Carlo Ancelotti now walks on a golden carpet. His Real Madrid is going from strength to strength, he has just renewed with the white team and he seems very happy. He was noticed this Tuesday in the Al Nassr sports city, in the press conference prior to this Wednesday’s game against Atlético. He took his usual phlegm out for a walk, indulged in a couple of jokes and conveyed the tranquility of someone who dominates the dressing room and the stage. Of course, he did not hide that he would have preferred another rival than to play three games against Atlético in the coming weeks.
“We also had to play in the Cup and the calendar is like this. There’s no need to think about it any further but I don’t like playing against Atlético so many times because they are a strong rival that has already hurt us in the League. But they will think the same about us. The fans are going to enjoy it,” said the Italian.
Ancelotti, who plays cat and mouse in goal in every game, did not want to reveal whether he will field Lunin or Kepa, and expanded when analyzing his relationship with Simeone, a relationship of more than 30 years if the stages of players and coaches. “It is a relationship of respect, we have spoken many times, we know each other very well, we are neighbors at home and sometimes we meet.”
Always in different trenches of course (Inter-Milan, Lazio-Roma, Real Madrid-Atlético or Argentina-Italy). Ancelotti remembered this and also that the two fit their teams like a glove. “I feel very good in the white environment and I think Simeone feels very well in the Atlético environment, with an ideal profile for his club.”
The white coach shied away from any type of controversy that could alter the oil pond in which he lives and did not even enter into the rag when he was reminded that the Barça player Araújo proclaimed a year ago in the Super Cup that “an era” for Barcelona was starting. “You always have to respect Barça. It is our rival in the League, the Champions League and the Super Cup. Always has been. We have beaten him and he has beaten us,” commented the transalpine.
Before starting the press conference, Ancelotti wanted to have words of affection for Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer, “two great characters who have left us in recent days and who showed a lot of love and professionalism for football.”
Before Ancelotti, midfielder Fede Valverde appeared, chosen as the best footballer of the 2020 Super Cup. In that edition, in the final, he made a tough tackle on Morata, who escaped alone in extra time. He earned the red card but saved his team, which won on penalties. “Of course he would do it again,” he said.
