Ancelotti talks Vinicius, Benzema, Courtois, Militao ahead of FIFA Club World Cup semi-final | OneFootball

With pressure mounting on Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid manager will be aiming to lead the team to the second trophy of the season in the form of the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Merengues are set to play their first match in the tournament tomorrow when they lock horns with Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the semi-finals.

Following the defeat to RCD Mallorca in La Liga, it is imperative that Real Madrid produce a strong reaction on Wednesday night and earn a place in the final, where they will face the winners of Flamengo vs Al Hilal.

On the eve of the game, manager Ancelotti addressed the media, touching upon various topics including his team’s injury list and the controversies surrounding Vinicius Jr.

On the FIFA Club World Cup: “The Club World Cup is a very important event. To get here means you have done well. We have a lot of fans here and we want to make them happy. Winning would mean a new impetus for what’s to come.”

On Vinicius Jr: “It seems that the problem is Vinicius but the problem is what surrounds Vinicius. This problem needs to be solved. Vinicius is not guilty, he is the victim of something I don’t understand.”

On facing Al Ahly: “They are a team with a great history, one of the most important in world football. They have a good organisation with skillful players and it’s going to be a competitive match. They have the same desire as us to win. We have a lot of respect for them, especially a club with a very important history in African football.”

On Courtois, Benzema and Militao’s availability: “All three are on the list because it means they can recover for the final. We’ll see, we preferred to leave them in Madrid to follow the best treatment. We’ll see if they’re ready for Saturday’s game.”

On the rival fans: “A club with such a history obviously has fans close to the team. It’s going to be an entertaining game. I think we have a lot of Madrid fans and that everyone will enjoy a competitive game with two teams who are looking forward to playing in the final.”

On playing in Morocco: “In Morocco, they have shown us all their affection. The facilities are fine, the weather is good… We are delighted to be here. We’ll be here for a week and it would be great if we can go back to Madrid with the title”.