Carlo Ancelotti appeared in the press room at Real Madrid City on the day prior to his team's LaLiga matchday four clash (Saturday, 4:15pm CEST). The Italian Boss named his squad for the meeting and then expressed his happiness to return home while analyzing the team.
REAL MADRID SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin and Luis López.
Defenders: Carvajal, E. Militão, Alaba, Nacho, Rüdiger and F. Mendy.
Midfielders: Kroos, Modrić, Camavinga, Valverde, Lucas V., Tchouameni and D. Ceballos.
Forwards: Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vini Jr., Rodrygo and Mariano.
The coach assessed the game against Betis at the Santiago Bernabéu as follows: “It's a great feeling to be back at the Bernabéu. We had some great times last year and we want to do the same again this time around. We start out with a game against top opposition who will come to compete and I hope we can put on a good display”.
“Our ideas won't change and we want to keep the same system and retain our identity. We push harder at home and we will try to be more intense, aggressive. It's a tough game because Betis produce some good football, they're in great form and playing with confidence. But we're in good shape and now the season really starts because we've got games every three days. The squad is ready to compete in every competition", he added.
Well prepared for LaLiga and the Champions League: “We're favourites given what we achieved last year. Every season has its own dynamic. LaLiga is going to be more hotly contested this year, and the same applies to the Champions League. There are no favourites there. It will depend on what happens in March and April. We have less doubts ourselves than this time last year. The transfer market has closed, we've got a great squad in every position and we're going to compete and fight hard".
Differences between the Premier League and others: “When will it end? I don't know. The appeal is to bring this league closer by improving the quality of our football, the atmosphere, with the new stadium, and avoiding violence. The English league has shot ahead because of the TV rights as they've been able to create a brilliant atmosphere. That's where they have an advantage over other leagues”.
Hazard: “He's fine and working well. He'll have a bigger role to play than last year. You can't make any assessment after only three games, we'll have to do that at the end of the season”.
Replacement for Casemiro: “The players show us the way according to their attributes. Camavinga played in that position last year and Kroos is extremely reliable. It will depend on how we approach the fixtures. If we have a game under control, Kroos can give us so much because he's so clean with his passing. If there is less control in the game and we need energy, then for that we've got Camavinga and Tchouameni. Tchouameni has shown his quality. He's a wonderful midfielder, highly focused on what he has to do and he's been an incredible signing by the club. He's young and he has to grow".
“Our squad is very strong in the middle of the park because we have a bit of everything. We've got the young lads, energy, quality, intelligence and positioning. We're in great shape there but the difficult thing is choosing which three start a game. That said, it's not too important because with the options we have in midfield, we can switch our game up at any time".
“We've mainly been weighing up the departures because the transfer window was over for us as soon as we signed Tchouameni. We haven't thought about signing anyone else. We've discussed certain situations, like with Casemiro or Asensio. The window is closed now and this is the squad. I'm very pleased because I'll have players at my disposal who were thinking about leaving. There are several players in the squad heading into the last year of their contracts and that's not a problem for anyone".
Start to LaLiga: “Every game, every week is important. It's not decisive for anyone. Some teams start strong and others struggle to get going. Every team will go through a difficult spell and the key thing is to come through that fast”.
Asensio: “Asensio is pleased to be staying and he knows the squad very well. We know him and he did a great job last season. He played a key role in certain games and he helped us win LaLiga and compete in the Champions League. The same thing will happen this season - he'll get his game time and chances like the others and he'll step up to the plate".
Future: “The future of this club and of certain players is pretty clear. We know what could happen with players like Modrić, Kroos, Karim and Nacho. If they wish, they can stay here until the end of their careers. Now we've got players who come to the end of their contracts because certain clubs are economically focused and don't want to risk investing in the future. That's why we see a lot of players reaching the ends of their contracts. The future of our veterans is fairly clear”.
Planning the squad: “How many games they play isn't important. What's important is the kinds of games they play and what they're capable of doing. Everyone is motivated. Guys who have played less end up being crucial. Our success last year rested in large part on players who didn't start games but came on and changed things".
Ceballos: “Dani knew his role well and he's important. We love him and that's why he decided to stay. He feels that affection because he's a player we like and he completes a midfield with phenomenal attributes”.
Tchouameni: “He hasn't surprised me at all because we know him very well. If the club invests a lot of money in a player it's because we know everything about him. He's showing exactly what we thought he would. Where are we working with him? We're working on the defensive side because he is very strong there but we need him to get used to the characteristics of the players around him. It's different playing with Kroos and Modrić, to playing with Camavinga and Valverde. We won't have any problems but that's the way it is. His positioning changes".
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