Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso hit out at his Atlético Madrid counterpart Diego Simeone after a 2-1 win in the Spanish Super Cup semi-final in which Simeone clashed with Vinícius. Alonso said, “I try to
be respectful to the players on the opposing team and I don’t usually address them. When I saw what he said to him, I liked it less. That’s not an example of good sportsmanship. Not everything goes, you have to have respect for your opponent. Everything that happens on the pitch has a limit.”
Xabi Alonso on whether the result is fair
“It was a very competitive match. Fede’s early goal gave us the advantage and made us change a little bit. We didn’t suffer too much in the first half. There were moments for everything because it was a semi-final, but this team knows how to compete. It was a very intense, very competitive match. At 1-2, we had to change, we stabilised and suffered. This is the path to Sunday’s title and we’re in the final.”
Xabi Alonso on his feelings
“Yes, happy. The goal was to reach the final against a very good opponent. We didn’t forget the first leg of the league match. Things we needed: energy, duels, disputes…”
Xabi Alonso on Mbappé
“He’ll travel tomorrow and we’ll see if he’s fit to play.”
Xabi Alonso on the substitutions
“Toni was struggling with his knee, he couldn’t go on, and Raúl was suffering, and we needed fresh legs in defence. Fran and Ferland came on well, and with the double pivot we made more passes. We’ll see how it goes on Sunday.”
Xabi Alonso on the importance of this goal for Valverde
“Fede had a great game. For the goal, the assist, what he conveyed, linking up with his teammates, intense in defence. He has that competitive gene. Goals aren’t the most important thing for him, but they give him energy. It was a classic Fede goal, with an impressive strike.”
Xabi Alonso on whether this game will help against Barcelona
“It will be different. Mbappé is travelling tomorrow. And the match will be different.”
Xabi Alonso on a lot of long balls from Courtois
“In some situations, we did lack a bit of composure to link up and get there better, but we had talked about not always starting with short passes.”
Xabi Alonso on Mbappé’s condition
“He’s much better, he’s been training and he’s feeling good. His chances of playing are the same as everyone else’s.”
