Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti does not believe the decision to allow Barcelona‘s Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor to continue playing for the club will taint any competition, with his team potentially facing Barça for three trophies.
Spain’s sports ministry (CSD) ruled on Thursday that Olmo and Víctor can continue to play for Barcelona for the remainder of the season despite opposition from both LaLiga and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Madrid are three points behind leaders Barcelona in LaLiga, and will also face the Catalan outfit in the Copa del Rey final on April 26.
The two teams are also still alive in the Champions League.
Asked in Friday’s news conference if the CSD’s decision adulterates the competitions, Ancelotti said: “No, I don’t believe so. We are happy to play in a great [Copa del Rey] final and be closer to another aim. We have a lot of respect for Barcelona just as they have for us. Barcelona are playing well, they are in a good dynamic.”
Madrid drew 4-4 against Real Sociedad in extra time on Tuesday for a 5-4 aggregate win to reach the Copa del Rey final.
Despite Madrid having a busy calendar with four games in the space of 11 days, Ancelotti is confident.
Los Blancos play at Valencia in LaLiga on Saturday before facing Arsenal in next week’s Champions League quarterfinal fist leg.
“We have to be optimistic,” Ancelotti said. “The team is fighting, we are alive in every competition. We are very close. We have confidence also because the experience we’ve had in the past. We are motivated. It’s an important time of the season.
“I think we have improved and are playing better as a team.”
Ancelotti, meanwhile, played down reports that Madrid are having a goalkeeping crisis and expects Thibaut Courtois to be fit to face Arsenal..
Courtois has missed Madrid’s last two games having returned from international duty with Belgium with a muscular problem while Andriy Lunin, who started for Madrid in midweek, picked up a muscular problem.
“We are not worried at all,” Ancelotti said. “Courtois is a lot better. We believe he can be available for Tuesday’s game. Lunin is going to have a test later today having picked up a minor problem and if he can’t play, we have plenty of faith in [third-choice goalkeeper] Fran [González]. He is young [aged 19]. We are all convinced he has a great future ahead.”
Also on Friday, Antonio Rüdiger and Kylian Mbappé were cleared by UEFA to play against Arsenal.
UEFA had launched an investigation last week into the behaviour of Rüdiger and his teammates Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Dani Ceballos during their team’s Champions League penalty shootout win at Atlético Madrid on March 12.
