REAL MADRID
Everything Carlo Ancelotti had to say in the pre-match press conference before the LaLiga game against Espanyol
The Italian sat down in front of the press ahead of Real Madrid’s clash with Espanyol.
Real Madrid manager, Carlo Ancelotti, sat down with the media to talk about a variety of things before his side’s LaLiga Santander game against Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday 11 March (8 a.m. ET). He spoke about Karim Benzema’s fitness status, the roles of Rodrygo and Camavinga and was also asked what he thinks of Kylian Mbappé.
Ancelotti spoke about the upcoming fixture against Espanyol, who sit in 13th place with 6 wins from 24 games. “They are going to play in a solid way, defensively organised, without leaving spaces”, he said. “We have to be motivated and concentrated.”
The manager continued talking about defending, mentioning his own team and saying that the “defensive aspect is a collective effort. The quality is there but there are moments that go unseen or the forwards fail to press. The base of the defensive work, with this amount of quality, is very important.”
The state of the Real Madrid squad
Ancelotti was asked about how he sees his squad and certain players’ roles within it. He mentioned Rodrygo while also confirming that the Brazilian “is going to be the centre-forward” to replace the injured Karim Benzema, instead of young striker, Álvaro, who many had tipped as a potential starter. Ancelotti confirmed these rumours, that the player is seen as an option: “Álvaro is ready to start.”
“He doesn’t have experience but he has the quality to play from the first minute”, he continued, “Rodrygo has to play where the team needs him. Sometimes it’s better to play him outside or in between the lines. He can play in a lot of positions and we have to use that.”
He also mentioned Eduardo Camavinga, who has had ups and downs in his second season for Los Blancos, inevitably not helped by the fact that he has been played out of position, something Ancelotti sees as necessary in certain cases: “I see Camavinga as a midfielder and in emergency situations he can play as a left-back”, he said.
Ancelotti mentioned Ferland Mendy, whose injury forced Camavinga into the uncomfortable role: “We are analysing whether or not he can be back for Wednesday”, the boss said. Mendy will train with the rest of the team on Sunday to be ready for Wednesday.”
Benzema’s latest injury
“Benzema has a knock on his ankle, it’s swollen”, confirmed the manager, “he won’t be able to play tomorrow and today he trained on his own. He’s going to be OK for Wednesday.” Karim Benzema has missed over one third of Madrid’s games this season, but Ancelotti said this lack of consecutive matches played is not an issue for the player in terms of his mental state: “Emotionally, Benzema is in a good place, he’s motivated and confident. We think we can play a lot of options in LaLiga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.”
He did, however, admit that the absence of the striker has taken a toll on the performance on the team as a whole, as they have only scored once in their previous 3 games, which was an Álvaro header from a corner in the 85th minute.
“It’s inevitable that it affects us, he is very important for us. He has not reached the level of lsat year and it has affected us. In the second part of the season he has been important and he is going to be even more important. We are not talking about a player who has to get to an optimum level. We are confident that he can help us. He has a knock and he won’t be fit for tomorrow. It’s an important moment for us because we want to go to Camp Nou feeling good, winning tomorrow and going through in the Champions League.”
Curiosuly, Carlo let a sentence regarding Benzema’s future with Madrid, saying “I have it clear in my head what will happen with Benzema next year, but I’m not a magician.” Carlo, you cheeky devil.
Ancelotti’s umbrella
“I don’t have to go back to 2015, said a defiant Ancelotti when asked about the criticism regarding his team and his job. “When there are more difficult moments that’s when the criticism starts. Last year was the same. It happens every year, it’s my job. I don’t hear the fine rain and if I do then I get underneath an umbrella.” I think we know what you mean, Carlo. “Winning on Saturday, Wednesday and Sunday. That’s the simplest way to recover”.
Carlo’s thoughts on Mbappé
“Mbappé?”, Carlo Ancelotti quizzed when asked about the player, linked once again with a move to the Santiago Bernabéu. “You can ask that question tomorrow, today or in two months. It’s a question I am never going to answer.”
- More detail: Mbappé, Madrid’s priority
LaLiga Santander 2022/2023
| Classification | PTS | WM | TM | LM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barcelona | 62 | 20 | 2 | 2 |
| 2Real Madrid | 53 | 16 | 5 | 3 |
| 3Atlético de Madrid | 45 | 13 | 6 | 5 |
| Upcoming matches | |
|---|---|
| Real Madrid - Espanyol | S-11/03 08:00 |
| Barcelona - Real Madrid | S-19/03 16:00 |
| Real Madrid - Real Valladolid | S-02/04 10:15 |
*Data updated to date Mar 10th, 2023