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Eight in the morning
.
A group of nurses receives the press at the entrance of
Real Madrid City
.
This Tuesday,
26 months later , since that
Real Madrid-Betis
preview
on
March 7, 2020
, the media were able to set foot in
Valdebebas
on a day when no official match was held.
Antigen
test
and
FPP2 masks
to avoid contagion to what Ancelotti defined as "the most important match in the world of football", the white team celebrated the
Media Day
prior to the
Champions League
final against
Liverpool
.
At four minutes past ten, Carlo Ancelotti appeared in the press room of the main building of the sports city.
In front, distributed among the different rooms, almost
250 journalists
: Spanish, English, French, Italian, Belgian, Brazilian, Argentine, Portuguese... Valdebebas woke up from the coronavirus pandemic four days after playing the orejona.
The question was obvious: «
Kylian Mbappé
».
The Italian coach's response, too: "We think about what we have to think about, we have never thought about players who are not in our team."
Hazard: "I need the team"
At eleven o'clock, the footballers began to jump onto the lawn of the sports city.
Courtois and the goalkeepers were the first, with
Davide Ancelotti
preparing the group's training session in midfield.
That's where
Marcelo, Casemiro, Bale and Nacho
came out .
Before anyone.
Then
Benzema and Modric
, hugging each other and chatting as they turned their heads to look at the cameras.
It was unusual for them, too, to have company.
After the
classic rondos
, during which
Carletto
took the opportunity to debate with his assistants, it was the turn of the sprints in the shots on goal.
«The finals are won, they are not played!»,
Carvajal
shouted after beating
Asensio
.
"That's right!"
Modric
reacted to a great goal from
Eden Hazard
.
"The team needs you,"
Roberto Carlos
told the Belgian on
Real Madrid
television .
"And I need the team," replied the
former Chelsea player
, who seems to be ready for Saturday.
The nerves of Rodrygo and Valverde
The mixed zone put Mbappé back in the spotlight with the final.
The "no" of the French
was the great protagonist of Tuesday morning.
Madrid did not want it that way, in whose plans prior to the refusal was announcing his signing after the final, but it was inevitable.
In spite of everything, the slogan for all the players was clear, repeating what their coach had declared before the press: "We are not talking about footballers who are not in our team," Marcelo and Casemiro confessed in the mixed zone.
Beyond was
Benzema
, whose relationship with Mbappé during these months has played a fundamental role.
“We are going to play a Champions League final on Saturday.
This is not the time to talk about those
little things
.
The final is more important than those other things, ”said the Madrid striker, indirectly forceful.
The parade before the media served to find out that
Marcelo
wants to continue for another season.
“
Everyone knows my wish
.
We'll talk next week."
And that Rodrygo and Valverde, the youngest to walk in front of the cameras, were hallucinating: "The only advice Karim gives me is to pass the ball to him," the Brazilian joked.
Beside him,
Casemiro
laughed remembering the tackle on
Milner
moments after the Liverpool player twisted Benzema's ankle in a hard tackle.
It was in the quarterfinals last year.
Now it's time for the final.
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Mbappe
Casemiro
Rodrygo Goes
Marcelo
Eden Hazard
Luka modric
Gareth Bale
Thibaut Courtois
Carlo Ancelotti
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