Ancelotti: I risked Venice. And Bill's laughs don't concern me Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has well accepted the criticism following the team's exit from the Copa del Rey quarter-finals last Thursday at the hands of Athletic Bilbao.
"Winning has 100 fathers, but losing is an orphan," Ancelotti said at the press conference on the eve of Granada's 23rd-round clash with La Liga.
Harsh criticism
"That's the truth, but I'm used to it, I have a lot of ambition, a desire to be real madrid coach, and the criticism is welcome, it makes me wake up." Of course it makes me think more, and that's normal. I thank those who criticize me because they make me more mindful."
Among the decisions he made and faced considerable criticism, the Italian coach focused in particular on his involvement with Brazilian Vinicius Junior in the cup match, despite his extreme fatigue and the lack of participation of Belgian Eden Hazard, despite his lack of participation with the team in general.
"I think I risked a little push with Phenysius from the start, I could have involved him in the second half." "We're talking about it, but the fact of the matter is that the player knew he was tired, but I thought he could support the team."
"It is possible to exchange views on Vinicius' participation, but there is not much to say about the rest of the players," the 62-year-old said.
"I put Casemiro and Rodrigo, who did not participate with Brazil, and I was looking for speed by choosing an outspoken striker, and then I replaced him with Isco," he said.
Bill's Crisis
Ancelotti played down Welshman Gareth Bale's laughter after watching Hazard warm up but did not take part in the end, while explaining why he was kept on the bench.
"I didn't see the incident, I don't know what happened, or even bill's laughs, it's not big," he said .
Reaction
Ancelotti moved on to talk about facing Granada, where he confirmed that he was waiting for an immediate reaction from his team, despite significant absences in their ranks, especially in the front side in the absence of Benzema and Fiennesius.
"The team needs a reaction after the loss to Bilbao. Granada will look for their game, find our weaknesses, but the most important thing is to have a good reaction with a good game and win."
Real Madrid are seeking to score the three points for granada, in order to secure the lead and maintain the four-point gap with sevilla, who will now be the guest of Osasuna, as well as to return to the path of victories after a draw in the last round before the international break (2-2) against Elchi.
Update
Carlo Ancelotti Named Brazil Head Coach
Carlo Ancelotti, the 65-year-old Italian icon and most decorated manager in Champions League history, has officially been appointed as the Brazil national team head coach, replacing Dorival Jr. His tenure with Brazil begins on May 26, 2025, following the culmination of the La Liga season with Real Madrid.