsay. There are many beautiful places to look, but we choose the game. We could look at the run of matches it took to get here, or look at the fact these players have been European champions for more than a 1,000 days. Now we pay little attention to that. Maybe more so within 50 years. We choose to look at tomorrow’s game.
Refusal to discuss Bale: "Our focus and everyone's focus is on the game. We are all united with a very clear goal… I understand that you want to put your focus on one thing, but our focus is on the important thing for us, which is the game.”
Does Messi scare Madrid?: “That word doesn’t exist for those who compete. Those of us who compete enjoy competition and know what it means. We know that there can be three results, but we go out there and battle to win. The player's feeling is one of enjoyment. "
Who will play at left back?: “I haven’t decided. Or I have, but I’m not going to tell you.”
Vinicius: "His teammates have helped him a lot since he arrived. The fact that those veterans who have fought a thousand battles dedicate their time to him is a sign of the respect he has earned because of his talent… The most important thing is that, his talent and what his team mates have given him.”
Message to the fans: “May they all come. They are our only undisputed starter.”
Will Bale start?: "I will not give the line up until tomorrow."
What must be done tomorrow to go through: "In the second half of the first leg, especially at the end, we played very well. We had chances to score and to create a more favourable result. We have to have continuity. The team know what they are doing well."
Is it the most important game of the year?: "As important as the first."