Ancelotti unhappy with Spain friendlies
Print Edition
Long-distance friendlies for world champion Spain are putting an unnecessary strain on players, according to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Real is away at Almeria today having welcomed back several players who featured in the surprise 0-1 defeat in South Africa this week, including Iker Casillas, Alvaro Arbeloa and Sergio Ramos.
Spain played Equatorial Guinea a few days before that and Ancelotti has criticized the Spanish football federation for the decision to schedule games that involve long-haul flights.
“We are lucky that there are no more international games until March,” Ancelotti told a Real Madrid news conference.
“It’s difficult to talk about this but I don’t think that the decision by Spain to have these matches was a good one.
“The players slept three nights on a plane and that is not good. Barcelona had the injury to (Victor) Valdes and we didn’t have one but still better organization can help to avoid these injuries,” he added.
Ancelotti is without several players for the trip to Almeria, including Angel Di Maria, Marcelo, Raphael Varane and Fabio Coentrao, but his main priority is deciding who will replace injured Germany international Sami Khedira, who is expected to miss the rest of the season.
It could mean Asier Illarramendi or Carlos Casemiro playing alongside Xabi Alonso in the center as third-placed Real hopes to make up ground on leader Barcelona, which is six points clear.
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