Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti implied that he would not play against Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night if he had the choice, given the disastrous flooding in the Valencia region over the last week.
Real Madrid will host Milan in the fourth round of Champions League fixtures on Monday night, which will also bring a big reunion for Ancelotti and the Rossoneri. The Italian tactician won two of his Champions League titles while in charge of Milan as a coach, as well as a Serie A title, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, plus seven other major titles as a player.
Ancelotti conducted his pre-match press conference on Monday evening, but decided not to speak about football where possible out of respect to the ongoing situation in and around Valencia.
Ancelotti hints he doesn’t want to play against Milan
“Out of respect for everyone, I will try and give a simple press conference, because I have no desire to talk about football, even though it’s a special game for me tomorrow,” Ancelotti told the press.
He later explained that football is ‘like a party’ and that it is only acceptable ‘to party’ when the circumstances allow it.
Real Madrid had been due to play against Valencia in LaLiga over the weekend, but that game was postponed.
“The whole football world was clear: Nobody wanted to play and I think that was the right decision, we simply have to respect what we are told to do,” Ancelotti said regarding the Valencia postponement.
“Football is a party. You can party when you, your family and everyone else is doing well, but when everybody is not doing well, you can’t party,” he continued.
For me, football has to stop, because though it is important, it is the least important thing at the moment. But we’re involved, we’re not the ones in charge, so we will adapt.”