Ancelotti: "Everyone Counted Us Out and Here We Are"
The coach of Real Madrid vindicated the greatness of the club in pulling off a tie in which nobody had them as favorites.
Italian Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, claimed his team's qualification for the Champions League semifinals, eliminating Manchester City in penalties, asserting that "everyone" had "written them off in the tie," and that they have managed to advance to the next round.
"This is a special competition for us. Real Madrid achieves something in this competition that nobody thinks they can achieve. Everyone had written us off in the tie, and here we are," he commented in the mixed zone.
"Proud to reach the semifinals, especially by defeating the European champions. Guardiola congratulated us and wished us luck for the final, Guardiola is a gentleman, like this club; it's a club of gentlemen," he stated. "The attitude and commitment of the players... this shirt demands this kind of commitment," he concluded.
Ancelotti explained how he experienced the penalty shootout. "I experienced the penalties alone. Everyone had a lot of confidence, we had no problem choosing the five, and Lunin was very calm, we studied their shooters well," he said.
Furthermore, he already had his mind on the Clásico against Barcelona on Sunday. "The locker room was crazy. We are very tired, we have to celebrate because it is a very important qualification and tomorrow we return, calmly, to prepare for Sunday's match, which is crucial in the league," he assured.
