Carlo
Ancelotti appeared before the press to assess the match against
Espanyol that will see the Whites try to secure their grip on the La
Liga top spot: "The players want to get back to winning ways. We have a
slight advantage in La Liga and we would like to keep it. We want to
start off a positive run of results. It would be good for our mood. It
is the first home game of the year and we want to play just as we did
when we closed out the year, and make our fans happy".
"Espanyol have changed from how they were last year. They have a new coach and a new mentality and style. They had some problems at the start but they are doing better now. They have had good results and played well against Valencia. All games against sides who fight and need points are difficult. We have to be well focussed on the game and try to play at our best".
Cristiano
"I have spoken to him, just as I have spoken to all of the players. Each game we take the necessary decisions so that all of the players are in good condition. He was a little tired before the Atlético game and we chose to give him a little rest, so that he didn't play 90 minutes. Tomorrow, he will be completely recovered, in good condition, and he is going to play".
"We have never talked about Cristiano's knee because both of his knees are fine. He has no problems. He is one of the most professional players that I have managed. He really enjoys what he does, he tries to improve everyday. He really looks after his recovery process following games".
Kroos
“He is used to playing, although we do realize that there was a winter break in Germany. Maybe, he will be given some rest over the next few matches, just like Pepe and Ramos. At the moment he feels fine".
Ramos
“Pepe was rested against Atlético. Now I am going to give Ramos a little rest in order to avoid problems. He had problems at the Club World Cup and then he played without any problems. It might be risky to play him for a long time. I will make that change against Espanyol and I think the rest of the team will remain unchanged”.
Criticism
“It is normal for a team that has won so much. Everyone is looking for explanations at the moment. We have to think about what is happening. We need to cut this moment short with a good win tomorrow. I am not that worried because I know the team well, I know how serious and professional they are. We view this as a negative, but normal, moment".
"Espanyol have changed from how they were last year. They have a new coach and a new mentality and style. They had some problems at the start but they are doing better now. They have had good results and played well against Valencia. All games against sides who fight and need points are difficult. We have to be well focussed on the game and try to play at our best".
Cristiano
"I have spoken to him, just as I have spoken to all of the players. Each game we take the necessary decisions so that all of the players are in good condition. He was a little tired before the Atlético game and we chose to give him a little rest, so that he didn't play 90 minutes. Tomorrow, he will be completely recovered, in good condition, and he is going to play".
"We have never talked about Cristiano's knee because both of his knees are fine. He has no problems. He is one of the most professional players that I have managed. He really enjoys what he does, he tries to improve everyday. He really looks after his recovery process following games".
Kroos
“He is used to playing, although we do realize that there was a winter break in Germany. Maybe, he will be given some rest over the next few matches, just like Pepe and Ramos. At the moment he feels fine".
Ramos
“Pepe was rested against Atlético. Now I am going to give Ramos a little rest in order to avoid problems. He had problems at the Club World Cup and then he played without any problems. It might be risky to play him for a long time. I will make that change against Espanyol and I think the rest of the team will remain unchanged”.
Criticism
“It is normal for a team that has won so much. Everyone is looking for explanations at the moment. We have to think about what is happening. We need to cut this moment short with a good win tomorrow. I am not that worried because I know the team well, I know how serious and professional they are. We view this as a negative, but normal, moment".
CRISTIANO IS FIT AND HE IS GOING TO PLAY.
“We are not in optimum mental
condition following the holiday period. We had a fantastic run of
victories and then we had two complicated matches. We still haven't
found the rhythm that we finished the year with. That is all it is.
Physically, we are doing really well. We went through this is September,
and we fixed it really well, which is what we are going to do now. We
have figures that show we are doing well. We still haven't found the
necessary rhythm. We have to strive for a bit more and play with a
little added intensity".
What Casillas said
“I agree. Everyone has their say. I am grateful for it. It is very difficult to say anything about Messi. He is a fantastic player, but we all have fantastic players. Messi would make it into any team in the world”.
Barcelona-Atlético
“I don't have preferences. They are both going to fight towards the end for the title. We have a slight advantage that we must enjoy and maintain. The game on Sunday will be very interesting. One team is doing very well, and the other team can use this match to solve problems. Barcelona's punishment is not an advantage for Real Madrid. Barcelona are very strong and have a lot of quality in their current team".
The two defeats in September
“At that point we didn't have the confidence and safety of everything working out well. There were new players. Everything is different now. We know what we have to do. There were more doubts in September than now”.
Odegaard and signings
“He trained with us and also with Castilla. He is young, he has quality and a future ahead of him. We wanted to get to know him but we still haven't made a decision. We are evaluating the recovery of some of the squad players. Khedira has recovered and Modric is getting there".
The attack in France
“Everybody has been affected by it and is worried. We hope that the politicians can sort it out. It is a problem for everyone, not just France. A life with worry and danger is not much of a life”.
What Casillas said
“I agree. Everyone has their say. I am grateful for it. It is very difficult to say anything about Messi. He is a fantastic player, but we all have fantastic players. Messi would make it into any team in the world”.
Barcelona-Atlético
“I don't have preferences. They are both going to fight towards the end for the title. We have a slight advantage that we must enjoy and maintain. The game on Sunday will be very interesting. One team is doing very well, and the other team can use this match to solve problems. Barcelona's punishment is not an advantage for Real Madrid. Barcelona are very strong and have a lot of quality in their current team".
The two defeats in September
“At that point we didn't have the confidence and safety of everything working out well. There were new players. Everything is different now. We know what we have to do. There were more doubts in September than now”.
Odegaard and signings
“He trained with us and also with Castilla. He is young, he has quality and a future ahead of him. We wanted to get to know him but we still haven't made a decision. We are evaluating the recovery of some of the squad players. Khedira has recovered and Modric is getting there".
The attack in France
“Everybody has been affected by it and is worried. We hope that the politicians can sort it out. It is a problem for everyone, not just France. A life with worry and danger is not much of a life”.
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