Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh after the Spanish Super Cup final. The Italian assessed the team’s performance by stating that the team’s problem had nothing to do with the lack of spirit but was mainly related to the lack of intensity and proper concentration as the team did not look after the opponents in the right way and neither kept the ball close. He said that a defeat like this however, does surely affect the players, but with commitment and confidence this difficult moment will be over soon.
In more detail, the coach commented the result as follows: "Our mistakes determined the outcome of the game. We didn't look after the ball and they scored two goals as a result. The game changed from there. It was a bad match for everyone but it wasn't down to a lack of spirit. In my mind we don't talk about humiliation, that's a bit too far. Sometimes in sport you win and sometimes you're beaten. We lost a game against Barcelona, like we beat them in LaLiga. They played better and deserved it".
About the mood like in the dressing room: "The team is feeling it because we usually win finals, but we've got all we need to improve. There's no doubt that Real Madrid will always bounce back. It is not a decisive period, but it's a tough and difficult one, just like there usually is during a season. Tough moments occur often and that's why we have to overcome them quickly by showing the same attitude and commitment that we always do".
Lack of intensity: "There was a lack of intensity and the team was not very sharp. We gave the ball away 25 times in the first half, we didn't show much intensity in one-on-ones, and we lost a lot of duels. It was a poor game in all respects".
Defensive work: “When you concede three goals it means you need to improve defensively. The players have to realize that these mistakes are easy to avoid. But before the mistakes, both teams had chances to score. Then, when they took the lead, they moved closer to victory and it’s harder to comeback, which is what happened to us in the league game”.
On whether this could be a turning point: “The team’s not going through it’s best moment, but we have to dig in, because this team’s got the quality to come back and be competitive in every competition we’re still in. We’re hurting right now, because we usually win finals, but there are still plenty of trophies to play for and we’ll fight right until the end. We have to pick ourselves up and think about what we’re going to do. We’ll make sure we’re tough and competitive again, but we have to improve defensively. This is where we’re struggling at the moment”.
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