Ancelotti: “We trick our rivals into thinking we are tired...”
“Our strategy is to make believe that we are tired for later...”, said Ancelotti gracefully, who became serious with the controversy over Vinicius’s dances: “Advice to Vinicius? I am not his father or his brother...
Carlo Ancelotti took questions from the media after training on Saturday and spoke about some of the key issues surrounding tomorrow’s Madrid derby against Atlético.
Vinicius under fire in Brazil for goal celebration: “In Spain I don’t see it as a form of racism, but I prefer the club’s statement, and to focus on football. He wants to try and help us to win tomorrow’s match”.
Benzema ruled out: “He has started training individually, he will work during the international break to be ready for when LaLiga resumes”.
Analysis of Atlético: “It’s going to be a competitive match. The individual qualities of the team are very high, I think we can expect to see an open game”.
Griezmann case: “I don’t want to go into that, I don’t know. Every coach has to make decisions. Atlético is doing well and if they are battling in Spain and Europe it’s thanks to Simeone”.
El Cholo’s stand out characteristic: “The connection between him and his players is very close, that is part of his success. He is able to build a very strong relationship with them. It’s an important part. Some think it’s important and others think it’s not”.
Militão returns: “It could be that he will play from the beginning or he will play a part of the match, it is a doubt that I have. I can choose. I have to think about it.”
Will the Vinicius affair affects the locker room? “It doesn’t affect them, we don’t play in the locker room. We talk about football there”.
Vinicius and his mentality, he wants to rebel against racism. Has it affected you? “Racism is one thing and football is another. If it is done on a football field, it is something else. He has answered it very well in his statement”.
Do you expect abuse from the stands: “I’m not worried, it’s a football match at a rival ground. They support their team and that’s that, I respect them a lot and that’s all”.
Have you given any advice to Vini? “I am his coach, not his father”.
Do you think this would happen to another player if they weren’t at Real Madrid? “I don’t know what’s happening to Vinicius (laughs). He’s done nothing wrong with me. He plays football with great joy, as he always does”.
What has changed in Rodrygo? “He is gaining confidence. He is making the most of the moment he’s in. He is patient and you have to be patient in this game. This is his big chance.”
Marco Asensio scored a great goal against Leipzig and has been called up by Spain: “He has the quality to be selected and Luis Enrique has understood that”.
Real Madrid scoring goals in the second half. The team’s figures stand at 16-0 so far... “It’s the fatigue strategy (laughs). We make them believe that we are tired and then...”