Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has praised the mentality of his squad once again, ahead of their Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea, highlighting the fact there was very little need for him to discipline his players.
It was put to Ancelotti by Tatiana Mantovani that Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema put together have more goals than Chelsea this season, and he was asked if their relationship off the pitch was crucial to that. The Italian explained that they knew when to be serious though.
“This is a group. I only see them in Valdebebas [the training ground], they feel good among themselves. They understand well when it’s time to make jokes or to be serious.”
“This group is like that. If you have to be serious, I don’t have to order them to be serious.”
He went on to explain that from his point of view, this was one of the easier aspects of his job.
“For a manager, for me as a coach to manage this squad it’s very simple. I manage it very well and everyone tells me so. I’m fantastic in management,” he said tongue in cheek.
“But there are other things, because this team is well prepared. Because if we win the Cup we will have won all the titles in two years and there are teams that don’t they win that in their whole life. And with that said I bid you farewell,” Ancelotti exited the press conference to laughter.
Ancelotti has praised his players’ mentlity time and again, recently pointing out that while Real Madrid might be thinking about replacing veterans like Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Luika Modric, their ability to manage games cannot be bought on the market.