Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Vinicius, Asensio, Rodrygo, Modric, Kroos after Mallorca 1-0 Real Madrid
Real Madrid were dealt a major setback in the defence of their La Liga title as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to RCD Mallorca at Son Moix today.
Coming into the game with a five-point gap to leaders Barcelona, Carlo Ancelotti’s men had a great chance to cut down that lead and put pressure on their rivals. Instead, Los Blancos put in a listless display and fell to a shock loss to Javier Aguirre’s men.
Mallorca took the lead through a Nacho Fernandez own goal in the 13th minute and managed to hold on to that advantage. Marco Asensio could have brought Real Madrid back in the game, but missed his penalty at the hour mark.
The game had an edge to it due to Antonio Raillo’s recent comments against Vinicius Jr leading up to the match. And tempers flared throughout the game, with the Brazilian being targeted by opposition defenders and fans.
Speaking after the match, manager Ancelotti addressed the same as well as his decision to put Asensio in charge of penalties ahead of Rodrygo in Karim Benzema’s absence.
On Vinicius Jr: “Everything that is happening is not Vinicius’s fault, he just wants to play football. You have to change your focus and look at what happened against him in today’s game.”
On the game: “Tough. It was the match we were expecting. A very tough match, difficult… We didn’t have the luck to handle it, because they scored against us very early and then it was very difficult. A lot of fouls, and the match stopped many times. We deserved to draw, we missed the penalty, we had chances in very tight spaces…”
On benching Kroos and Modric for Valverde and Ceballos: “Because they were good. Kroos came out of the last game a little bit injured, Luka [Modric] too. I’ve done a bit of rotation.”
On whether the La Liga title race is over: “It’s a defeat that hurts a lot in this sense, but it was the game we expected. We prepared for a tough, difficult match, with a lot of fouls and interruptions. The small details determined the match. The early goal and the missed penalty really affected us.
“The match wasn’t bad, in my opinion, but it was an atypical match, with a lot of interruptions. Now we have to think about the Club World Cup, where we are very excited.”
On whether he considered starting Kroos, Modric with Benzema’s absent: “Kroos was out injured after the Valencia game, it was better to avoid problems. Luka had played a game less than 72 hours ago and I didn’t want to risk him. The team played a good game in terms of energy, especially in the first half.”
On Courtois’ condition: “Courtois had a problem with a knock in the warm-up and that’s why we changed him.”
On whether the UCL is more important now: “What is more important is every game we have to play. Now we have to play the Club World Cup, which we want to win, and then we’ll fight for the league until the end. It’s not over yet, there are still a lot of games to go. What happened to us today can happen in every game.”
On the number of fouls Mallorca made: “I have to study the fouls a bit. Today the referee forgot about the repetition of fouls. It’s a yellow card when the foul is repeated, repeated, repeated and repeated again, because we came out of the first half with two cards and Mallorca with zero.”
On why Asensio took the penalty: “I chose him. The first one is Benzema, then Modric and then it can be someone else: Kroos, Asensio, Rodrygo… I choose the penalty taker.”
Source: AS
Real Madrid News
Inter Milan boss Chivu praises Mourinho ahead of Real Madrid showdown: ‘A special person’
Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu has described Jose Mourinho as “a special person” ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Romanian spent two seasons playing under Mourinho at Inter between 2008 and 2010, a period that culminated in the club winning the Champions League at the very same stadium in 2010.
A serial winner
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Chivu reflected warmly on his former manager.
“He’s a special person who I was lucky enough to meet in my life. He gave me important help during a difficult period of my life, and I’ll never forget that,” Chivu said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Chivu also praised Mourinho’s ability to influence the teams he manages and instil his mentality in his players.
“He’s very good at immersing himself in the reality of the team he represents and transmitting his mentality. He’s a winner who knows how to communicate things at the right moment. Very few people know how to do that like he does,” he said.
“He has won everywhere he has been, and I’m sure Real Madrid will have a great season.”
Despite his admiration for Mourinho, Chivu insisted that the Portuguese has not served as a template for his own coaching career.
Asked whether he takes inspiration from his former manager, the Inter boss replied: “I’ve never copied anyone. I have my own idea of football, which has been built through my years as a player and as a coach.”
Chivu assesses Mourinho’s Real Madrid
Chivu believes it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid.
“It’s still very early. It has been a fairly balanced start, although they lost their last match undeservedly because they played very well,” he said.
“They’re a team with a great history and a coach who knows how to do things.”
“Playing at the Bernabeu is not easy for anyone”
With Mourinho in the dugout and Chivu in defence, Inter defeated Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The now-Inter manager believes returning to the stadium where they lifted the trophy 16 years ago will provide a special occasion, although he knows the challenge facing his team.
“The stadium has been renovated and it’s even more beautiful. It has a great tradition and today it’s more beautiful and more modern. We like playing a Champions League match in this stadium,” he said.
“Playing at the Bernabeu is not easy for anyone. Inter haven’t won here for 60 years. We’ll do everything possible and we want to show that we’re competitive and that we have the desire to dominate.
“There’s no perfect way to play against Real Madrid because they have players who can make the difference regardless of the plan you have.”
Inter arrive in Madrid after recovering from a difficult game against Napoli, while Chivu prepares to face the coach who played such an important role in his career.
