Ancelotti: "The Bernabéu gave Kroos the farewell he deserves"
"He's been one of the greatest, a great midfielder, with a lot of quality, with very little ego, very humble, who's always played for the team and been very unselfish," he said of the German.
Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the Santiago Bernabéu press room following the last LaLiga match of the 2023/24 season. The Italian kicked off by talking about the main focus of the match: "The Bernabéu gave Kroos the farewell he deserves. It was a great night, very emotional for him and for everyone, and now we have one more week to appreciate him. He's been one of the greatest, a great midfielder, of great quality, with very little ego, very humble, who's always played for the team and been very unselfish. We've been lucky enough to enjoy his football for 10 years."
"To do better than Kroos has done is very complicated. He's made a very strong decision because nobody could have imagined it. He's shown a lot of character and to be leaving in the way that he is makes him a great, great football personality. Football has enjoyed a great player."
How can he replace Kroos?
"On an organisational level, the players who are here will have to take on more responsibility. And on a technical level we'll have to see. We could expect to play a more vertical game with players who have more energy, but who have less game tempo."
Is Bellingham the replacement for Kroos?
"For us, Bellingham is better near the goal. There is no player like Kroos and his characteristics on the market but we have to replace him in another way. We have midfielders with a lot of quality, with different characteristics, and we have to adapt our game to those characteristics."
Future of Nacho and Modrić
"As for Nacho and Luka, we're waiting for the decision that they take. There's one game to go and after Saturday everything will become clearer."
Are Nacho and Modrić asking for your opinion?
"They don't ask my opinion because they aren't my children. They're very clear about what they're going to do and we respect their decisions. It's not a big problem for them or for us at the moment."
What team will you field at Wembley?
"I have a week to think about it, there are some doubts but until Friday we're going to enjoy this moment and this final. We also have to enjoy the preparation, which we will do at full throttle to try to win on Saturday."
Debate on the line-up for the Champions League final
"I like these debates that have come up, which will go on until Saturday and I love them."
Are you superstitious?
"I am superstitious, but I know it's not good to actually say it. Not being superstitious leads to bad luck, so yes I am superstitious."