"Casillas as first choice? We’ll see," says Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti looked relaxed as he faced the media following tonight’s UEFA Super Cup final – a competition he had won as a player and a coach before guiding Real Madrid to win it for the second time in club history.

Post-match views: “The team put in a good game considering we haven’t had much time to prepare for it. We controlled the game well; James had a few problems in the second half but he played well, like Kroos did – he controlled the game well”.

Could this be the start of a new era? “I think we could be at the start of a new cycle because we have great quality running through the squad. I have a fantastic squad to train and we have to work hard in all of the competitions we are in. The new players have given us more quality. We are more confident now than we were at this point last year; winning the Champions League gave us new confidence and more personality”.

Has the current team got a different edge to it? “The style hasn’t changed. Our counter-attacking tactics are more or less the same but Kroos played in Xabi Alonso’s usual position. We played the ball around when we needed to and used our velocity when we had to”.

Can the squad be improved in any way? “It won’t be easy, it’s a great squad. But we have to use the whole squad wisely. There won’t be a fixed starting XI, I will need to rotate the players and use all of them at some point”.

Did you expect more from Sevilla? “Sevilla planned the kind of game they wanted to play – to defend and wait for a counter-attack. In the end it we hit them on the break; Sevilla played a good game but we won”.

What did you make of Cristiano’s performance? “It was fantastic, he scored two good goals and he played well throughout. That’s why he was voted Man of the Match. He’s fine. Cristiano always does the same – he scores. I could say the same about Bale and Benzema, both of them were fantastic”.

Does Xabi Alonso still have a place in the side? “He couldn’t play this game but he has been an important player for us and he will continue to be because he is one of the most important players in the squad”.

Did Iker Casillas pass the test? “What happened in the World Cup is completely forgotten about. It’s the start of a new season. Will he be first choice? We’ll see. Everyone has faith in him”,

from Últimas noticias | Diario AS http://ift.tt/Xg7v9p

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