Braga manager praises Carlo Ancelotti ahead of UCL showdown: “Reference for any technician worldwide” | OneFootball

Carlo Ancelotti’s men face no respite in the hectic schedule. Having just restarted after the long international hiatus, the men in white are set to play a second game in just over 48 hours as they travel to play Braga in Portugal.

The game will be far from easy for Los Blancos, especially if the recent UCL game against Union Berlin is anything to go by. Needless to say, they will have to be at their best if they wish to make it three out of three.

Sporting Braga manager, Arthur Jorge, is often considered a messiah of the club for he secured UCL qualification only for the third time in their history.

Speaking to MARCA ahead of the Portuguese side’s biggest game of the year, he spoke about Real Madrid and how he planned to deal with the threat posed by them.

“I have a great respect for him. He is a man of football. He is a tremendous coach, of great technical-tactical quality,” Jorge said when asked about Carlo Ancelotti as a manager.

His praise for the Italian tactician did not end there, as he went on to say,

“He is a reference for any technician worldwide for everything he has achieved. He is fully updated and continues to succeed at the highest level.”

On facing Real Madrid, the most successful club in the history of the competition, the Braga manager admitted that it would be a herculean task.

“It’s a great challenge for us. We know that we are facing one of the best teams in the world and we are proud to be able to compete at this level.”

“We know how difficult the game is, but we will try to be faithful to our identity to score. That must be our goal,” he added.

Jorge also went on to reveal that he has been taking notes of the Spanish leaders’ performances, their strengths and weaknesses ahead of the UCL clash.

“Yes [I have been following], since the Cup match. I have spent many hours watching Madrid matches, both in the League and in the Champions League, to try to get to the match with as much information as possible.”

The Portuguese tactician was then quizzed about what worried him the most in the current Real Madrid setup. Unsurprisingly, he picked the team’s collective effort to be the biggest challenge.

“Everything. Above all, its collective strength. It has players of great individual quality. It is impossible to highlight only one.”

“It is a very dangerous team with a ball, and its dynamics, in positional play, are also very good. We have to keep a close eye on the spaces and times when they have possession,” he added.

It was always only a matter of time before the routine question about Jude Bellingham arrived in Jorge’s interview. The coach admitted that the youngster was one of the best players at the moment, saying,

“No, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration [to call him the best]. I may now be standing out more than the rest, but I insist, all Real Madrid players are good, that’s why I try to focus more on the strength of the collective, as I do with my own team.”

The Braga manager also refused to compare Real Madrid’s two big guns – Bellingham and Vinicius.

“Both are different, but the two are very effective. We have to see how we prepare as a team to annul them.”

Finally, the coach was asked to give his two cents on how his men could pose a stiff challenge and even beat the Spanish giants on the night.

“It is very important to preserve our own identity and that we have a great defensive and offensive commitment.”

“We must maintain the same intensity during the 90 minutes. We must also have the courage to hurt the rival when we can and be effective,” he concluded.