Transcript: Carlo Ancelotti’s Press Conference Ahead of Real Betis vs Real Madrid In La Liga
Real Madrid face Real Betis at the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Saturday in La Liga in a tough away matchup.
After failing to win in its last three La Liga games, Los Blancos returned to winning ways in the league last week, defeating Girona 2-0 at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid is now level on points with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table but trails the Catalan club on goal difference. The trip to Betis is a day earlier than Barcelona play, and it is a chance to move clear at the top and put pressure on Barca.
MORE: Real Madrid vs Real Betis: 5 Classic La Liga Matches
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media ahead of the contest. (via Real Madrid).
Q: on good form of late
Ancelotti: I'm feeling optimistic because we're playing well. We've done a good job in recent games, with rotations and some fresh legs, and it's worked nicely. I'm not so concerned with the injuries, I focus on the strength of this team. Our opponents have real quality, they fight hard and compete well, anything can happen in the game.
Q: on Raúl Asencio
Ancelotti: The player is fine, he's recovered. What happened the other day got to him, but he's ready to play. It never should have happened, but the protocol was followed correctly. If the same thing happens again, I would hope they'll apply the protocol as the referee did so brilliantly the other day. When I pick him, I'm not thinking about anything else. That kind of abuse should not be going on.
Q: on Asencio at full back
Ancelotti: He has the quality to play there, he's a different kind of right-back to Lucas and Valverde. If you have a winger out there like Rodrygo, you don't need a fullback who pushes forward so much. He's fantastic defensively.
Q: on Bellingham’s punishment
Ancelotti: What happened with Bellingham was unfair. I'm not going discuss Antony, it's not up to me.
Q: on Valverde
Ancelotti: He's not injured or rested. He's got a little bit of discomfort, he's struggled to recover in time. He won't be available tomorrow but he'll be fine for the next game.
⚽️🥅✔️🔄 pic.twitter.com/nDPFST70bZ
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 27, 2025
Q: on captains
Ancelotti: The captains have been chosen. It was Vini Jr. who got the nod, he did a great job and took on the responsibility as captain. He was a fantastic captain and everyone saw that.
Q: on Camavinga
Ancelotti: People forget that Camavinga played in a Champions League final and he's perfectly capable of playing in defensive midfield. Kroos and Camavinga played as a double pivot. He's ready and has the quality to step in. The same goes for Modrić, Valverde and Tchouameni. It's a shame because Ceballos was really contributing to the team. But we'll replace him, as we always do.
🆙 @Camavinga 🆙 pic.twitter.com/e7wPfZH3AX
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 28, 2025
Q: on Modric’s form
Ancelotti: Luka can play, he's got no issues, he's one of the few who hasn't had any problems. He's physically fine and even more so following the Girona game. I don't think there's any problem with him playing two games in a row. The data we have shows he's in great shape.
Q: on Mbappe
Ancelotti: He's lost his wisdom tooth but he's fine otherwise. He's ready and hungry to play.
💥 @KMbappe
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 28, 2025
💥 @ATchouameni pic.twitter.com/1rS45eBoDE
Q: on forwards helping defensively
Ancelotti: Vini Jr. is really putting a shift in. The team has changed because of how hard the forwards are working. In that sense, the team looks more solid. I won't see Vinicius playing in central midfield for as long as I'm a coach.
Q: on collective commitment
Ancelotti: We talk about this often. The players are in agreement, things have clearly changed in recent games, especially following the Atlético match. The defensive improvements are there for all to see.
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Joe Rusling is a UK-born sports journalist, based in Madrid. A European soccer enthusiast, he has appeared on Real Madrid TV and Sleeper Football. Covering Bayern Munich, PSG and Real Madrid On SI.
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