Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti appeared in an online press conference to discuss the upcoming clash with Elche on LaLiga matchday 12 (2 pm CEST): “We're preparing for the game knowing that it's not the physical side that makes the difference, but rather continuing the commitment this team has shown in recent matches and trying to do a good job from a technical and strategic perspective"
"We also need to work on our attacking play. You work on making chances. We had them against Sheriff and Osasuna. We have to finish them off better, not only put better crosses into the box, but work on our positioning in the area, get more players in there when we're going to cross and that means moving better without the ball too. We have to work on that, I think it could be improved".
Vini Jr.: "He's good. He's very young and he recovers physically better than some of the others. When he gets any problems or his level drops, we'll use him off the bench. We're pleased with him and his performances now and he'll continue until he needs a rest or his level drops off".
Rodrygo and Modrić: "Rodrygo doesn't need to do anything more than he's done in recent games, with great defensive commitment and real quality up top. He does all we ask of him 100%. I'm very pleased with him, he needs to keep it up. Modrić is okay, he trained yesterday and will do so again today, he'll play tomorrow no problem. The other day was only taking precautions, it's just fatigue".
4-3-3: “No, it's not non-negociable. It can change. I believe it's the system in which the players feel most comfortable. I have liked our performances in recent games, especially defensively, and I think we can continue in this vein. There may be times during games when an extra forward is useful in the box with Benzema. We have to take each player's thought process into account. Never in my career have I forced a player to stay if he wants to leave. If a player wants to go, he should go. There's no doubt in that regard for me".
Lack of respect: "I don't want to talk about that. There is a lot of furore around the referees right now, VAR, penalties, injury time. I think the end of a game is generally stop-start. It's not an issue whether the referees give an extra 4, 6 or 10 minutes, it's a football problem. It's something we have to sort out. I mentioned the time the other day because in the closing stages of the game there's no continuity, there are lots of interruptions and that's not good for the spectacle".
VAR: “VAR is a good invention. It‘s fixed a lot of things, like the objective things like offsides. In the things that are not objective, such as handball decisions, it’s more complicated. I’m convinced that it’s good for the game because the controversy was there before VAR. VAR has fixed a lot of things so far. Some rules are complicated. The offside situation is a complex and unfair rule, because when a player is in an offside position, it’s offside. We’ve managed to fix that. The other part is more complicated. It’s the difference between what is objective and subjective, and in the end it comes down to the referee’s interpretation”.
Referees in Spain and in the rest of Europe: “I don’t think you can say it’s better or worse, but different. There’re different characteristics. Spanish football, compared to my first period, is a more diverse game where there’re good teams that play less possession football, a more direct game, there is defensive improvement. There’re teams that defend very well, Osasuna is one of these teams and there’re others. Before it was more centred around possession and I liked what Iraola said the other day about the long pass. Rayo are doing really well in that sense. There is no better or worse football, there’s no style that makes you win or lose. Every coach has to apply a way of playing that favours the characteristics of the players they have”.
About Xavi and the possibility that he may be Barcelona’s coach: “I know all about him as a player and I wish him all the best as a coach”.
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