It’s about style and substance as Real Madrid, so Carlo Ancelotti and his side have been under the microscope despite advancing past Schalke in the UEFA Champions League.
Part of that is because Madrid dropped behind Barcelona this weekend in the race for La Liga’s title, but it also has to do with the club nearly dropping out of Europe’s top tournament in a sloppy second leg loss at the Bernabeu.
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So when Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called an unexpected conference for Thursday morning, anything could’ve been on his mind (positive or negative).
He chose the former, opting to endorse Carlo Ancelotti, Gareth Bale and his team of under pressure stars, saying he comes out to speak “when there is criticism which comes between socios and fans, and the players.” Madrid reporter Dermot Corrigan says a Marca cover that claimed Ancelotti could be fired for a loss in next week’s El Clasico was part of the presser’s inspiration.
From Eurosport:“Whatever happens in the coming weeks, Carlo Ancelotti will remain Madrid coach,” said Perez.
“We have the best coach and players for Madrid. The club has full confidence in our coach and our players.
“We had never won four trophies in one calendar year, as in 2014, so this coach and players form part of the history of this club.”
He also backed Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Iker Casillas specifically:
Florentino: “The keeper of Madrid is symbol of club, with his CV & history. If he makes a mistake one day, he needs support of all fans.”
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) March 12, 2015
Florentino: “I will not question Ronaldo. Everyone has had a drop, due to circumstances. He is working to recover, as always does.”
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) March 12, 2015
Never a dull moment at the Bernabeu, is there? Perez is one of the loudest voices at the club, if not the world of soccer, and his persona and expectations have probably launched several controversial articles about the above players. Still, Real remains alive for the UEFA Champions League and La Liga titles, and Ancelotti has proven adept at navigating crises.Oh, and how about a subtle dig at ex-employee Jose Mourinho:
Florentino: “My first feeling after Schalke was to be happy to be in quarters. Difficult to do. We saw last night others did not make it.”
— Dermot Corrigan (@dermotmcorrigan) March 12, 2015Follow @NicholasMendola
