“We want to start the year well and this match is a challenge”

“We want to start the year well and this match is a challenge”
“We want to start the year well and this match is a challenge”

Carlo Ancelotti appeared before the media at Real Madrid City. Our coach began by wishing “a happy new year to everyone”, then he analyzed the first match of 2025, which Real Madrid will play at Mestalla (Friday, 9 p.m.): “We are starting a new challenge with a lot of enthusiasm. demanding match against a team which has changed coach and against whom we have always had difficulty. We want to start the year well and this match is an important one, it is a challenge. The team feels good and rests. did some good, because they all came back motivated and in good shape.”

“We are thinking about what we are going to find on the pitch, because it is an opponent who has changed coaches. When you change coaches, there is additional motivation from the players. We have to take into account I realize that, on a personal level, Baraja did a fantastic job at Valencia, but that’s what happens in football. A new coach has arrived with new ideas and we expect a demanding match in that sense and he does. I don’t know what the atmosphere will be like, but we have to. stay focused on the match and nothing else.”

What tactics against Valencia?
“I tell you what we did. We analyzed the strategy used by this coach when he was in charge of West Bromwich while taking into account the characteristics of Valencia, which is a team that, as it played under Baraja , comes very close to the idea of ​​the new coach. We evaluated both things.

Negative precedents to kick off the year
“Thank you for reminding me. I had forgotten about those two times when things went wrong. I find the team motivated and focused, but tomorrow I will remind them about those two times when things didn’t go well, that can serve as additional motivation for us.

The team’s challenges for 2025
“There is nothing new compared to 2024. You have to win the matches and, after the negative period we went through in November, the team reacted very well and is now in much better shape, more motivated , and we have got some players back who are currently training with us… The atmosphere is good and we can only maintain it by winning matches.”

The form of Vini Jr.
“He feels very good. He is back in shape and he made the most of the holiday period. He is fresh, motivated and very enthusiastic thanks to the trophies he won in recent days. He prepared for the match as he always does: with the desire to make a difference tomorrow”.

Individual rest for players
“We are thinking about doing it. We now have a more complete squad and there will be more rotations, especially at the back with the return of Alaba. This is the position where we suffered the most. Next week he will start to take part in matches in training and, around January 20, he will be able to play matches again. This will also help us.

Strengthen yourself during the winter transfer window
“We will see. We have a lot of games in January and we are focused on them. Talking about the transfer window is not easy for me at the moment. This is not the time to talk about this subject here. I am delighted to “We had some difficulties, but we were able to overcome them.”

Barcelona’s poor results recently
“No one expected it. The level of competitiveness in La Liga means that the number of points needed to win this competition drops a little. Atlético is also in the fight and that creates more uncertainty. I believe that it will take less than 90 points to win La Liga.”

“Both Barcelona and Atlético are opponents for La Liga. All teams, as happened to us in November, can have a drop, and the reaction makes it competitive again. All three teams have the same possibilities of be competitive in La Liga.

Olmo married him
“I don’t know the details of this subject. I can only say that we must respect all clubs, institutions and rules. I can’t answer you because I don’t know the details.”

Watch all the videos from this match on RM Play

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