Ancelotti’s post-match interview after Atletico draw

By | Niranjan Bhargav 27 Feb, 2023

Interesting answers from Carlo Ancelotti after dropping points against Atletico

After a tough 1-1 draw in the Madrid Derby, Carlo Ancelotti was open to address all the things that went wrong.

When asked about conceding a goal against a ten-man Atletico since Correa was shown a red card, the coach said, the coach said: “Griezmann is a great set piece taker and Giménez is a great header of the ball. That can happen. It was a shame that it happened at a point when we were pushing. We had time to equalize the game, but not to win it.

“We’re not saying goodbye to LaLiga. It’s more difficult than it was before this game, but we’ll keep working. The Copa del Rey is the most important title for us right now, but only because it is the next match.”

Ancelotti on his midfield selection

Instead of playing either Tchuouameni or Camavinga as a natural pivot, Ancelotti started Toni Kroos. Explaining his choice, the Italian manager said: “We thought we’d have control with Kroos as the pivot, as we didn’t think Atlético would press him much. That was the case and I think he played really well. We also wanted to play with fresher midfielders, resting others.”

Ancelotti on Álvaro Rodríguez’s goal

Alvaro Rodriguez, a Castilla graduate has been impressive since assisting against Osasuna scoring yesterday’s equalizer. When asked about his future at the club, the Italian said: “It’s a very special night for him. He has shown all his quality in the little game time he has had. We think he can be useful for us in this stretch of the season, playing for Castilla and playing for us.

“Our plan for next season is for Álvaro to be in the first-team squad. He has the quality like few others and he’s tall and strong. Benzema isn’t a traditional center-forward, so having one with this quality of his height is good for us.”

Ancelotti on the Correa red card

Asked about Angel Correa given a red card, he simply replied: “Yes, it was fair.”

Ancelotti on having a few days before the next game

Real Madrid will enjoy a five-day break before they face FC Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey. Given the tight schedule, Ancelotti was thankful to have such time to prepare his tactics. He answered, “It’s normal that we’re a bit fatigued, as we’ve had 17 games in 50 days. Tomorrow we’ll rest and then we’ll start working on Monday. We’ll have the chance to have a good tactical session on Tuesday. That’s most welcome.”