A week after their Copa del Rey final loss to FC Barcelona, Real Madrid return to action on Sunday when they take on Celta Vigo in La Liga, hoping to salvage their campaign.
Los Blancos are already four points behind the Catalans in the league table and could find themselves trailing by seven, given that Hansi Flick’s side play Real Valladolid later tonight.
As, Real Madrid must win tomorrow to stand a chance of closing the gap to their rivals, especially with the Clasico scheduled for next week.
Ahead of the contest at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti appeared in front of the media, discussing various matters, including his future which has become a hot topic in recent days.
Kicking things off, Ancelotti explained what can be expected from the Celta encounter tomorrow, saying:
“They are a very good team. They are a very well organised team. We’ve had a week to prepare for this game. We are convinced that we can get the best out of them. It’s an important match to stay in the fight for La Liga.”
When asked for clarification regarding his future and the talks with Brazil, the Italian replied:
“I can clarify. I am very fond of my club, my players and my fans, as I have respect for them. I will talk about my future on the 25th and not before.”
When further asked if May 25 is when he believes the season will be over (suggesting that he might not be in charge for the Club World Cup), Ancelotti said:
“No, but I don’t have to answer now about what can happen after 25 May.”
The Real Madrid boss then insisted that his and the team’s focus is on the present, saying:
“We are thinking about the present, about the next matches. We think we can fight and what we are going to do is fight for the league until the last second of the last game. We are focused on this and we don’t think about anything else.
“We have had a lot of injuries, a lot of difficulties, but we are convinced that we can put out a good team and win tomorrow’s game.”
On being asked if he feels nervous that soon all this could be over, Ancelotti said: “My feeling is to think about tomorrow’s game and try to win it.
“And then prepare well for the next game, which is going to be very important and gives us the chance to fight even more for this competition.”
Regarding the atmosphere at the club following the Copa del Rey final defeat to Barcelona, Ancelotti noted:
“I spoke to the president after the game. There was a bitter taste because we were very close and the team did very well. There was a bad taste in the mouth after the defeat, but nothing to reproach the team for.”
Given the spate of injuries that have hit the squad, Ancelotti confirmed that out-of-favour defender Jesus Vallejo could get an opportunity in the final phase of the season.
“Yes, he has more chances,” he stated.
The manager also commented on the situation of Arda Guler, who has gained prominence in the team in recent games, saying:
“He has progressed very well. He gets to play a more important role. In the future he’s going to be even more important. He’s showing quality and he’s getting more continuity in the game.
“I think he’s going to be a fantastic interior midfielder, and not just a winger. For the future of Real Madrid he is going to be a very important player, because there are not many players of this profile in midfield.”
Regarding the team’s overall performance of late, Ancelotti added: “We have improved a lot defensively, because we have improved our defensive work, but we have lost a bit of efficiency up front.”
When pushed to speak about how he was feeling amidst all the speculation about his future, Ancelotti remarked:
“I’m fine. I understand that you want to talk about my future, but I don’t. It’s simple. It’s a lack of communication with you.
“I know perfectly well what I have to do, what I am going to do and what I am doing, which is not talking about my future today. I know I’m disappointing you today but I don’t care.”
On whether this has been the most difficult season for him on a personal level, the Real Madrid boss said:
“On a personal level, no; on a professional level it’s obviously been more complicated than usual. We’ve come from an almost perfect season and we’ve had a lot of difficulties.
“But there are five games left and anything can happen, what can’t happen is that we give up. We have to win these five games and give everything. If we win we can change the season and have a very good season.”
On how he would like his farewell to be if he leaves Real Madrid, Ancelotti said: “What’s going to happen… I don’t know. Whatever it is, it will be a fantastic farewell, because I have a lot of affection for the club.
“I will never have an argument with the club and I will not allow a fight with the club on the last day.”
Finally, when asked whether he felt disrespected seeing various names being linked to the Real Madrid managerial job when he was still at the club, Ancelotti stated:
“No, no, absolutely not. I have a very good relationship with the club and with the club we always talk about everything, I have a fantastic relationship. The information is what it is and a lot of it is not true.”
Source: AS
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