Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti reiterated his side’s firm stance at a press conference after a 2-1 comeback win over Villarreal in the 28th round of La Liga that the club would refuse to play any further matches with less than 72 hours of rest.
Speaking about the tight schedule and lack of rest, Ancelotti said: “The team showed a unique character and a sense of responsibility, which is not always maintained and sometimes I even get angry with them. I want to especially thank the players for their great work since January 3 today’s match. Let me make it clear that this is the last time we will compete with less than 72 hours of rest, and it will not happen again. We have applied to La Liga twice to change the time of the game, but we have not received a response, and this is the last compromise.”
On the game itself, Ancelotti commented: “The team kept going in difficult moments, especially in the opening stages of the first and second half. After that, we gradually dominated the ball and created chances. Mbappe scored two key goals and in the second half we had a couple of counterattack opportunities that we could have handled better.”
Asked if Real Madrid would play in the future if games were to be played less than 72 hours apart, Ancelotti replied emphatically: “No, of course not. We have made our position clear.”
For the team’s performance, Ancelotti is full of pride: “Yes, I am very proud of the team. It was a game that could go wrong because of the lack of rest and the strength of the opponents. Villarreal are a strong team. But we overcame the physical challenge. Normally, the team is exhausted at the end of the game. This win shows the strength of this team and the depth of this squad.”
Finally, talking about this round of Atletico and Barcelona’s confrontation, Ancelotti said: “For us, today’s victory is very important. Of course, I will be watching the match between Atletico and Barcelona, it will be a good match. However, I will watch the game as a normal fan, and tomorrow I will be a pure fan, that is all.”
