Ancelotti responds to Xavi: What does playing well mean?

“Barca is the most difficult and demanding club in the world, we’re obliged to win and play well,” said Xavi Hernandez ahead of the clash against Eintracht Frankfurt. Words that were not greeted well in the Spanish capital. Madrid fans took it as a jab at Carlo Ancelotti’s team, who suffered a lot on the way to beating Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals. 

However the Italian coach shot back on Saturday. 

“I’d like to reply with a question. What does playing well mean? Everyone has their own opinion. For me, playing well is playing well when you have the ball and when you don’t have it. Defending well is not synonymous with playing well if the players won’t know what to do when they have the ball, and the reverse. Football is attacking and defending. And there are many ways to defend. With a low block, medium block or high pressure. THat’s how I understand football and nobody can make me change my opinion until they change the rules. Atletico Madrid for example, defended very well against Man City in the first leg.

“All types of teams are difficult to coach. Each has their own demands, winning titles, playing well, avoiding relegation. Coaching is not that simple. It’s hard, but it’s a job we like.”