Despite Sunday's draw against Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu, which leaves him five points behind Barcelona, Carlo Ancelotti returned to the Valdebebas press room, the day before Thursday's postponed game against Valencia, with a message of optimism: "We are not good because we have failed something and we can always do better. We are at the pace of last year. It is Barcelona that is better. But at this moment we have a lot of confidence and we will fight until the end. We have had an improvement, we can fight everything, without a doubt. Now comes the good for us", he pointed out.
The Real Madrid coach assessed positively that his club has not moved in the winter transfer window: "We didn't go because we didn't need it. If you plan well, you don't need to enter the market. If you enter, sometimes it means that something has happened We thought it wasn't necessary."
Madrid considered until the last moment whether to bring in Fran García, a former youth squad player and now Rayo's left-back, on whom they have a purchase option, but in the end they have agreed to him for the summer. This is how Ancelotti explained it: "We thought of two things. One, that Mendy's injury is not long and the player can recover soon. And two, we appreciate that (Fran Garcia) continued at Rayo so that he can progress more and gain experience." .
The Madrid coach commented on how much the winter market has moved in the Premier: "We know what happens there with television rights, which are much higher than in the rest. It will continue like this. The entire Commonwealth the Premier continues and that gives them an advantage. Even so, the competition against them in Europe will not end. Last year no team from the Premier won the Champions League or the Europa League".
Ancelotti recovers footballers for tomorrow's game: "Carvajal and Tchouaméni are fine. The recovery plan has been quite long. They are one hundred percent. Alaba still has a bit left. Tchouaméni may play and if Camavinga plays it will be of side," he said.
The Madrid coach ruled out throwing away any competition: "Not throwing away competitions. We're very close in all of them. In the Copa del Rey semifinals and in the Champions League round of 16, in the Club World Cup semifinals... this club doesn't shoot competitions. We don't even want to waste matches. Dosing is important because it's an incredible calendar. It doesn't stop here. The League wants to do its thing, FIFA its thing, UEFA its thing, the Federation its thing... they don't let us have rest days. I get bored on those days, but if the players get tired, we close here. This calendar is a very serious issue. We are excited to fight in all the competitions, the players like it, but the limit is being exceeded of the calendar. Together we have to do something to avoid this".
Ancelotti is annoyed by not giving more minutes to players like Hazard, Vallejo, Mariano or Odriozola: "It bothers me. I would like to give them more minutes. Leaving out a player who is professional is very difficult for me personally, but it is my role, unfortunately. I'm not Hazard's, Odriozola's, Rodrygo's or Benzema's personal trainer. I'm from Madrid".
The coach commented on Gattuso's dismissal at Valencia and took the opportunity to bring up Pep Guardiola: "A coach is changed not only because of the coach's mistakes: it is to change non-positive dynamics and place responsibility on the players. There will be one more Valencia motivated. For a coach, being fired is part of your job. There is no coach who hasn't been fired except Guardiola. But if Pep continues training there will come a day when they will fire him. I have been fired from all over the world and I'm still here. There are worse things," he joked.
