Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti attended a press conference on the eve of his team's trip to Girona.
Where should the match against Girona go?
It's complicated. Girona is doing well. They are in the Champions League, but they are very competitive. We must take it as an opportunity.
It is the subject of numerous criticisms.
These are criticisms that I must accept. The team is not giving its best and, as always in football, the coach is the main culprit. That said, I feel like you're hitting me too hard. Maybe you are tired of me. I'm not tired. The criticism is acceptable and I understand it. Sometimes it's fuel.
Vinicius and Alaba
Seeing Vinicius again is good news, he has recovered very well. He won't be ready for tomorrow, but he will be ready for the Champions League. Alaba has returned to training but needs another month. He will be back in January. The deadline for him is next year.
At what level is your concern?
We have to be optimistic, given the problems we have had. We have a valuable and quality workforce. We haven't been at our best, but we will be. Sooner or later. I'm moderately worried.
The team suffers from heavy pressure…
It is true that Liverpool and Athletic are very valiant teams. To fix this, we need to play more directly. Find the second balloon. This is the simplest solution. A long ball and fighting on the second ball. That's what we can do in the future, not force the ball too much from the back. We played Champions League finals using this system. I learned this very well in England. The long ball is another element of football. If you don't have great strikers, the second ball, when it falls, is also important. Central defenders can win the first ball, but what is important is when the ball drops.
Mbappé is still in the spotlight, have you spoken to him?
He is aware, because the post he made after the match is that of a player who is aware of what he can do and what he is going to do. We are with him. He is not playing at his best level. There are many who do not bring it out and are not aware. He is. And he's doing everything he can to get there as quickly as possible.
Are the criticisms justified?
When I say criticism is acceptable, there is a reason. If you ask me: “Which criticism bothers you the most? Some bother me. They affect. And when it affects identity, it bothers more. If someone says that I made a bad change, that has no impact, it's on a professional level But it affects identity when it touches on who you are. It's like calling someone an idiot or telling them they've done something. stupidity. It's not the same thing.
When you manage a player like Mbappé, what should a coach do with him: give him 90 minutes, take him out early?
You have to evaluate everything. We need to explain to him what he needs to do to improve on the pitch. I think in terms of intensity of play, he has improved a lot. Against Getafe he played 600 meters at maximum intensity and against Athletic he played 500. We have to support him, but that doesn't mean he has to play every game, sometimes a little rest can do good.
What do you think of the Club World Cup group?
It was a great presentation, with Del Piero, who is a friend, as host. It will be a very entertaining competition for the fans, but we still have time to think about it and absorb it.
This season, it seems that the message is no longer coming across as well…
It is difficult to find the real problem in a simple way. The truth is that we haven't been able to present our best version until now. But I have a very good relationship with my group, with the team, with my players. We have the same idea: to release our best version as soon as possible.
What should Mbappé do to show who he really is?
I think it's a continuity issue and that it will come when he and his teammates adapt to his characteristics, which are particular and special. It will come little by little. He is aware of it and he will work to achieve it.
Is Mbappé’s problem mental?
The question of penalties, for now, depends on motivation. He has to hold on for now. Because this bad moment, sooner or later, will end. What reassures me is that in terms of intensity, he has progressed.
Is there a lack of leadership in the locker room?
We talked about it at the start of the season. The young players had to take on more responsibility and, from one day to the next, they are succeeding. Gradually. It's not something immediate, it's built day after day. Also, Carvajal's injury affected us a lot. Alaba, who usually takes on this responsibility, is not there either. This has accelerated the process for young players.
