The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, has stated that they have «full confidence» in the third goalkeeper, Fran González, in case the Ukrainian Andriy Lunin does not recover from his «minor discomfort» before the «delicate and difficult» match this Saturday against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabéu, and has pointed out that the decision of the Higher Sports Council (CSD) regarding the ‘Olmo case’ does «not» adulterate the competition.
«There is no concern. Why is there no concern? Because, first, Courtois is much better, we believe he can make it by Tuesday. We have doubts for tomorrow’s match with Lunin, who has had a minor discomfort, he will be tested today in training and if he is not well, we have full confidence in Fran, who is a great goalkeeper. The only issue Fran has is that he is young, but sooner or later your time comes. If tomorrow is his time, we will be very happy for him, because we are all convinced that he will have a great future as a goalkeeper,» he declared in a press conference.
Furthermore, he stated that the team is «fine,» although «with some doubts due to the effort of the extra time» against Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey semifinals. «The team is motivated, animated. We are aware that Valencia is doing very well. We face a delicate, difficult match, but we are motivated, animated, we are in the fight, aware that it is an important moment of the season,» he said.
For the clash against the ‘che’ team, the Italian coach considers giving Englishman Jude Bellingham a rest as «an option.» «Bellingham has a physique that allows him to recover very quickly. He is in a good dynamic. These are things we are considering. I think today’s training will give us more details on how the players are, how they have recovered. But giving him a rest could be an option,» he explained.
He also did not rule out giving «opportunities» to Endrick and Arda Güler this Saturday. «Yes, they could have them, as they have had in the recent matches, where they have performed very well. They have shown that they can help the team in this very important moment,» he emphasized.
On another note, he expressed «optimism» about the possibility of achieving a streak of nine consecutive victories to win LaLiga. «We have to be optimistic, we have to think we can do it, because, as I said, the team is fighting, is struggling. We are in all competitions, we are very close, we have the confidence, also from the experiences we have had in the past, that we can achieve it,» he pointed out.
Despite the defensive mistakes in the cup match, Ancelotti believes they have «improved in this aspect at a collective level.» «Individual mistakes in defense, I don’t think so; in the match against Real Sociedad, Alaba, who generally had a very good game, was unlucky in two touches, scored an own goal twice. This rarely happens. Due to the defensive attitude we had, we did not deserve to concede four goals; on the other hand, due to the offensive attitude we had, we deserved to score four goals,» he stated.
«Due to the characteristics of the players, we are much more effective upfront with the arrival of Mbappé, who has scored 33 goals and has been very important in this regard, and there is a bit more suffering at the back. This is quite normal. You can reinforce the defense more and lose a bit of effectiveness upfront or have this effectiveness and do a bit more collective defensive work,» he added.
ABOUT THE ‘OLMO CASE’: «I DON’T THINK IT ADULTERATES THE COMPETITION»
Asked about the decision of the CSD to uphold the appeal of FC Barcelona players Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor, allowing them to continue playing, Ancelotti believes it does not adulterate the competition. «No, I don’t think so,» he said. «That is a question not for me, but for other people. I do not want to comment on this matter,» he asserted.
Therefore, he also did not want to comment on the lack of reaction from the rest of the teams after the decision on the ‘Olmo case’ was known. «There is freedom of opinion and there is also freedom to speak if one wants to speak. If no one wants to speak, that’s fine. I have no problem in this regard,» he stated.
Regarding the possible sanctions for Antonio Rüdiger for his behavior in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atlético Madrid, he was cautious. «We have to wait. I don’t think anything will happen and Rüdiger will be able to play in Tuesday’s match,» he said.
On another note, the Madrid coach did not shy away from talking about his appearance in court for alleged tax fraud. «It has been a new experience, nothing more. It happened. Now we are waiting for the judge’s ruling,» he said, before discussing his future. «I will not be the one to ask to leave this club,» he declared.
Finally, he did not want to reveal his intentions for the Copa del Rey final. «If you are in Seville, I will tell you how we are going to handle it. Right now, what we are thinking about is that we are very happy to play a great final and to be very close to another goal,» he stated. «Barcelona is playing very well, they are in a very good dynamic. When you are going to play a final, you have to respect all opponents. I believe there is a lot of respect for Barcelona, for their quality. I also think Barcelona has a lot of respect for Real Madrid,» he concluded.
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FUENTE