Ancelotti: "We're eager to hold on to our lead in LaLiga"

Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media ahead of Espanyol-Real Madrid (Saturday, 9:00pm CET). The coach mentioned the visit to the RCDE Stadium: "I'm expecting a complicated game. It's an important moment in LaLiga for all the teams. We're still a long way from the final stretch, but the points at stake are starting to become more important than in the first few games. We have an advantage at the moment and we want to hold on to it."
"The season can hinge on every game. If you lose a league game or are knocked out of the Copa del Rey it has an impact on the season, but we only think about the games we have to play, and there are too many, I repeat, too many. Until the March break, there are 13 games. That's a lot and we have to think that every game can be vital. From today they start to be vital. Every game we have a lot at stake for the season."
Time to prepare for the games
"There is no preparation. When you play every three days there is preparation for the four, five or six who don't play the game. For the rest it's recovery, video and match, so all 40 days. Obviously, our job is to have those who play less ready, primed and motivated because they are going to be indispensable in this stretch of the season. Sometimes, you have to understand the rotation of some players in order to have the squad as motivated as possible because I need everyone."
Does the Champions League playoff influence the planning?
"It doesn't change anything. We all want the perfect world but there isn't one. We lost one game and we weren't able to get into the top eight. It's OK, play two games more or less. They will be two difficult and entertaining games, but we have the resources to win them."
Rodrygo's position
"It is a matter of debate. He's very comfortable on the left wing but he's contributed a lot on the right as well. In many games, he has scored on the right. He's a complete player. We're aware that he likes the left flank but for the good of the team he has to make sacrifices. He has always sacrificed himself and has always put the good of the team first."
"Football benefits from Rodrygo's quality and so do Real Madrid fans. For the good of the team, I have to clarify the positions well. It hasn't gone wrong so far and I don't think it will go wrong in the future."
Offer for Rodrygo
"It's difficult for me to talk about the future of footballers because they are personal decisions. What I see is that the players who are here are happy and want to stay as long as possible and win a lot of titles, they want to contribute. And what each player thinks individually, I don't know. It's difficult for me to talk about my own future as it is difficult for me to talk about the future of the footballers. What I see and hear is that there are lots of players who want to be in Rodrygo's and Vinicius' place. There are many players who want to play for this club, in this team and with this shirt, very many. Testament to the history and the strength of this club."
Winter market
"I'm not going to confirm anything. I'm just waiting for this transfer window to be over because I've been asked a lot about the it. From tomorrow everything will be clearer for everyone."
Football in Arabia
"I think that Saudi Arabia has the World Cup in 2034 and has the right to use football to show a good image of the country. I don't see anything strange. I think it's a very serious project because Saudi is a very strong country with a lot of fans. It has started and is trying to improve by signing important players. Football, like the world, has become globalised and I don't see anything strange that they could host the World Cup in 2034 because football doesn't belong to Europe, it's global and it has every right to do so."
State of the team
"I didn't say I wanted to make it to January unscathed, I said I wanted to eat nougat in December. We have eaten the nougat. Our team is better compared to December because we've had a very good run. In the last 14 games we have won 12. That's very good and we want to keep it up."
"We're going through a good patch and we're in a good dynamic but every game, because there are so many, can be a trap and you can slip up. That's what we don't want to do, we want to keep going. We are scoring more goals and the team looks more solid, but you have to keep in mind that every game can be tricky."
Vini Jr. and yellow cards
"He's aware of what he has to do on the pitch because he's a mature person. We're delighted that he can show his best version again. He has trained very well, he's fresh and I think he can bring a lot to the team in tomorrow's game."
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