Ancelotti: "I Insist, We Are Delighted with Vinicius in Every Aspect"

Carlo Ancelotti once again stood by Vinicius ahead of the second semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup. "I insist, we are delighted with Vinicius in every aspect," said the Real Madrid coach a day after the Competition Committee imposed a two-match ban on the Brazilian forward for the red card he received last Friday at Mestalla. "Like him, I hear what happens in the stadiums, the insults. It's difficult to be Vinicius and I still think the two-match ban is not correct," noted the Reggiolo coach, expressing his fatigue over the continuous questions about his player's behaviour because "when we talk about Vinicius' provocation, it diverts attention from the insults and everything that happens to him."

The clash that Real Madrid will face on Thursday in Jeddah against Mallorca arrives once again wrapped in controversy, a rival that created "problems" for the Chamartín team in the match that opened the League and has troubled the Whites on several occasions in recent years. "It's a team we have to respect to the fullest and do our job to try to reach the final," Ancelotti said about a "well-organised block that defends very well and takes advantage of the characteristics of the players they have with the ball."

"Our style will not change. We know the opponent very well and they know us very well too. It will be a competitive match, the first League match was tough, they have good characteristics and can compete with us," the Real Madrid coach elaborated on the clash, relieved by the absence of extra time in the Spanish Super Cup in case of a draw at the end of regular time. "It can be complicated to manage at this point in the season," he added.

Carletto refused to engage in the 'Olmo case', while Barça remains pending on the CSD granting the 'precautionary measure' to continue counting on the international with Spain despite the rejection of LaLiga and the FEF. "I don't want to comment on it," he firmly stated, a strategist who sees Real Madrid well-prepared to face a new challenge.

"This team has gained a good dynamic, has understood what to do after a moment of difficulty. It's an important competition that we won in 2022 and 2024 and brought us a lot of motivation. It's what we also expect from this Super Cup, to bring us excitement and commitment for the rest of the season," Ancelotti indicated, convinced that his squad will not have "attitude or commitment problems" as "the dynamic of the last month has been good." "It's a title and when there's a title at stake, this team maintains very high concentration. We've had a week of rest and the players have taken advantage to come back well, motivated and start 2025 well," he emphasised.