Ahead of the Real Madrid - AC Milan match, Carlo Ancelotti has spoken to the media in a press conference today. Here are his words:
"Hello. It’s been a tragic week, and we are saddened. That’s the feeling. We stand very close to Valencia and all affected cities. We’re here for them, and I hope the situation is resolved soon. I want you to understand that talking about football feels difficult, as does playing football. We are part of this country, and it has a big impact. Out of respect, I will keep this press conference as simple as possible, as I don’t feel like discussing football. Tomorrow’s game is special for me too. I’ll try to say as little as possible. Thank you."
On the match:
"Is it hard to prepare for a game like this? Yes, because you can’t focus on your work. It’s been terrible. We’ll prepare because we’re professionals. We’ll try to play and win, of course. That’s what’s needed."
On postponing the league match, Ancelotti said:
"Everyone was clear. No one wanted to play. It seemed like the right decision. But we’re not in charge. The decision-makers at the top made that call."
On his feelings ahead of Milan:
"The feeling is to talk as little as possible about football. As I said, it’s our profession. We have an important, special game against Milan, but it’s in the background."
On what football should do in such situations:
"There are many ways to help. Football should have stopped this weekend, and then football should help. Football is a celebration, and you can celebrate when you’re well. When your family is well, and everyone’s well. When people are suffering, there’s no need for celebration. Football should stop. For me, yes. Because it’s the most important of the least important things. But we can’t make decisions. We’re not in charge."
Ancelotti on the Ballon d’Or for best coach:
"The Ballon d'Or is in the past. My Ballon d’Or was awarded on June 1 when we won the Champions League."
On handling the tragedy:
"I don’t want to discuss how it was handled; I’m just trying my best to help."
On the people of Valencia:
"It’s natural for them to feel frustrated, sad. Something incredible happened. I’m not here to judge the political response; I just feel for the people. It’s hard to believe that in 2024, these things can still happen, despite all the meteorological information we have."
Further on the Valencia tragedy, Ancelotti said:
"I’ve kept informed, of course. It’s an incredible disaster. People are helping a lot. That’s what every citizen should do. Help those severely affected."
On how his group has experienced these days:
"It’s been a hard week because it’s not the normal environment. But not because of what happened with the Ballon d’Or. It happened, that’s all. Congratulations to the winners. The sadness is not about that but for what’s happening here in Spain."
On Vinicius Jr:
"He’s doing well. He’s aware of what’s happening. Fortunately, we didn’t play on Saturday, and Vinicius trained well, as did everyone."
On stopping football in the face of certain tragedies:
"The power we have is zero. We can’t make any decisions. All the coaches wanted to stop the match. Some played, others didn’t. The decision-making power of the coach, in these cases, is zero. There’s a phrase, 'the show must go on,' but it’s not the case."
Again on Vinicius:
"Vinicius is sad, like us, but not because of the Ballon d’Or, but because of what he sees happening in Valencia."
