Ancelotti hinted that Real is still affected by the 2022 World Cup
* Real Madrid - Valencia: 2:00 on January 12, Hanoi time.
"It can be seen that many Real players are not at their best right now, but we are seeing positive signs in the training sessions," Ancelotti said at a press conference in Riyadh on January 10, before the semi-final of the Super Cup. Spain Cup vs Valencia.
The Italian coach said he was trying to make the right adjustments when he first experienced the pause of the domestic tournament for more than a month for the World Cup. According to Ancelotti, the tournament in Qatar does not affect the spirit, but the emotional impact of some students.
Real have 13 players for the 2022 World Cup, including Karim Benzema (France), Dani Carvajal, Marco Asensio (Spain), Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga (France), Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard (Belgium), Eder Militao, Vinicius , Rodrygo (Brazil), Luka Modric (Croatia), Antonio Rudiger (Germany) and Federico Valverde (Uruguay). In particular, Benzema left the French team before the tournament started, Courtois, Hazard, Rudiger, Valverde parted ways from the group stage, and Tchouameni and Camavinga attended the final.
Real did not perform well after the 2022 World Cup, when they defeated Valladolid 2-0 thanks to Benzema's double in the last 7 minutes, struggled to beat fourth place Cacereno 1-0 in the round of 32 of the King's Cup team and then lost 1-2 on Villarreal Stadium in La Liga. However, Ancelotti is still confident: "Real knows how to defend firmly, and has a quality attack. These things have brought Real success. I believe Real will return to its original form."
Ancelotti is eager to confront Gennaro Gattuso - his former student is now head coach of Valencia. Ancelotti used to coach Gattuso at Milan and achieved much success between 2001-2009, together winning a Serie A, an Italian Cup, an Italian Super Cup, two Champions Leagues, two European Super Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup. .
"We had very beautiful moments together, memories for a lifetime," said Ancelotti. "But then the relationship wasn't always good, when we had some personal problems. Many Milan players at that time became good coaches, like Clarence Seedorf, Andrea Pirlo, Alessandro Nesta or Gattuso. . All of them make their mark at the club they lead. With Gattuso, his clubs have a very clear and intense identity."
According to the rules, the top two teams in La Liga and the final of the King's Cup last season will attend the Spanish Super Cup held at King Fahd Stadium, Saudi Arabia. In the first semi-final today, Real met Valencia, and Barca played Real Betis on the evening of January 12. The two winners will face off in the final on January 15. Ancelotti insists he wants to conquer all titles with Real, starting with the Spanish Super Cup.
In 2019, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) reached an agreement of 43 million USD under a 10-year contract with the Saudi Arabian Sports Authority to increase the number of teams participating in the Spanish Super Cup from two to four, and organized positions in the Middle East. Last season, Real beat Barca 3-2 in the semi-finals, then beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 in the final to win the second title in three years.
