It's been a crazy week in the media regarding Real Madrid and head coach Xabi Alonso. The decision not to start Federico Valverde against FC Kairat has started a fire. However, he is focused on the next La Liga game against Villarreal.
In the press conference ahead of the game on October 4, he was, of course, asked about Valverde. The Spanish head coach avoided controversy with his answer. He was also asked about other players and the stresses of being the head coach of Los Blancos.
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Alonso spoke to the media ahead of the top-of-the-table clash. Read on to know what he said (viaReal Madrid).
“We're playing at home again against a team that's in good form both in La Liga, due to their position and their play, and in the Champions League, where they've competed in both matches. Tomorrow we need to perform at a high level both collectively and individually because they're important matches and it's the last one before the international break.”
Xabi Alonso
Q: On Valverde,
Alonso: "He's ready for tomorrow, as we all are. We know how important tomorrow's game is for the team. After the last two matches, we want to close this block tomorrow with a good performance and a win. That's what we need."
Q: Concern for the players
Alonso: “We're fortunate to spend a lot of time together and be able to talk a lot and correct things. I have the feeling, and we're reinforcing it, that the team is the most important thing. Everyone will be important and will have their moment. Moments when you expect to play and don't are normal and must be accepted. It's not a new situation, and we have to live with it because we know it will happen again. We're calm.”
Xabi Alonso
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Q: Do players ask you to play in a specific position?
Alonso: “No player, not Valverde, Rodrygo, or Vini Jr., has ever told me they don't want to play in a position. That hasn't happened; they all want to play. When they're not playing, they'd like to be on the pitch. That's normal. Everyone is very willing, and then I'll be the one to decide, thinking about what's best for the team. I want to make that clear.”
Q: Is pressure handled better as a coach?
Alonso: “It has nothing to do with it. Here, you have to manage and decide on many more things. It's much less demanding in some ways and more demanding in others. This is what I'm doing now, and it's what I'm enjoying.”
Q: How would you like the fans to react?
Alonso: “What I think about is how I want us to react. I want us to play well, with intensity, quality, and as a team. I don't ask for anything; we have to be the ones who give. We have to be proactive with our game because we know it's the best way for the fans to enjoy themselves. We want that and to win the game, but in the way we intend.”
Q: Has your authority been questioned?
Alonso: “We spend a lot of time together and we have that closeness, preparing for games, celebrating victories, and feeling the pain of defeats. That makes us close and united. I've always noticed that trust and closeness with the players, knowing the role I have. But respecting each other and working hand in hand. That's fundamental for me.”
Xabi Alonso
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Q: Learning from his playing career:
Alonso: “You say we were very low after the defeat and very high after the victory. That's not the case. We don't have to be very high, nor do we have to be very low. The more balanced we are and know that we have to be affected just the right way, for the good and the bad, the more effective we will be in our performance. That happens, it used to happen, and it will happen at any club. The better we handle it, the more important it will be. We haven't forgotten it, but we don't get caught up in it.”
Q: How much importance do you give to what appears in the media?
Alonso: “I try to give more importance to what I have control over and what I truly experience and can change, which is what happens in the locker room and during the match. I live with what happens outside, I handle it quite well. It's not the first time, and I know it won't be the last. I try to let it affect me as little as possible. I don't wear myself out too much, to be honest.”
Q: How he manages the second goalkeeper
Alonso: “He always has to be prepared because any injury or contingency can happen. He has to feel ready. We have a great goalkeeper like Courtois, but Lunin showed it and is also ready. Then we'll have to look at the different competitions; in December, we'll start the Copa del Rey. We'll have to see what decision we make. He has to feel ready, regardless of whether he hasn't been able to play until now. And he is.”
Q: Substitute warm-ups during matches
Alonso: "It's something we like because anything can happen. I think it's good and something very normal. It's important for us. I want everyone to participate."
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Q: Bellingham out of England squad:
Alonso: "I'm not relieved, it's the decision. I've spoken to Bellingham, and he told me Tuchel had already told him. It's just a matter of time before he's back in the squad; I'm sure he'll be back. After the injury, he's gradually getting better, and he's eager to play and contribute. He's a key player because of his quality, his playfulness, and how unbalanced he is. It's just a matter of time before he reaches his best."
Q: On Rodrygo and Endrick
Alonso: "Rodrygo has a chance of starting. Endrick is coming off a slightly longer injury, but he's been training well for three weeks. It's a matter of the context of the match, whether we can see a moment when he can play. He's a goal scorer; he needs very little to shoot. He has a brutal finishing ability and is very good at getting into space. There's a lot of competition now, and the time will come."
Q: Can Arda Güler and Bellingham complement each other?
Alonso: “I think they can complement each other. We have to see how we position the other pieces. We need a balance, where we need to connect in those areas as best as possible. For me, how to get to Bellingham is always very important, how to get to the No. 10 position. Arda Güler has been able to play No. 10 and a little deeper, maybe not so much in the league now , but he can do it. They have to find their feet; they have to flow and feel comfortable. They can do it. I've seen them do it together, and I'm sure they'll do it again.”
Q: Do you read what the media says about you?
Alonso: “Not much.”
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