Real Madrid CF ON SI

Transcript: Carlo Ancelotti’s Pre-Match Press Conference Ahead Of Real Madrid vs Athletic Club

Real Madrid have a tough La Liga match against Athletic Club on Sunday.
Jordan Merritt|
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Real Madrid take on Athletic Club in La Liga on April 20, a team that beat them in the reverse game 2-1. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti is expecting another challenging game.

Barcelona are four points ahead of Real and play 24 hours earlier against Celta Vigo. It means Los Blancos will know how far behind the league leaders they sit going into the game.

Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media ahead of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Read on to know what he said (via Real Madrid).

We have to play an intense game. We're both playing in Europe, and I congratulate Athletic Club for reaching the Europa League semi-finals and being very close to achieving their goal of reaching the final at San Mamés. Athletic Club is intense and plays very well. We've had time to prepare, and tomorrow we want to continue fighting for La Liga.
Carlo Ancelotti

Q: On the president's affection

Ancelotti: Anyone who talks about a confrontation with the club or the president isn't telling the truth. The truth is that these are the moments when the president shows the most affection toward me. More than when we're winning. This is the reality of this world where everything is questioned. Even a club that has won almost 30 titles in 11 years. I'm not worried about being questioned at all.

Q: On the relationship with the club

Ancelotti: I don't regret anything. I've always had a great relationship with the club since I arrived. I still have it and I'll continue to have it. What we've always done and will continue to do, we'll always do together. We've never had and we'll never have any kind of conflict. Saying there's a conflict between the club and me isn't true and is misleading.

Q: On objectives

Ancelotti: The Champions League is the most important competition, not just for Real Madrid but for all clubs. Fortunately, the history of this competition is the most successful history of this club. It's not true that the rest doesn't count. Fighting for La Liga, the Copa del Rey final , and the Club World Cup also count.

Q: On the squad

Ancelotti: The only thing I want to do is thank the players because I've had a great time so far and I want to have a great time even more. We're still fighting, with a good relationship and united. Today, I just want to thank them for giving me the opportunity to win two Champions Leagues in four years.

Q: What criticism has hurt you the most?

Ancelotti: Questioning a club that has won 27 titles in 11 years seems really deceitful to me. This is what bothered me the most

Q: What's the most urgent thing to fix for the remainder of the season?

Ancelotti: Get back to feeling positive, especially considering we've conceded a lot of goals in recent games. It's the same old challenge: getting solid again. In this final stretch of the season, solidity will allow us to keep fighting.

Q: On his future

Ancelotti: Everything can be done. We have to make an assessment for the future at the end of the season, or whenever it ends. We're still competing for important titles like La Liga , the Copa del Rey final in a week, the first Club World Cup in history… Talking about this right now isn't the right thing to do. We'll talk at the end of the season, obviously. I don't want to talk about my future now

Q: On rumors placing him on the Brazil bench

Ancelotti: There's no need to say anything. We'll talk about this at the end of the season.

The Latest Real Madrid News:

Real Madrid vs Athletic Club: Predicted Lineup For La Liga Match

Real Madrid vs Athletic Club: 5 Classic La Liga Games

Thibaut Courtois Indirectly Criticizes Florentino Perez Over Striker Issue

Published
Jordan Merritt
JORDAN MERRITT

Jordan Merritt is a freelance soccer writer who covers Real Madrid CF On SI. He is an obsessive soccer fan and an Arsenal supporter.

Share on XFollow jordm87
Home/Matchday