Real Madrid now only has eyes for the final of the Copa del Rey on May 6 in Seville and for next Tuesday's game in London against Chelsea in which they seek to qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged this morning at a press conference in Valdebebas that Vinícius and Kroos will not travel to Cádiz tomorrow because they finished Wednesday's game against Chelsea with muscle problems. "Vinícius ended up with an adductor overload. He has no injury. The same goes for Kroos. It was too big a risk to take them having a game on Tuesday where they will be."
And he continued: "Some are still tired and they do travel to Cádiz, where we will put up a competitive team because we have to respect the competition and we must do our best. If you can't stay first, you have to fight until the end for second place. It is what demands this T-shirt. It is an attitude", commented.
The Italian coach once again insisted that he will be on the Real Madrid bench next season despite the rumors about it. Asked if he believes he has the confidence of Florentino Pérez, he said: "I think so. The president has always been very affectionate with me and he continues to be so. We have to look forward. We will be here next season, without a doubt, because we are going to respect the contract ".
Ancelotti made a defense of Italian and Spanish football against that of the Premier. "It doesn't bother me that they see Manchester City as the favorite against Madrid. English football competes very well. It has a very high level. It doesn't surprise me that City is favourite. The truth is that there may be a bit of a difference, but in Europe The opposite is being shown. Last year Spanish football took two teams to the semifinals of the Champions League (Real Madrid and Villarreal). The English compete against a football that has less money like the Spanish or Italian, but this year there are three Italians in the quarterfinals, that is, we're still competing," he said.
Ancelotti was also asked who was more decisive: Vinícius or Haaland: "They are both fantastic players. Each team takes advantage of what they have. I take advantage of the quality of Vinícius and Guardiola of Haaland's; each one has his own." , he claimed.
Who can play tomorrow at Nuevo Mirandilla is Karim Benzema, who has returned to his level in recent weeks. All in all, Ancelotti left a doubt about the ownership of the French striker: "What we are seeing is that Karim is fine. He has been one of those who have recovered best after the effort on Wednesday. It is true that we can give him rest"
Eden Hazard could have minutes again, although it does not seem from what Ancelotti said that he is in the starting eleven: "From the beginning I don't know if Hazard will be there. He's fine and has a chance to play."
The Italian coach praised his centre-backs: "The performance of the centre-backs has improved after the World Cup. Militao and Rüdiger have done well and Alaba has returned to the best level. The pair of centre-backs, whatever they are, has given us a lot of confidence. We've played a lot of games with a block higher than normal. There, the central defenders have to work more".
Ancelotti also put Camavinga through the roof: "Playing on the wing helps him a lot in his tactical knowledge. You can put him where you want and he doesn't change much. In the future he will be a great pivot, a great midfielder. When he plays on the wing he can learn things defenses that will help him in the future," he said.
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