Real Madrid visits the Sánchez Pizjuán tomorrow (7:00 p.m.) in the last trip of the season and will do so without Vinícius Jr. The forward, in the hurricane since his controversy at Mestalla, has not set foot on the green since then and neither will in the penultimate game of the year, although Ancelotti assures that it is due solely and exclusively to his physical problems, and not to a technical decision to avoid exposing him. “Vinícius doesn't travel because he can't play. If he had had any chance to play, he would have traveled, but his knee bothers him. Hopefully he can play the last game ”, explained the Italian at a press conference.
Real Madrid will face Sevilla without Vinícius, Benzema, Asensio, or Mariano, who have not trained with the team today, as well as without Carvajal, due to suspension. Despite so many absences on the offensive line, Ancelotti is convinced that he will produce "a very competitive lineup". “We are going to take out a team to try to win, even if we don't have the most usual forwards in front of us. It will be a very competitive lineup because we continue to have very good players”. The white coach has also assured that the team will go all out, despite the fact that the League has already been decided: “We are not thinking about next season. The goal is to respect the shirt we wear and defend the club's values of fighting to the end. The professionalism and seriousness of the players are very big motivations”.
Asked about the balance of a League in which he dropped from Barcelona very early, running out of options to fight for the title, Ancelotti acknowledged that it was difficult for them to recover their rhythm after the World Cup and that once they lost to Barça, he they let go: “We left the League a little behind because after the match against Barcelona the distance was 12 points. It was evident that the focus was not the League. Barcelona has had a very good season, they have missed very little, they have scored many goals and they have had a lot of continuity. For us, on the other hand, after the World Cup it took us a bit to play at our level again”.
For the Italian coach, "it's not a forward problem." “We are the team that has scored the most goals in the League. We lacked a little more solidity behind. There is a lot of talk about signing a striker and if we look at the statistics, you have to sign a defender. Not a goalkeeper, because we have the best in the world. By this I mean that the statistics can be a little misleading.” Despite acknowledging that “it has not been a good League”, Ancelotti does believe that “the season has been good”, and goes further: “I have won 10 titles in 4 years, I would immediately sign to repeat it. Not just me, I think the club too”.
Lastly, he referred to refereeing and the implementation of goal technology: “In many other leagues they already have it. It would be good to put it in to avoid this type of problem. Why they don't put it in, I don't know. If it's a money issue, I think it can be resolved soon. Since the arrival of VAR, many things have improved. It is good to increase technology, but the use of it should also be improved, that is evident”.
The Real Madrid coach also wanted to send a message of calm in the face of questions about possible departures and arrivals at the club this summer, among which he did not want to refer to the future of Eden Hazard: "We will do what we have to do to reinforce the squad for next season. Do not worry".
