Carlo Ancelotti praises youngsters despite pre-season El Clasico loss

Joan Martínez shines in El Clasico defeat and earns praise from Ancelotti

Real Madrid’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti spoke positively about young defender Joan Martínez following the team’s 2-1 defeat to FC Barcelona in a pre-season match at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey.

Although Los Blancos lost the match, Ancelotti highlighted Martínez’s performance by stating:

“In his time, of course he’s showing good quality. But he needs to progress, he is really young, so he is still like a kid. But we are really pleased to have this player in our academy.”

Martínez’s display was one of the few bright spots for Real Madrid. Ancelotti’s comments suggest that the teenager has a promising future ahead and the club is keen to develop his talent further.

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Focus on Fitness Over Results says Ancelotti

Ancelotti emphasized that the primary goal of these pre-season games is to build fitness and give players especially the returning ones some much-needed minutes on the field.

“It was a game with good intensity and good plays. We take advantage of these matches to give minutes and we continue,” he stated.

When asked about the significance of back-to-back losses in pre-season, Ancelotti downplayed the concern noting:

“Let’s not go crazy. These are pre-season games, we’re missing eight players… It’s not as important for us the result as getting the players into a good shape.”

The coach also commented on individual players including Vinícius Júnior, who returned from vacation in excellent physical shape and veterans like Luka Modrić who played every minute of the pre-season.

Ancelotti reassured fans that these matches are about preparation and not immediate results suggesting a tactical focus will come later in the pre-season.

Overall, Ancelotti’s approach remains calm and collected as he is focusing on long-term goals and the gradual build-up to the competitive season.