Like his players, Carlo Ancelotti took the disappointment in Jeddah seriously, responding in a way that was vague, direct, and evasive. He offered insight into the reasons for their Supercopa disaster versus Barcelona by saying, “We are hurt, but not sunk,” citing a “lack of collective commitment” and “defensive errors across all lines.” He made an effort to remain upbeat, though, saying, “The match went poorly; we are hurt because we lost a final, but we still have many finals ahead of us.” “This isn’t a debate;” he said, refusing to address whether the problem was one of football or attitude in the thick of the unpleasant aftermath. He was also utterly unresponsive when asked if the team needed reinforcements, responding, “I won’t comment on that.”
He reiterated, “We are hurt, but not sunk,” in his analysis of the match against Barcelona: “It was a step back.” We made mistakes during the poor match, which we have assessed and are trying to fix, starting with the encounter against Celta. We keep going; we have a strong position in every competition.” He clarified that defensive difficulties weren’t limited to the attack, stating, “All lines were at fault.” “Commitment is a very important aspect of the game that leads to success if coupled with quality, but that commitment is not always achieved collectively,” he said.
He asserted at the beginning of the season that this team is superior than the one from the previous year: Recalling their two titles and defending their loss in Jeddah, he underlined, “I have great trust in this squad, due to youth, enthusiasm, quality, and devotion, which isn’t always demonstrated: “The match wasn’t good. We feel hurt after losing a final, but we still have a lot of finals to go. It has been expensive, but it was only a single match. Sometimes you have to pay the price.
“As always, we will battle and struggle. Although everyone has their own opinions, he continued, “I still have complete faith in the players, especially right now when they aren’t playing at their best.” “Is football or mentality the issue? This isn’t a discussion. I talk about it with the players and my coaching staff, and we try to find the best solution. “It doesn’t seem like the best place to bring it up here,” he stated curtly, adding that “the criticism” doesn’t affect him because it’s a requirement of his job: “It’s not true that the team isn’t well-trained; I’m plugged in as always, but it doesn’t bother me either.”
Claiming that they “are playing very well,” he hardly mentioned Celta. He also assured that his players had “recovered well” and that he would field “the best possible team to seize the opportunity football presents to leave behind what happened in the last match.” “I’m convinced he played well and the data supports that,” he said in defense of Tchouameni, who faced criticism during the game against Barcelona. “The team must take advantage of Mbappé’s excellent form. His physical problems have already been overcome and he has adjusted.
