Carlo Ancelotti : « Vinicius Jr is very sad, but not because of the balloon d’or »

Real Madrid face AC Milan in the league of champions this Tuesday night at Bernabeu. On the eve of this clash of titans, Carlo Ancelotti S’is presented at a traditional press conference. While’on S’ expected that’il talks about the shock against the Rossoneri and especially the polemics related to the balloon of’ 2024, the technician Transalpin S’ lingered on what’il thinks to be the most important: the drama of Valencia. The editorial staff of Real de Madrid presents you, the main lines of the release of the’ coach of the club of Casa Blanca.

Ancelotti on the match against AC Milan: “The feeling is to talk about football as little as possible. As I mentioned, it’s our profession. We have a special and important match against Milan, but it’s in the background.”

Ancelotti on the Valencia tragedy: “There are many ways to help, and I think this is a different one. Football had to stop, and then it can and must help. Everyone has been clear—no one wanted to play. It seemed like the right decision, but it’s not us who make that choice. It’s the leaders who decide. It impacts everyone because you hear about it, you read about it. We’ve prepared ourselves because we’re professionals, and we will try to win, of course. That’s what we need to do. It’s been a week since this tragedy, and we are sad. That’s the emotion we feel, and we’re very close to those affected. I hope this situation can be resolved quickly, and I hope you understand that talking about football is complicated. We’re part of this country, and it affects a lot of people. Out of respect and to avoid being disrespectful, I’ll try to keep it brief because I don’t want to talk about football. For me, tomorrow’s a very special match, but I’ll try to speak about it as little as possible.”

Ancelotti’s message to those in charge regarding the Valencia tragedy: “It’s only natural to feel frustrated by what’s happened. I don’t want to give my opinion or judge the policy decisions made this week. I have no words, just the sadness of seeing so many affected. It’s 2024, and with all the information we have, we still can’t fix this kind of tragedy. I can’t evaluate it; I can only do my best to help. Football is a celebration, but you celebrate when everything is alright—when your family is alright. When people aren’t doing well, there’s no need to celebrate. Football should stop because, ultimately, it’s not the most important thing.”

Ancelotti on the Best Coach award: “I’m happy. The Ballon d’Or is over, and we must congratulate all the winners.”

Ancelotti on Vinicius Jr: “He’s just like us. Fortunately, we didn’t play this match. He trained well, like everyone else.”

Ancelotti on the group atmosphere: “It’s been a difficult week, as the atmosphere is not normal. But this has nothing to do with the Ballon d’Or. The sadness and the unusual atmosphere are due to what’s happening in Spain.”

Ancelotti on Vinicius after the Ballon d’Or: “I repeat, Vinicius is sad like us, not because of the Ballon d’Or, but because of what he sees in Valencia.”

Ancelotti on forcing players to take a break: “No, we have no power. We can’t make any decisions. All coaches had the same thought, but they couldn’t act on it.”