Ancelotti: “Real Madrid played with the brakes on against Leipzig”

After Real Madrid edged through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League by beating RB Leipzig 2-1 on aggregate with a 1-1 draw at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night, Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media. “The game was bad. Poorly played. With little intensity, with little concern,” he reflected. “The psychological aspect has conditioned a lot. We played against a rival with quality and with nothing to lose. And we played with the brake from the beginning. We suffered, but the important thing was to be in the quarter-finals.”

Ancelotti on half-time changes

“Yes, the idea was to press more. With means of energy. And the reality is that they played very slow. We played with a low block, very slow, with little verticality. A lot of lateral passing. It was not the best night. We have to say ‘mea culpa’. Sometimes it can happen in the Champions League. It happened against Chelsea at home in 2022. We never came close to being knocked out.”

Ancelotti on the team’s form

“The mental aspect was important. Leipzig tried everything, they are a good team. We have to calmly assess what happened. At this point in the season we’re seven points clear in the league and we’re in fourth place. We have to be self-critical, but not too critical.”

Ancelotti on tax charges

“Nothing to say. It’s an old story, from 2015. The Prosecutor’s Office thinks I was a resident and I was not. The money is already with the Prosecutor’s Office. Now the lawyer is looking for a solution. I think I was not a resident in 2015 and they think I was. Let’s see what the judge says.”