Ancelotti meets the press
Yesterday Ancelotti and his eyebrows went on El Larguero and he had a lot to say on life in Spain, goalkeepers, the sale of Özil and much more.
From AS:
Are you enjoying living in Madrid?
I like it. The people here are very similar to Italians, they are positive people. The French are more negative.
And what about the Real Madrid fans?
I’ve learnt that the Bernabéu crowd is very demanding. The club has a great history, but that’s always a source of motivation, not a problem.
Do you have a clear plan for Madrid now or are you still experimenting?
No, the plan is clear, which is to win while playing fantastic football. Up to now we have been winning but we haven’t been playing particularly well.
Are you adapting to the players you have?
It’s important from the start to get to know the characteristics of the players, and from then on design a system in which they feel comfortable.
When you arrived at Madrid, were you consulted on signings?
When I arrived the club had already signed several players, such as Isco and Carvajal.
When you arrived I suppose you thought that Casillas would be your main goalkeeper, but when he wasn’t around [because he had an extended break after the Confederations Cup] you got to see how good Diego López was..
I already knew all about Diego López. In 2006 we tried to sign him for AC Milan. Even before the pre-season he made a very strong start. It wasn’t an easy decision. I’m still confident in Casillas and that’s why I play him in the Champions League. Those games are as important as in the league. I like to keep them both motivated. Playing Casillas in the Champions League has that effect, he’s the captain and he is very experienced, he ensures there’s a good atmosphere in the team. Iker wants to be here at Madrid and it’s good for the team that he is.
Could he leave in January?
That’s a question for Iker, but I don’t think he’s considering it. I’ve spoken with him and explained the situation. Whenever he wants to speak with me, my office door will be open. For a coach, explaining a decision like that is the most difficult thing. You make these decisions by the finest of margins and that’s not easy to explain.
Will you continue to play one goalkeeper in the league and the other in the Champions League?
Yes, the decision has been taken.
Did you make the decision to sell Özil?
Yes, it was the coach’s decision. I preferred to have Di María in order to give the team more balance.. He may have less quality than Özil but because of his character and the way he helps the team, I wanted him to stay. With the arrival of Bale I think it’s more important we have Di María than Özil, looking at the balance of the team.
Did you ask Zidane to be your assistant ?
I came here with the same assistant I had at PSG (Paul Clement) and here I needed another assistant, and who better to have than Zidane. I know him well, he was my player (at Juventus) and he has the charisma you need to coach the youngsters.
Did you plan the pre-season in the knowledge you’d sign Bale or did you start to doubt it would happen?
It wasn’t easy, the club made a huge effort to get him. The will of the player and the club was enormous.
Do you think he was expensive?
He wasn’t cheap but the price is determined by the market. It was the player’s will to come here. Tottenham offered him more money.
Did you know about Bale’s protrusion?
The protrusion is a normal problem, I had two or three, it’s nothing. Since Bale has been here his back hasn’t bothered him. His problem was a fitness problem, because he didn’t train. Now he’s ok, he’s ready to start games.
Could he start at the Camp Nou?
Yes, he could play from the start.
Do you think he will perform better on the right?
Yes, if you ask the player where he wants to play he will tell you the right hand side. I think that he likes to play on the right so he can shoot with his left foot.
Who will be left out of the team if Bale starts?
I can’t say, I don’t want to give the opposition any advantage. Even the players don’t know who’s going to play.
Which players have surprised you?
Cristiano, because of his professionalism. He’s very serious, he controls all the details, he doesn’t just score, he also motivates and helps everyone.
Who is the best player you’ve coached in your career?
Cristiano. He trains so well, he’s very professional on and off the pitch.
Who would you give the Ballon d’Or to?
Now is the time for Cristiano to win it, he’s ahead of Messi and Ribery at the moment. I think Cristiano may have chatted to Zidane about that (laughs).
Which team is better prepared for the Clásico?
Barça are playing with more confidence because they haven’t had to change anything.
What have you thought of the clashes between Madrid and Barça in the last few years?
Before Mourinho arrived Madrid had problems against Barça but since then theyhave played fantastically against them. I’ll try and get the team to play like they did in the Copa del Rey semi-final last season, the 3-1 win. I wouldn't change anything.
Are you more like Mourinho or Del Bosque?
That’s not difficult, I’m more like Del Bosque.
Do Madrid need a proper goalscorer?
We already have one, the most dangerous of all, he’s called Cristiano. We donn’t need anyone else. Cristiano and Benzema combine well, and we also have Morata.
Were you surprised when the players demanded a meeting after the defeat to Atlético?
No, I also wanted to speak with them, I like to know the players’ opinions. I think that’s very important.
How long will it take for us to see Madrid play how you want them to?
In the last week we have improved because we’ve focused on winning the ball back, and we do that quicker now.
How will Madrid change when Xabi Alonso returns?
Xabi has the ability to improve the team. Illarramendi is doing a great job but he is young and needs more experience, he had never played in the Champions League before, for example. With Xabi Alonso back, we’ll make a huge improvement.
Will you give an emotional or tactical team talk on Saturday?
If you can touch players’ hearts, then great. The coach has to always prepare the team’s strategy but I always want my teams to have attitude and character.
Would a draw be a good result?
That depends how the game pans out, but we cannot go there looking for a draw. We will play with courage and character. It’s not good to just go there and defend.
He also said that from quality Casillas deserves to play as much as Diego Lopez and he denied that pressure from Perez played any role in his decision to play Benzema. This question was a good excuse to explore how Perez compares to his former foe/benefactor Berlusconi. He finds that both Berlusconi and Perez are very smart but also very different. Perez is more calm than Berlusconi, both like to discuss football but a manager has to be able to explain their choices.
Today Ancelotti met the rest of the press corp for the usual pre-match presser.
On Bale: I don't know yet, because I have to take training and then make the decision. It's the fault of Carlos (Carbajosa, the press officer), for scheduling the presser before training (laughs).
Morata or Benz? Morata is in a better physical shape, because Benz did a big job defensively against Juventus, so he's more tired. But tomorrow we need quality, not just physical quality, and experience. I don't know who will start.
The timing: The timing is good, it's a very difficult match, but we improved a lot last week, in all aspects. We can do a good job.
Xabi: He's very important to us, esp. to our ideas of play. It's true that Illarramendi has done a very good job after a difficult start, but he is young and he lacks experience. I liked Illarra's play against Malaga and Juve very much. In the last matches the three midfielders have played welll which gives balance to the team. They do a good job
The plan: The idea is to go out and play and try to prove our qualities, our play, to do our best. To have the courage and character to play football, not just defend and wait. That's our character and personality, to go to Barcelona to play. Counter attackts can be a weapon against Barca, why not? It's difficult to get the ball and it's important to do something positive with it, some good combinations, when you do.
Favourites? I don't know who the favourite is, everyone thinks it's Barca and for us that's not a bad thing.
Barca as compared to last year: The philosophy remains the same, but with Neymar they've added quality.
His first Clásico: I've seen every Clásico, I've even paid for the cable channels just so that I could watch it. I've seen a lot of football in my life, but this match has always been my favourite. With Mourinho Madrid improved a lot towards the end, they started badly, but in later years they did well. The players know the game, I have no worries in that regard.
Varane: He's fully fit and he could play tomorrow.
A plan for Neymar? No, I haven't thought of a plan for Neymar, you'd need one for Messi as well and one for Alexsis and Iniesta etc. You need a lot of time for that many plans. The defensive work should be done as a team. We will see what happens. I'm not overly worried about Arbeloa after his meeting with Neymar in the Confed Cup final.
The three points: It's an important match, but it won't decide the league.
(http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/es/Actualidad_Primer_Equipo/1330167835581/noticia/Noticia/Ancelotti:_%E2%80%9CPara_ganar_el_Clasico_necesitamos_jugar_con_coraje_y_personalidad%E2%80%9D.htm)
Sid Lowe has a book out about the rivalry between the two clubs and he sat down with Amy Lawrence for a chat. Figo sat down with Grada360 for a chat and had some interesting things to say on Perez, part 1 and part 2. Iker talked to the press after the Juve match and Cesc gave a really good interview to the Guardian and El Confidencial brings us the happy news of Madrid's negotiations with Microsoft for the naming rights to the Bernabeu. Sigh.