He gave his final pre-match press conference
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti gave his final pre-match press conference while still in charge of the club, speaking at Valdebebas before the La Liga clash with Real Sociedad on Saturday. Speaking about those who will follow him, he said, “I don’t want to give advice, everyone has their own methodology. But enjoy Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso will be the first and I wish him all the luck in the world. He has the quality to coach Real Madrid. Let him enjoy it, that’s what I have to say.”
Elaborating further on whether his departure marked the end of an era, he added that, “you may think that a golden generation is coming to an end, with Modrić. Although Carvajal is missing. But this generation, like everything else, must end at some point. And many have left: Casemiro, Cristiano Ronaldo… and Real Madrid continued, as it will continue, to be the best club in the world.”
Ancelotti on how special his farewell will be
“Very, it is inevitable. It is my last game. Always, when an era comes to an end there is a lot of emotion. And this is happening to me. But I am not sad, not at all, but very happy. I have tried to do my best and we leave here happy and content, because sooner or later… this had to happen. Thank you for this time: players, club, president… we have had a great time during this time, I have had a great time. With much affection, help and grateful for the opportunity to coach spectacular players. This period is coming to an end, it has been quite long, but it has ended well. I have never argued with the president and I never will. Not on the last day either. So far, so good. And a new era begins, to which I go with the same enthusiasm with which I arrived here. It has been a successful period, we have won a lot and I consider that holding more than 700 press conferences with you is also a success! We have had a good time. But putting up with 700 press conferences… I don’t think it has been so easy. Some questions have not always been nice.”
Ancelotti on his final training session
“It will be as it should be. A very nice one. As I said, these are exciting days, you talk with the players… and with so many people. My relationship with everyone has been very good and I appreciate the atmosphere: cooks, those who made me carbonara before the games, I thank everyone. I thank everyone. These are special days, but I have not done anything new.”
Ancelotti on his emotions in the final game
“Yes, I get excited very quickly. It’s going to be an exciting day. If I cry, there is no problem. It will be nice and I share it with Modrić… who has been a spectacular support in this era at Real Madrid. Someone fantastic, a legend. It will be nice to say goodbye with him.”
Ancelotti on the club paying tribute to him
“I am proud to have had the opportunity to coach this club. The success of everything I have achieved since 2013 is there. I want to say goodbye with the affection I have for the club.”
Ancelotti on his best night at the Bernabéu
“Bufff, there have been many, many! It is very difficult to choose one. But I’ll go for the comebacks, because they are things that are still unexplained. I’ll remember, above all, those ones. PSG, Manchester City and Chelsea. They will always be unforgettable.”
Ancelotti on the transition to lead Brazil
“The feeling is very nice, very much so. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to not betray Real Madrid with any other club and go to the national team with the most history, the five-time champions. It’s a great challenge, but I love being able to prepare for a World Cup with Brazil.”
Ancelotti on how he’d like to be remembered
“As a good coach, obviously. But time will tell. At this moment, even as I say goodbye, I feel the affection of many people and that makes me very happy… and very happy.”
Ancelotti on if he’d return to Madrid after Brazil
“These are things I don’t know. I don’t feel like coaching another club, or I didn’t, after Real Madrid. That’s what I have said and I maintain. In the future… I don’t know. But the most immediate thing is to do well with Real Madrid.”
Ancelotti on how the game has changed since he arrived
“It has changed, it has changed. And I saw that if I didn’t adapt, I wouldn’t win any more Champions League titles. But in this second chapter I have been helped by a young coaching staff, with enthusiasm and a desire to learn. Preparing a match now is much more analytical than before. There are a lot of aspects that 20 years ago were not taken into account. But I have had a coaching staff, as I said, that has given me the enthusiasm to evolve. I am different now from 1995 and from 2013.”
Ancelotti on what Real Madrid needs to change
“I don’t know, I don’t want to go into this. As I said: the club has all the tools to be competitive next year, and this will always be Real Madrid’s objective. Tomorrow I say goodbye to Modrić… who has been an example for everyone. And for a coach, to have someone like him… because there are many players with a lot of quality, but he has been able to make quality compatible with soul. And that’s made him a Real Madrid legend. This is very important. When you are able to combine the two, you are a legend. And when you can’t, you are a normal player.”
Ancelotti on whether he has any regrets
“No, no. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes, a lot of them; but since I’ve made so many, I can’t tell you which one has affected me the most. But nothing has kept me awake at night.”
Ancelotti on how he’d like to be thought of as a coach
“I don’t know… I don’t know… My work can be judged, there is no problem. But I am not a coach, I am a person who does the job of coach. There will be those who think better or worse of my work, that’s fine. But I don’t want to be remembered as a bad person.”
