Ancelotti talks CL exit, Brazil, Club World Cup, future ahead of Real Madrid vs Athletic Club | OneFootball

Following their elimination from the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid will turn their focus back to La Liga as they get set to take on Athletic Club on Sunday night.

The Merengues are already four points behind arch-rivals Barcelona who can stretch their lead at the top of the table to seven with a win over Celta Vigo later today.

As such, Carlo Ancelotti & co. simply have no margin for error and cannot afford any kind of slip-up if they wish to stay in contention for the league title having crashed out of Europe already.

Ahead of the game, Ancelotti addressed the media in his pre-match press conference, where he touched upon the speculations over his future and the links with the Brazil national team, among other topics.

Kicking things off, the Real Madrid boss spoke about the match tomorrow at the Santiago Bernabeu, saying:

“It’s going to be an intense game, both teams have had midweek games. Congratulations to Athletic for reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League, they are getting closer and closer to reaching the final at San Mames.

“It will be an intense match.”

Ancelotti then went into a deep explanation about his situation at Real Madrid and how things have panned out since their exit from the UCL after losing to Arsenal.

“I have spoken to the players and the club. We are all on the same line, which is to keep fighting for the titles that are left. We are all hurt to be out of the most important competition, but these are things that can happen in football,” he said.

“You can’t always win. There is no kind of confrontation with the club. We are always in the same boat. Whoever talks about a confrontation between me and the president or the club is not telling the truth,” the Italian added.

“The president shows me more affection at the moment than when we have won. In this world everything is questioned.”

Talking about what has hurt him the most since the CL exit, he noted: “That a club that has won so many titles is being questioned.”

When asked if he expected more from his players, the manager replied: “All I want to do is thank all these players. Because I’ve had a great time so far and I want to continue to have a great time.

“We are still close, we have a great relationship. These players have given me the opportunity to win two Champions League titles in the last few years.”

Staring at an uncertain future. (Photo by Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

On whether Real Madrid can win the Champions League next season much like they did in 2023/24 after suffering an exit at the hands of Manchester City the previous campaign, he remarked:

“Everything can be done, we have to make an assessment of the future at the end of the season. When we continue to compete for titles that are still important.

“We have a final in a week, we have the first ever Club World Cup at the end of the season. Talking about this is not the right thing to do now.”

The Italian tactician was then asked if the Champions League was seen as the only important title at Real Madrid, to which he replied:

“The Champions League is obviously the most important competition, not just for Madrid, for all clubs. Everything else counts too, the Cup final, trying to win La Liga and the Club World Cup.”

When asked about the interest in his services from Brazil, Ancelotti refused to address the matter at the moment, instead saying:

“At the end of the season we will talk about this.”

On further being asked if he will lead Real Madrid at the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer in the USA, he replied:

“At the end of the season I will discuss this with the club.”

Not letting go, the media once again asked the 65-year-old about his future and he once again said:

“I don’t want to talk about my future now. I will talk about it with the club at the end of the season, not with you. I don’t want to talk now.”

On being cheekily asked if the end of the season would be before or after the Club World Cup, he stated: “I don’t know.”

Back to on-field matters, Ancelotti was quizzed about the thing that worried him the most with regard to the team’s decline in form.

“We have to get back to positive sensations. Then we have to get back to being solid in this last stretch because in the last few games we’ve conceded a lot of goals,” he replied.

On whether he regretted not pushing for more signings in the transfer windows, he responded:

“No, I have always had a great relationship with the club and we always will. Everything we will do will always be together. We will never have any kind of confrontation. To say that there is a confrontation between me and the club is misleading people.”

Source: AS