Real Madrid head into their La Liga clash with Girona determined to bounce back, with the manager making it clear during the press conference as reported by Real vikingos via their YouTube channel that focus, attitude, and consistency will define their approach.
Speaking ahead of the game, he stressed the importance of delivering both results and performances at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium:
Well, we’re eager to compete again, to do it at home in front of our fans knowing that we need not only to win the three points but also to deliver a great team performance. We’re really motivated.
He also addressed the expectations placed on star players, including Kylian Mbappé, making it clear that talent alone is not enough at Real Madrid:
No. No. And I don’t think it’s just about Mbappé. I want players who want to be Real Madrid players every single day. And when I say that, I think it’s important to want to be yourself beyond the talent and quality my players have. Obviously, you can’t play a Champions League quarterfinal every day or matches where your motivation is naturally very high. That’s when self-demand comes in and the desire to be your best version every day. When someone wants to be their best version every day, it goes beyond talent. It’s about attitude, commitment, effort, desire. That’s what we need from Real Madrid players.
The manager also defended Vinícius Júnior amid criticism from fans, describing the high expectations at the club as normal:
If you’re not used to the Bernabéu, well, for me it would be a privilege. I wish I could play every match there, every single one. But whistles, well, I think they’re part of the level of demand from this fan base. I see it as something normal and natural. This is Real Madrid. The level of demand is maximum, and we know that.
Despite the looming Bayern Munich clash in the Champions League, he insisted full focus remains on Girona:
I don’t manage anything. Tomorrow, I want to go out and win. Like I said, despite the result, I still believe I fielded the best possible team. The most important match I have as a coach is always the next one. In this case, tomorrow’s. And I will field a team worthy of that.
He reinforced that mindset again when asked about balancing competitions:
We’re not in a position to experiment. Of course, we’re all looking forward to the Munich match. But first, we have to focus on tomorrow’s match. In my opinion, Wednesday’s match starts tomorrow. We need to play a great game and put in a big effort.
On the title race, with FC Barcelona pulling ahead, the message was clear:
We’re aware that every match is very important for us. If we had little margin for error before, now we have even less. Our goal is to win every game. As long as there’s a chance, we’ll keep fighting. And even if one day there’s no chance left, we’ll keep fighting the same way.
He also highlighted key players, confirming roles for Jude Bellingham and Éder Militão:
Both Militão and Jude will start… When Militão is at his best, he’s probably the best center back in the world because of his qualities physically. He’s very dominant in one-on-one situations, he can defend large spaces, he’s strong in the air, very complete… and having someone like him in the squad is a privilege.
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Recent performances have shown Madrid’s resilience, with Softfootball reported that they secured a dominant 2–1 victory over Manchester City in Europe and followed it up with a convincing 4–1 win against Elche CF, keeping pressure on Barcelona in the title race.
With momentum building and expectations at their peak, Real Madrid now turn their attention fully to Girona, knowing anything less than victory could further dent their La Liga ambitions.
