Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said that he “doesn’t feel like talking about football” with … [+]
Emotional Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti said that he “doesn’t feel like talking about football” with respect to a flooding tragedy in the Valencia region.
The flood has claimed over 200 lives thus far, and resulted in Los Blancos’ La Liga fixture against Valencia at the Mestalla on Saturday being postponed.
Addressing the media in a prematch press conference to preview Tuesday’s Champions League encounter with former club AC Milan, Ancelotti said he and his squad “have sadness” because of the tragedy.
“This is the emotion we have, we are very close to all the people who have been affected. Hopefully this can be resolved soon and in this sense, I hope you can understand, talking about football is very complicated.
“We are part of this country and all this affects us a lot. Out of respect for you and also not to disrespect people, I will try to make it easy because I don’t feel like talking about football. For me, tomorrow’s game is a very special one… but I will try to talk as little as possible.” Ancelotti added.
Asked how difficult it is to prepare for a match in such circumstances, Ancelotti responded by saying: “This affects everyone because you listen, you read… And what has happened is something terrible. We have prepared for it because we are professionals and we will try to win it obviously. This is what we have to do.”
Amid FC Barcelona rival Hansi Flick voicing a preference for Sunday’s 3-1 win over Espanyol to be called off, Ancelotti also backed the decision to stop his side from taking on Valencia.
“Everyone has been clear. Nobody wanted to play. It seemed like the right decision to me, but we are not the ones in charge. Those who are at the top make that decision,” he stated on this.
“There are many ways to help, I think this is different. Football had to stop and then football can and should help.”
Reflecting again on the tragedy, Ancelotti quipped that, “What I think is that football is a party, but you can [only] do it when you’re well.
“If your family is well, then you have a party. But when people are not well, there is no need to have parties. Football has to stop because football is the most important thing… of the least important things in life.”
While Ancelotti was pushed to reveal how the group has handled the past week, he admitted that it had “been a difficult week because the atmosphere is not normal”.
“But it’s nothing that has to do with the Ballon d’Or. [It’s because of] the sadness and the different atmosphere of what is happening in Spain,” he concluded on this.
