In the 15th round of La Liga, Real Madrid suffered a shocking 0-2 home defeat to Celta. Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso attended the post-match press conference to be interviewed by the media.
Recent Results and Team Form
“We have only won 2 out of the last 7 games – all of us are furious. This is not the game process or result we wanted. From the moment Militão got injured at the start, we were affected – it was mentally difficult to adjust quickly, and we could only adapt continuously during the game. We must move on as soon as possible; there is still a long way to go in La Liga. The Champions League match against Manchester City on Wednesday is our chance to bounce back and avenge this humiliation.
“This is not the performance we expected. We wanted to play at a fast pace, but many links fell short. Militão’s injury disrupted all plans – it’s bad news. The team is currently plagued by injury problems, making it hard to respond quickly. The only bright spot of the whole game was our performance after going down to 10 men. But from the kick-off, everything didn’t go as we envisioned. Losing is painful; we are angry and understand the fans’ dissatisfaction.
“We will unite as one and believe we can turn the tide. The season is long, and a home defeat can happen. We know how high the requirements of this club are – the loss is indeed painful, but now we must look forward.”
Champions League Clash with Manchester City on Wednesday
“The game on Wednesday will decide the group stage qualification scenario: we are fighting for three points in the Champions League. Currently, the team is in a good position in the group, and this is the goal we must strive for with all our strength. We need to prove that we can play much better than we are now.”
On the Referee’s Decisions
“Why was the team a bit impetuous during the game? The referee’s decisions made us lose our composure. That red card decision was too arbitrary – I am very dissatisfied with his officiating... The card given to Carreras is extremely controversial; it feels like the referee deliberately targeted him. I do not accept such a decision, and it also made the team’s mentality somewhat out of control. Overall, I am very disappointed with the referee’s performance in this game.
“Now we are only focused on the next game, which is the Champions League on Wednesday. We must move forward together.”
Team Responsibility and Injury Situation
“Everyone must take responsibility. We stand united through thick and thin. The current injury problems have made the situation tense; we must make adjustments for each game, and the lineup for Wednesday will be decided based on the situation.
“This is everyone’s responsibility. We must work together to get things right and treat every game as the most important one.”
Updates on Mastrantonio and Ceballos
“Mastrantonio is recovering from pubalgia – his condition is getting better and he is getting closer to returning to the pitch. As for Ceballos, after Militão’s injury in the first half today, we chose a more attacking player. Of course, Ceballos is still an important member of the team; the current arrangement is just a tactical decision.”
