Carlo Ancelotti has responded negatively to speculation that Sergio Ramos could leave Real Madrid as a result of protracted contract negotiations.
The Spain defender’s present deal expires at the end of the 2016-17 season, and reports earlier this week suggested he rejected Los Blancos’ first offer of a renewal, but the Coach rubbished the idea of losing such an ‘indispensable’ figure.
“I don’t think the issue of renewal is affecting Ramos’ performance,” he said at a Press conference on Friday.
“He’s always motivated. I don’t see anything less from him, I see him become more and more important each day.
“Everyone understands very well that Sergio Ramos is indispensable. His renewal is neither my problem nor one on the pitch.
“I don’t want to talk about this. He’s still here and I think it’s clear [he’ll stay]. There are players who wear the shirt and those who wear it for a lifetime.
“I can say [the latter] about Iker [Casilas], [Sergio] Ramos and Cristiano [Ronaldo].”
Looking ahead to Saturday’s match against Cordoba, Ancelotti felt Madrid were benefitting from their extended training sessions and urged his players to familiarise themselves with the threat posed by the resurgent new boys.
“[On Saturday] we’ll play our best team, we don’t need to rotate. The team are well. Our only absences are Isco and Pepe,” he added.
“The squad give me a good feeling and are focused on the [upcoming] games. We need to stay at the top [of the table]. The teams below us are doing well.
“We haven’t lost rhythm because we showed intensity [in training] this week, but we can improve in this regard.
“It’s a little weird and strange to have a week’s worth of training. We’ve forgotten [what it feels like].
“It’s true we have a habit of playing every three days. I don’t think the fact we now train for a week hurts us. It’s good to have a high level of fitness.
“I see a team [Cordoba] who have confidence in their game. They’ve changed Coach and are on a roll.
“The fans are very happy they beat Athletic [Bilbao last week]. It will be a complicated and difficult match, so we need to be at our best.”
