Ancelotti refuses to blame Real Madrid players for their heavy Super Cup defeat to Barcelona
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed the wave of criticism following his side’s 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The defeat, which followed a 4-0 league defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu against their arch-rivals earlier in the season, has led to harsh assessment of Ancelotti’s tactics and the commitment of his players.
However, the experienced Italian coach is unfazed by the criticism and refuses to blame his players.
He said: “This is a press conference and not a debate. I have already had the debate with my technical staff and players to find the best possible solutions.”
“I don’t think this is the right place to open a debate. I don’t follow the wave of criticism that one day you’re the best and the next you’re the stupidest. Luckily, thanks to my experience, I have a balance. I don’t think I’m the best, but I don’t think I’m the stupidest either.
“It was a step backwards, but we have to look forward because we are still well positioned in every competition.
“It hurt us a lot, but it didn’t sink us. Obviously it was a bad game, we made a lot of mistakes. We analyzed it, evaluated it and found solutions.
🎙️ @MrAncelotti 🎙️
📺 Press conference ➡️ #RMPlay#LaCopaMola— Real Madrid CF 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 15, 2025
A month ago we won the Club World Cup and six months ago we won the Champions League. We compete. We lost a game, it was a final, it hurt, but it was just a game. We do well in every competition and will continue to fight.”
Kylian Mbappé got on the scoresheet for Madrid in the game despite being on the losing side.
The Frenchman had a good game in Saudi Arabia, which drew high praise from Ancelotti. He said the striker just needed time to get used to his new club.
He added: “All my players have my full support, especially those who are not showing their best form at the moment.
“He needed time to adapt to the team and show his best form physically. Now he is at his best and the team has to take advantage of that.”
Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, has scored 14 goals in all competitions this season.
