hide the eleven
Then he did not want to show his cards for tomorrow’s game: “Rudiger, Rodrygo, Militao or Camavinga can play. I am lucky to have everyone available and this increases the difficulty to make the lineup. I have a clear idea: if we win, I get the lineup right. And if we lose, no. But in any case I have eleven in my head.” And in that regard, he also avoided revealing whether he will change the scheme to a 4-4-2: “Valverde’s idea allowed us to win the Champions League and the three forwards got us there.”
Carletto ruled out penalties, “we didn’t think about them nor have we tried them”, and spoke of his legacy: “It is my fourth year at the club. I have enjoyed it and I enjoy it every day. Train this club and these players to bring out the best and do something important. We are very motivated and very excited”. He is clear about what he will ask of his players: “In the first leg we handled the ball well and it was difficult for them to recover the ball. We will try to have the ball, which means that there is less risk in the game. Sometimes in these situations the character to demonstrate your personality does not appear. I want them to read the game well and know how to suffer when it’s time to play”.
From tranquility to nerves
Ancelotti confessed how he lives the hours before the matches: “Today I am calm, but tomorrow I will be nervous and I will think more about De Bruyne going to mark us, or Haaland going to hunt some… But I have to change the thinking to something more positive.”
Carlo once again demonstrated his pragmatism with a reflection that was as simple as it was practical: “We must plan the game well in the defensive aspect. If they have to mark us, let them mark us soon”
Modric: “We are close to something historic”
Luka Modric started his intervention by admitting that “the sensations are good. With a lot of desire to start now and enjoy this. We have played this type of game many times and what I see is confidence and calm. Full faith in us, in our qualities. And I think we’re going to have a great game and we’ll go to the final.”
Asked about his legacy, which Guardiola had spoken about, the Croatian stated that “our legacy is not just the titles. It is the behavior of every day, regardless of whether you win or not. What we do even when you don’t win. Everyone looks at the Champions League, League titles… But I think the way we’ve done it is part of that legacy.”
And about the motivation in a match like this, he declared: “We are close to doing something historic. I still remember Zizou’s talk about the dynasty before the kyiv final. We have achieved it and you have all this in mind. Just playing this competition, playing with Real Madrid motivates you. When you’re close to a final you want to give everything and you can give more than you think.”