Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid's coach, denied the wave of criticism directed at him after his team's 5-2 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.
The loss, which followed a 4-0 league defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu to their arch rivals earlier in the season, led to a harsh assessment of Ancelotti's tactics and the commitment of his players.
However, the experienced Italian coach was unaffected by the criticism and refused to blame his players.
He said: “This is a press conference and not a discussion. I have already had the discussion with the technical staff and players to find the best possible solutions.”
“I don't think this is the place to open a debate. I don't follow the wave of criticism, which says one day you're the best, the next day you're the dumbest. Fortunately, thanks to my experience, I have a balance. I don't think I'm the best but I don't think I'm the dumbest either.” .
“It was a step back but we have to look forward because we are still in a good position in every competition.
“It hurt us a lot but it didn't sink us. It was clearly a bad match, and we made a lot of mistakes. We analysed, evaluated and found solutions for them.
🎙️ @Mr.Ancelotti 🎙️
📺 Press conference ➡️ #RMPlay#LacobaMola– Real Madrid FC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@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 one game, it was a final, it was painful but it was just one game. “We are performing well in all competitions and we will continue to fight.”
Kylian Mbappe scored a goal for Real Madrid in the match, despite being on the losing side.
The Frenchman played well in Saudi Arabia, drawing praise from Ancelotti, who said all the striker needed was time to adapt to his new club.
He added: “All my players have my full support, especially those who are not showing their best levels at the moment.
“He needed time to adapt to the team to show his best physical level. Now he is at his best and the team must take advantage of that.”
Mbappe, who joined Real Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, scored 14 goals in all competitions this season.
