Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Vinicius, Haaland, Kroos, Camavinga, Benzema ahead of Cadiz vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid will look to bounce back to winning ways in La Liga after their debacle against Villarreal last weekend, when they take on Cadiz at Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla on Saturday night.
Los Blancos suffered a 2-3 defeat at home against Villarreal, which all but ended their hopes of retaining the La Liga title. They did return to winning ways with a dominant 2-0 victory over Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League and will look to carry that form in the league encounter.
With Barcelona failing to defeat Girona on Monday, they are 13 points clear of Real Madrid at this point. With ten matches still left to be played, there is still a mathematical possibility that the Merengues can beat their arch-rivals in the race.
Ahead of the game against mid-table club Cadiz, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti interacted with the media, discussing several topics including the possible team combination and the fitness of some of his players.
On the Cadiz clash: “It’s a difficult game. Cádiz are in a good dynamic, they’re an intense team. The game comes in between the quarter-final tie, but we’re looking forward to a good performance.”
On whether he would swap Vinicius Jr for Erling Haaland: “No. What a question. They are two fantastic players. I focus on taking advantage of Vinicius’ qualities just as Guardiola is doing the same with Haaland. To each his own.”
On the possibility of facing Manchester City in the UCL semi-finals: “Anything can happen. City and we have the advantage, but we still have 90 minutes to play.”
On his future and the faith shown by Real Madrid: “The whole club shows me a lot of affection, I feel very comfortable here. The club doesn’t have to add anything more to what they already give me.”
On Vinicius Jr and Toni Kroos’ fitness: “Vinicius finished the game with an adductor strain, he is not injured. Kroos too, it was too high a risk, considering the game on Tuesday. Tomorrow we will have a competitive team. I think they’ll both be fit for Chelsea.”
On motivation for the remainder of the league campaign: “We still have a competition to respect and we have to do our best. If we can’t be first, we want second place. This shirt demands this kind of attitude.”
On the ratings for the team this season: “We have to wait until the end to give a mark. We have been successful in some competitions and less so in others. The evaluation can be very successful or a season with doubts.”
On facing criticism: “I listen to criticism, it’s normal. We live in a world where you have to listen to what the fans, the press, the club, the players think… There are criticisms that can be understood, others can’t… Criticism can help and give you ideas to be better at your job.”
On Manchester City being tipped as UCL favourites: “It doesn’t bother me. English football competes very well, at a high level. It doesn’t surprise me that they are favourites. There is a bit of a difference, but in Europe, it is proving the opposite. Spanish football took two teams to the semifinals last year, this year Italy has three in QFs.”
“European football is more competitive than people say. Premier League teams compete against clubs with less money, but the competition is still the same.”
On Eduardo Camavinga’s position: “The important thing for him in this period is that he progresses, whether he is a pivot or a full-back. It helps him to improve his tactical knowledge, he will be a great pivot in the future, but he can learn defensive things at full-back.”
On whether Eden Hazard will get an opportunity: “I don’t know if from the start, but he might get a chance to play.”
On the partnership of Eder Militao and David Alaba: “The performance of the centre-backs has improved after the World Cup. Militao and Rüdiger have done well and Alaba is back to his best, and the centre-back pairing, whoever it is, has given us a lot of confidence.
“We’ve played a lot of games with a higher block than normal. That’s where the centre-backs have to work harder.”
On Karim Benzema’s Pichichi Trophy race: “We are not thinking about it. Karim is fine. The management of minutes is for when we see him tired, but he is one of the players who has recovered the best since Wednesday.”
On his proudest moment at Real Madrid: “Difficult question. So far it has been a successful return. I hope I can continue. I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved, although what I’m most proud of is coming here every day.”
On whether Florentino Perez wants him to stay: “I think he does. The president has always been very affectionate with me and he still is. We have to look forward. We will be here next season without a doubt because we are going to respect the contract.”
Source: Real Madrid Twitter
Real Madrid News
Harry Kane ‘very close’ to completing Real Madrid move, only final details remain – report
Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid was finally closed earlier today as officially confirmed by Borussia Dortmund on their website. Yet, the offices at Santiago Bernabeu have not even taken a break to celebrate their success.
According to reports from Alfredo Pedullà, Los Blancos are now completely focused on the acquisition of Harry Kane. The English striker’s arrival is very close to approaching closure and only a few details remain to be sorted.
The Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur representatives reportedly held a meeting today over the striker’s transfer. The agenda was to agree on a number for the transfer fee.
The Premier League side began the proceedings with an expectation of €100 to €110 million in exchange for Kane. However, the Merengues suggested a lower point at €80 to €90 million, albeit with the option to include bonuses.
There is not much separating the two parties at the moment, and the minor gap will be bridged in the coming days. Overall, the meeting ended with a broad understanding between the two clubs.
Carlo Ancelotti sees the English striker as the centre-piece of his attack for next season given the recent departure of Karim Benzema. After all, Kane has been one of football’s most consistent goalscorers over the past decade.
Yet, Los Blancos cannot afford to let their guard down with one signing and will need to rope in at least two more names in attack to serve as backup options. The exits of Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio, and Eden Hazard leave them with no squad depth, after all.
Kane has scored 30, 17, and 23 goals in his last three seasons in the Premier League and is the epitome of consistency. Further, he had three assists in his most recent league season and created 14 big chances.
