Ancelotti’s cash announcement on the presence of Mbappé against Pachuca

Tomorrow, Real Madrid returns to the final of the Intercontinental Cup. For the first time in two decades, this competition is resuming while the Club World Cup will be played this summer under a new format. And on the eve of the grand final against Pachuca, Carlo Ancelotti, the White House coach, was present in front of the media for his traditional press conference. As expected, the Italian was asked about the presence of Kylian Mbappé in the starting XI: “It’s simple: yesterday he trained well, good feelings. He sprinted and everything went well. Today is an important training session, where we will evaluate sensations and risk. If he’s doing well, talking to the doctors, he’ll play. If there is a minimal risk, obviously not. But the feelings yesterday were very good. We are optimistic. Kylian is a fantastic player and, honestly, I think he hasn’t reached his best level yet. In the last few matches he has improved, but he is not yet at his best. He can play in any position: center forward, left winger… wherever you put him. With the quality he has, he can play wherever he wants.”

He then spoke more generally about this final: “We are very excited. If we are here, it is because we have been very successful. It’s a gift for us and for Pachuca, who has already sweated in two qualifying rounds. We will try to win, to bring the cup to Madrid… despite the difficulties” he said before commenting on the possibility of becoming the club’s most successful coach and overtaking a certain Miguel Muñoz : “It’s something important, of course. It’s a sign that I’ve done a good job. But I want to continue. It’s an honor to be compared to Miguel Muñoz and the rest of the coaches who had the chance to lead the biggest club in the world. We are better than a month ago. And it’s a unique match, a unique opportunity. We want to bring the Intercontinental Cup to Madrid. .“

Finally, he spoke about the management of his group: “Are you asking me if I lost control? (laughs). A difficult question. I didn’t lose it, of course not. In football, we go through difficult times, it always has. Sometimes they arrive in October-November and other times in April-May. The important thing is to be there, to continue. If it happens in October-November you can still save it and we do. I am sure we will be very competitive in the second part of the season. I can assure you that I did not lose control. Criticism is acceptable, it’s part of my job. I’ve said before that what bothers me is personal criticism, not sports criticism. Because I don’t always do things right, even if I try. We all make mistakes sometimes. And the criticism, sometimes, wakes you up. It’s an important part of my job. The coach is always criticized. There is not a single coach in the history of football who is immune from criticism. You must understand it” he explained before concluding on the possibility of seeing Vinicius win the FIFA The Best trophy: “He deserves it. He’s a fantastic player and it would be a fair reward, after what he did in 2024. I hope he wins it.”