There has been a lot of talk from Barcelona's coach and president about how Real Madrid have somehow managed to alter the results in La Liga for their own good. Today, in the press conference ahead of Sunday's Madrid Derby, Carlo Ancelotti issued a brief but strong reply to the influential Blaugrana duo.
Trying to avoid a harsh response, Ancelotti issued a classy reply to Hernández's claims on Friday about how Real Madrid have thrived this season with a little help from Spanish refs.
"I am a professional manager, and as such, I don't want to go all the way down to that level. Out of respect for Spanish football, I am not going to do it. Please don't ask me about that again, because going down that road is not something a professional manager would do," Ancelotti said.
Journalists then came up with Joan Laporta's words about how cynical Real Madrid had been this season. Ancelotti had similar words for Barcelona's president.
"Once again, I will not be reduced to that kind of talk," the Italian coach added.
On the other hand, Ancelotti had respectful words for Diego Simeone, his rival on Sunday's derby.
"He has been one of the toughest opponents in my career, without a doubt. He is one of the rivals I have come to respect the most, mainly because of his ability to read games and his gift to manage a team. Of course he is one of my toughest rivals," Ancelotti said.
Speaking about the club's upcoming fixtures, the La Liga winner in 2021-22 with Los Blancos ruled out that the matches against Atlético and Girona will be key to determine who will emerge as champions in the Spanish top-flight.
"The next seven days will be important, but not definitive. Winning points before the Champions League match is crucial, and all games in hand will be very, very important. We will try to get to those games in the best possible way, and we also have to make our home-field advantage count," Ancelotti concluded.
For more details about Sunday's Madrid Derby, including broadcast and streaming details, visit our preview for Real Madrid vs Atlético here.
