On the evening of November 4, Beijing time, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti attended a press conference ahead of the Champions League match against AC Milan. At the conference, Ancelotti expressed deep sympathy for the victims of the severe flooding in the Valencia region. He stated that both the team and himself felt very sad, and discussing football seemed inappropriate at such a time. He mentioned that although the upcoming match against AC Milan is significant, compared to the current disaster, football seems less important.
When asked if the weekend’s match still held any meaning, Ancelotti said, “Everyone knows that no one wants to play football at this time. But the final decision is not in our hands; it is made by higher authorities.”
Talking about the difficulty of preparing for the match under these special circumstances, Ancelotti admitted, “Yes, because our minds are not on the job. It’s a terrible disaster. Nevertheless, we will try to prepare for the game as professionals. We will do our best to play and win, as that is our duty.”
Regarding whether they missed an opportunity to help the affected area, Ancelotti responded, “There are many ways to help the affected area. Football should have been suspended this weekend, and then we could provide assistance in various ways.”
When asked about his thoughts on winning the Best Coach award from France Football, Ancelotti said, “I am very happy, but the Ballon d’Or has passed, and we must congratulate all the winners.”
Talking about the team’s situation, Ancelotti said, “It has been a tough week, as the atmosphere is very different from usual. But it’s not because of the Ballon d’Or. The Ballon d’Or has passed, and we congratulate the winners. Our sadness is due to what is happening in Spain.”
Regarding Vinícius’ mental state after not winning the Ballon d’Or, Ancelotti said, “Vinícius is as sad as we are, but not because of the Ballon d’Or. It’s because he saw the situation in Valencia.”
Regarding whether athletes have the right to refuse to participate in the match, Ancelotti said, “Our power is almost zero. We cannot make any decisions. All coaches want to suspend the matches. Some matches are played, while others are not. In this situation, the coach’s decision-making power is almost zero.”
Regarding why the match should continue under these circumstances, Ancelotti said, “I am not the best person to answer this question. There is an old saying, ‘The show must go on,’ but that is not the case here.”
Regarding Vinícius’ mental state, Ancelotti said, “Vinícius is as sad as we are, but not because of the Ballon d’Or, but because of the current situation in Valencia.”
Talking about the dressing room situation, Ancelotti said, “We are all very sad. Many people are suffering, and it affects everyone. Now I need to be more involved than before, doing my best to help the team and giving it my all. In the world of football, players have almost no decision-making power. We must do things we do not want to do.”
