REAL MADRID
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti’s pre-match press conference before the LaLiga Santander 22/23 game against Girona
Everything Carlo had to say ahead of the midweek game against Girona. He spoke about injuries, the table, and the surface at the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti sat down in front of the press ahead of Real Madrid’s LaLiga Santander game against Girona on Tuesday (1:30 pm ET). He gave an update on the injuries and suspensions of the squad, as well as speaking about the 11 point difference between Barcelona and Real Madrid, the progress that Camavinga has made, and whether or not Rodrygo has room for improvement.
The team travel to face Girona, who, at Montilivi, have the fifth-best home record in the league. “They play a very beautiful style of football”, said Ancelotti. “They are a very organised team when they have the ball. We have a few players out of the game tomorrow: Benzema has a knock, Camavinga as well. Rodrygo hasn’t trained but he will be OK for tomorrow.”
The coach was probed regarding the injuries, and was asked if the game against Manchester City were to be played tomorrow, would they be available: “No”, he said. “They’re small things, fortunately. Camavinga managed to play the full game, but afterwards the knock was hurting. He will be fit against Almería. Alaba is OK, I don’t think he’ll have any issues being ready for the Copa del Rey final.”
In recent weeks, criticism has come in for the club regarding the state of the pitch at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, with many players suffering on the surface that appears to tear up very easily. Ancelotti acknowledged the problem but refused to complain: “We don’t complain about the pitch. Everyone wants to play on a nice pitch. We know very well the problems we have at the Bernabéu. The pitch is struggling with the building work and it will be fixed as soon as possible.”
In the league, there is an 11 point gap between Real Madrid and Barcelona (who beat Atlético 1-0 in their last game), and questions have been raised about Madrid’s poor performances in the domestic campaign. “In terms of quality, there isn’t a difference of 11 points. We have shown that when we have played against them. Small details have determined this difference that we want to make smaller in the upcoming games.”
‘Messi and Barcelona can do what they like’
Militão said over the weekend that he has improved in terms of his concentration, and Ancelotti agrees: “he is a little more pessimistic than before. He has individual quality. If you put a right-sided cross in, he can head it better. He has a fantastic header of the ball.”
A question then came in from left-field, one that asked if Carlo would like to see Messi back at Barça: “Messi can do what he likes. Barcelona as well”, he said, brushing off the question, “it’s not a topic of discussion for me. I like him as a player, it could be nice for the league.”
Ancelotti moved on, talking about the rotations and the difficulties of managing a squad, saying that his players “understand it all very well. First of all, the positivity of everyone, the older and younger players. This allows me to manage the squad better as well as the decisions I have to take, which are always difficult, whoever the players involved are. The other day, leaving out Lucas Vázquez, wasn’t easy. But that’s how it is. The fact he is so happy to play for this club allows you to manage these situations better.”
As for Benzema, he will not be fit to face Girona, so questions naturally arose about his fitness and potential recovery time. Ancelotti was confident that the best version will be back in time for the big games: “He will recover from the knock and will play against Almería and Real Sociedad. He is incredibly important for us. Over the last few games he has been at a very good level. He has to show this level both playing and resting. When he is fit, he wants to play and we want that too.”
Carlo opens up on opportunities for young players
Next came a question about the youth teams at Real Madrid, who are picking up trophies and paving the path to the first team. “They are working very well. Arbeloa and Raúl are doing a great job”, he said. “The young players progress very quickly. The 2003 and 2004 generations are very good and they will be in the first team soon enough.”
In a similar way to Benzema, Ancelotti was also probed about Rodrygo, who did not train with the team. “He has a small problem in his knee and he is managing it well. Today’s issue was an intestinal problem. If he’s ready to play tomorrow then he will. He is not a typical forward player. He is doing very well and hopefully he can progress, because I see room for him to improve.”
“Winning a cup double in a season is not so easy”, the Italian said when asked about the general performance of the side at this point in the season, “teams that see the league as being a bit more difficult put their mind to winning the European trophies, which at times can happen. I think winning the league and Champions League is quite difficult.”
Camavinga has ‘nothing to learn’ techincally, says Ancelotti
A name that is on everyone’s lips is that of Eduardo Camavinga who, as a left-back or centre-midfielder, is excelling at Madrid. “He is taking advantage of the time he has played at full-back in order to improve his limits. He is very young and has to mature and gain experience as well as tactical knowledge. Technically, he has nothing to improve and physically he has the engine of a Ferrari”, Carlo eulogised.
The boss was asked about set-pieces and pre-organised attacks based on his analysis, to which he said that “[the technical team] saw in the last few games that Kepa stayed on the penalty spot at the start of the buildup and that from there Valverde could take advantage from long range.”
He continued: “We try to work a lot with dead ball situations, less in terms of defence because we mark zonally. In this moment of the season, we can do a lot more tactical work because it is less tiring for the players. We have a lot of resources as Kroos, Asensio and Modric take great free-kicks and we have excellent players in terms of heading the ball, like Rüdiger, Tchouaméni and Militão.”
Ancelotti and Hazard ‘haven’t spoken much’
In the way that Camavinga is being talked about due to good performances, one player that is slipping into the void is Eden Hazard. “Has Hazard gone to your office to ask why he is playing so little?”, Carlo was asked. “We haven’t spoken much”, he responded, “I don’t ask the players to come and speak to me, if they need to speak, my door is always open.”
I like [Asensio] a lot as a player”, Ancelotti said of the in-form attacker. “His characteristics make him well-liked by many coaches and clubs. Hopefully he can stay with us.”
Ancelotti was, at the end of the press conference, quizzed about a player who is in electric form, Thibaut Courtois, and if he will be rested. “It could happen in these games”, he said, “we have thought about it. But if Courtois is fit and he has no problem to play then he plays. Lunin did well in the games he played and I’m not discounting the possibility of him playing again before the season is over.
Real Madrid play Girona on Tuesday 25 April at 1:30pm ET. Find out how to watch the game here.
LaLiga Santander 2022/2023
| Classification | PTS | WM | TM | LM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barcelona | 76 | 24 | 4 | 2 |
| 2Real Madrid | 65 | 20 | 5 | 5 |
| 3Atlético | 60 | 18 | 6 | 6 |
| Upcoming matches | |
|---|---|
| Girona - Real Madrid | T-25/04 13:30 |
| Real Madrid - Almería | S-29/04 12:30 |
| R. Sociedad - Real Madrid | T-02/05 16:00 |
*Data updated to date Apr 24th, 2023