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Seven years later, Ancelotti can once again lift a title as manager of the Real Madrid. To do this, they will have to beat Athletic, current champion of the tournament and, perhaps, they will have to do it without Asensio or Alaba, both with discomfort. If so, Rodrygo and Nacho would be their substitutes: “It will be an even game where small details will be important, such as the strength of the set piece given what they did against Atlético de Madrid,” explained Ancelotti, who showed his admiration by Marcelino: «He is a coach that I like a lot, who controls small details very well. I saw a photo in which we played together, I liked it. It’s a well-organized team that never gives up.”
Against Athletic, the Madrid will have the weight of the game again, something that did not happen against Barça, a team that prefers the ball before any other facet.
The debate has been taken to an unexpected extreme, to the point of thinking that Barça was the winner even though the finalist was Madrid. Ancelotti was very blunt about it: “I respect all facets of football, if you want to play with possession because you think it’s the easiest thing to win and play well, it’s respectable, just as Cádiz’s system was respectable in the Santiago Bernabeu. There is no perfect system just as there is no perfect game. Play against or play with possession, that doesn’t mean you’re going to win every game. They are also won with a set piece or a locked defense. We are the team that has scored the most goals in the League. Playing against is not easy, you have to be vertical, have the player who passes at the right time, and the striker who hits at the right time. The counter against Barcelona was four or five passes. In the third goal we had six players in the Barcelona area, it was not a long ball to Vinicius and that’s it. I’m delighted to play against.”
Ancelotti He assured that he is not bothered by playing in Saudi Arabia either: «There are many fans of the Madrid, a beautiful atmosphere and it is important for the Federation to help the minor leagues of Spanish football ».
The Italian, who believes that his team has not yet reached its best level, recalls that his players do not usually fail in these games: “We have not yet reached our best moment, but I am happy to reach this final like this. I know the personality and character of the team well and I know how they play these types of games. They have the ability to play these types of matches. I don’t have to put pressure or motivation. They have plenty of it.”
By last, Ancelotti left an interesting reflection on the role of Benzema from his first stage to this second: «Benzema remains humble, he has not changed. What has changed is what his teammates see of him, they see him more mature, with more personality and more of a leader compared to seven years ago. I see it that way too.”
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