Realmadrid News

Cannavaro: "This month is decisive..It's the moment of truth"

The Italian central defender hides behind nothing and no one, both inside and outside the pitch. He confesses that he's not at his best “on an individual level” and that the team is not playing well, but he puts all his chips behind the team's show of character for the tough matches they will play in the next four weeks. “We have to try to do well. If not, we're outtie,” underlined Cannavaro.

Fabio, you've got a complicated month lying ahead. Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, etc.
We will face top teams and we will get to see by the end of this month what form Real Madrid are in and if they're in the short list for the titles.

Do you feel capable of pulling through such a succession of tough matches?
It is true that we haven't played well in the last month, but we were also missing many players who were either injured or suspended. Slowly, they're coming back. Today, for example, Roberto Carlos trained with us. We are well aware that this month is decisive... the moment of truth. There are tough teams like Bayern who are beatable under a two-match tie format.

Would you like Capello to do with Cassano what he did with Beckham?
Let's hope, but it's the Club who decides these things. We would like Antonio to come back with the group. He trains all week and then goes home. You have to respect Club decisions in any event.

We have yet to see the best version of Cannavaro in Spain.
We shouldn't be alarmists. The season is not lost: we're five points behind the leader in the League. We know that there has to be a lot of improvement in relation to the last six months, both on an individual and on a collective level. This is where we're at and we have to try to do our best. If not, we're outtie!

What do you think about Samuel Etoo’o's reaction just yesterday, when he refused to play?
Those are Barcelona's problems.
Some newspapers have published that you could be part of the deal to sign Kaká for Real Madrid. Would you like to go back to Italy?
Not now. I'm doing fine here. These are Club decisions that we will talk through at the end of the season.

Is it proving hard to adapt to La Liga
It's been a tough last six months. After the World Cup, I have travelled a lot. A footballer does not only have to be physically fit, but he has to be mentally focused. Spanish football is different to all the rest.

Did you think so much was going to happen at Real Madrid in these six months?
That's football for you. Things can't always turn out right. I knew that Madrid had not won anything in three years and that the going was going to be tough. We're here to try new ways, but you can't win all the time. That's the way football works.

Were you happy when you learned that Beckham was on the teamsheet on Saturday?
Of course. We were all happy. We work together all week long. I don't like it when a teammate is excluded from the call-up. We're all here to do right by Real Madrid.

Do you think Capello is suffering with all the rumours about being fired?
I don't know. Normal people don't like that. But he's not your average man. He likes things to be different. Maybe he likes the heat surrounding the team right now. Someone with his experience knows that football is tied to the results. If you win, everything's better.

Do you think Ronaldo will succeed in Italy?
I hope he does. He's a footballer I really like. Let's hope he picks up his best form.

With Beckham back, it seems like Capello is not as serious and tough as he was ten years ago.
The Club sees a player who's doing everything right. He trains and works hard. We can all make mistakes. It's normal. It's good and normal to make amends.

What do you think of the problems in Italy with the tifosi
It's not good for Italian football after all the problems we had before the World Cup. There's social alarm after the dead policeman in Catania.

Your adversaries find it easy to create scoring opportunities.
It's hard when you're coming from behind on the scoreboard ten minutes into the game. The team has to work twice as much and orchestrate more chances while the rivals have one opportunity and they score.

Report by Laura Navas
Photos by David R. Anchuelo
Translation by Luis Orueta

posted by khalidmrrakchi@hotmail.com @ 12:03 AM