Real Madrid News
Ancelotti acknowledges Man City’s superiority after 4-0 thrashing: “Better than us”
Manchester City hammered four goals past Real Madrid on Wednesday night to book a ticket to the UEFA Champions League final at Istanbul. The very fact that the scoreline reflects such a heavy defeat on a night when Thibaut Courtois was at his best tells the entire story.
The Sky Blues not only dominated the game but made the men in white look like amateurs with their dynamic and attacking football. The result is only fair and deserved for Guardiola’s side.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media after his team’s tough defeat and covered topics ranging from the opposition to his review of the season. Here are the snippets from his interaction.
The manager began his press conference with words of appreciation for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City and the first half in which they completely outplayed the defending champions.
“We played against opposition who deserved to win tonight because they played with more intensity and real quality in the first half. They really paved the way to the final there. They were better than us today like we were last season. That can happen in a Champions League semi-final.”
Nothing appeared to work for Los Blancos at Etihad on Wednesday. They struggled to string together passes and move forward and were under constant pressure from the English leaders. Speaking about what went wrong, he said,
“We didn’t manage to implement what we’d planned. It doesn’t have to be a drama. We have lost a game against superior opposition on the night. We can’t think the attitude wasn’t right for a Champions League semi-final. It’s just a step which means we have to try and be better next year.”
The UEFA Champions League has always been a special competition for Real Madrid. The men in white are designed for the big nights and yesterday’s loss will go down as one of the rare occasions that they did not have enough to compete. Ancelotti appreciated his squad for their effort and expressed his enthusiasm for the next edition.
“This squad did very well last year and this year. They beat City last year in the semi-final and we won the Champions League, but today we didn’t have it in us to play in another final. I’m convinced that this squad will do better next season and we’re already focused on the next edition of the Champions League, where we want to be top-billing again.”
Ancelotti was then asked to review Real Madrid’s season across all competitions given that they now no longer compete for any title. The Italian was optimistic about the Merengues’ results and hoped for a strong finish in the games to come.
“It’s been a good season. There are four games to go and we have to give it our best shot. Hopefully, we can finish well. Reaching a Champions League semi-final is a success because only four teams can reach it. Losing a semi-final can happen.”
Finally, the inevitable question surrounding his future popped up and Ancelotti wouldn’t hear any of it. Addressing rumours about his continuity next season, the tactician said,
“The club president was quite clear 15 days ago. So nobody has any doubt. What the president tells me privately I’m not going to say here.”
Source: Real Madrid website
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid plan to hold talks with Chelsea over €60 million-rated German international
Kai Havertz has emerged as the latest target for Real Madrid as they look to beef up the attacking unit ahead of the new season.
The club are bracing themselves for the loss of Marco Asensio, who is reportedly closing in on a move to Paris Saint-Germain. Even Dani Ceballos is facing an uncertain future at Santiago Bernabeu, though the club are making a last-gasp effort to keep hold of the midfielder.
In order to mitigate the losses, Real Madrid are planning to bring in a new attacker, with Havertz emerging as a potential candidate.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid’s plan is to hold talks with Chelsea in the next few weeks, over the possibility of Havertz’s move to the Bernabeu.
The Premier League giants seek good money for the German international, but do not consider him ‘untouchable’. The player, after all, has endured a difficult season, where his productivity has been questioned.
The former Bayer Leverkusen starlet has netted seven goals in the Premier League this past season, but the number could have easily breached the 15 mark if the forward had successfully converted most of his chances.
Chelsea, therefore, are ready to offload the German ahead of the new season. The Blues had signed the young playmaker in the summer of 2020, for an astounding €80 million. But the move has not paid off at all, with the player scoring just 32 goals in 139 appearances.
Chelsea are now keen on recouping some of that investment by asking big money for Havertz this summer. Real Madrid, for their part, are not exactly clear how much they should spend on the German, but they appear ready to take the gamble on the player.
