Capello press conference: "You beat Barça by pressurising, maintaining possession of the ball and pushing forward with speed"
After the week has been plagued with player press conferences, it was the turn of the manager. Fabio Capello gave his barely 24 hours before Clasico kick off. He didn't want to speak of favourites, although he does recognise the good form of his team following the Bucharest win, mentioning, “Right now, I have 20 starters.” He also spoke of the absences of Ronaldo and Eto’o, but beyond individualities, he stressed that the key lies in “playing like we did in Bucharest.” The Italian coach warns, “When you buga player like Ronaldinho like right now, you wind him up and he could be capable of playing an extraordinary match. Let's hope that is not the case on Sunday.”
Who's mentally and physically better for the Clasico?
We've taken a big step forward and they are still very good. It's even.
You requested Beckham's contract extension, but the Englishman still does not play.
I have 20 starters now, whereas three weeks ago people like Helguera or Robinho did not count much… I follow the training sessions closely and I know Beckham trains hard. I have a different idea in mind now, but he works to be in the starting team and he will be. I want him in the team, that is why I asked for his contract extension.
Who's absence is more important, Ronaldo's or Eto’o's?
Ronaldo's is always important and so is Eto’o's. They are both great players and their absence will not go unnoticed. They can score just like that, out of nothing.
It seems like Sergio Ramos will be playing as right full back for a while…
I like Sergio in that position, like he did in Bucharest and like he does for the Spanish national team. I didn't invent this position for him. He's used to it and he performs well there.
During the meetings after the Getafe match, did the players advise you to make changes?
That is a lie, just things people write. These meetings never dealt with either that, technical problems or anyone resigning. It's all a fabrication.
Have you seen the video of the 3-0 defeat last year?
I remember the result, but I havenb't seen that match.
But you did see the Chelsea-Barcelona game and you must have taken notes…?
Barcelona played as always, Theirs are two completely different systems. Barça likde to have and move the ball around a lot, but Chelsea's response to that is their excellent defending and their swift break-aways in counterattack. Both teams were faightful to their philosophies of play, but Chelsea created more opportunities. I don't think this defeat is that serious for Barcelona.
Does Real Madrid have to look like Chelsea to win?
No, Real Madrid and Chelsea are different. My players have other characteristics. Each team is what it is, so you have to work with it and try to win. We have to play like we did against Steaua; that is the key.
Barça are not invincible, right?
No, although everyone thought they were. It's normal to lose once in a while, especially if their opponent plays as well as Chelsea did the other day. We also want to prove this by winning on Sunday and my players know exactly how.
How?
They have a lot of quality, but so do we. Pressurising, maintaining possession of the ball and pushing forward with speed.
A defeat would entail an eight-point difference.
That's a lot of points, but it's still early inthe season. You can never think that it's a life or death affair in the seventh matchday. The season is long, so it would be a setback, but not definitive.
Will seeing Rijkaard again be special?Many years have gone by but I like to meet up with former players of mine, who are doing so well. Players learn something from the trainers they have, and then they enact it if they're ever coaches themselves.
Eto’o's absence has left Barcelona without their true striker.
His potential replacements are not thoroughbred 9's, but they're good. It's hard for a team when players like Eto’o fall injured and are not able to feature.
Is the key stopping Ronaldinho?
To stop Barça, you have to block the entire team. They know their style of play by heart, so it's not a question of focusing exclusively on Ronaldinho, althougn it is true that he's one of those players that can decide the fate of a match due to his change of pace, acceleration and imagination. He can assist, crooss pass, take a free kick, score, and when people bug him about his form, he winds up and is capable of playing an extraordinary game. Let's hope that's not the case.
Is it getting harder to come up with a starting lineup?
I always think up the best starting elevn based on the shape and form of my players. They have all improved much, especially physically. We have to test different approaches and attempt to do our best in every game. The truth is some players were really out of shape before, but now they're fine. That's why I keep on saying I have 20 starters.
Robinho is the clearest proof of this…
He played really well against Steaua Bucharest. He fought and he has great quality. He's doing great.
Report by Cristina Monge
Photos by Daniel Sastre
Translation by Luis Orueta
posted by khalidmrrakchi@hotmail.com @ 5:02 PM
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