The coach of Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti, considered this Tuesday that playing the Champions League final against Liverpool on Saturday “is already a success” and assured that they are “motivated” to get the fifth ‘Orejona’ in eight years.
“There are many teams that have a fairly clear objective of winning the Champions League, in this sense, playing a final is already a success with all this competition around,” Ancelotti said at a press conference on the day open to the media for that ending.
“The fact of playing the fifth final in the last eight years is a great success and hopefully it can be won,” added the merengue coach, who aspires to add a fifth continental trophy to those of 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The Italian coach could become, in case of victory, the first coach to win four ‘Orejonas’ (he already has one with Real Madrid and two with Milan), although he prefers to focus on the team.
“It would be a great success, but anything can happen in a final, so I’m not obsessed,” said Ancelotti, before adding that if I win “when I stop training I’ll be able to say I’ve won four Champions Leagues, but now I don’t obsess”.
Less pressure than in 2014
The Italian coach assured that the team is well and motivated for a final, which they face with less pressure than the one they won in Lisbon in 2014 with the white team.
Then there was “much more pressure due to the many years without winning the Champions League, it was a great motivation, almost an obsession. Now Real Madrid is motivated, but with less obsession and this can give us an advantage”, explained Ancelotti, before leading the training of your team.
“The entire squad is in good physical condition, we prepare for the game calmly, focused on what we have to do. The motivation is great, we are playing the most important game in world football and we are going to give it our all”, assured Ancelotti.
“This team is more used than others to playing this kind of games,” recalled the merengue coach.
Asked about the statements by Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah trusting that this final could be revenge for the loss in 2018 against Real Madrid, Ancelotti recalled that the feeling could be mutual.
“We respect him as a player because he is a danger. It can be revenge for them for 2018, but it can also be revenge for the 1981 final in Paris,” Ancelotti said, referring to Liverpool’s win over Real Madrid.
Although the bookmakers give Liverpool as a favorite, the merengue coach is calm and considers that it will be a very close final.
‘Commitment’
“It could be that Liverpool is the more favourite. Knowing the rival team, it will be a very, very close final”, said Ancelotti, who highlights the way in which Real Madrid reached the final with three worthwhile comebacks in quarters, eighths and semifinals.
“For what we’ve done in the qualifying rounds, we deserved to reach the final because no one thought we’d make it”, explained ‘Carletto’, highlighting that the team never gave up.
“I’m not saying that we have displayed great quality, but nobody beats us in commitment. To win the Champions League you have to play well and have the same commitment in the final,” he assured.
“Until now we have never lowered our arms,” insisted Ancelotti, who appealed to all his players and opened the door to the final for Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard.
“Hazard is fine, he’s coming off an injury, but he came out eager, motivated, he can play in the final, Bale can also play. I think everyone is excited to be part of this. The fact that everyone is fine is a positive sign for us,” he concluded.
