In the 15th round of La Liga, Real Madrid lost 0-2 to Celta Vigo at home. After the game, Celta Vigo head coach Claudio Giraldez was interviewed.
What do you think of Real Madrid's pressing?
When they are in full swing, such as after someone gets sent off, it's very difficult for us to shake off their pressing, and they will consume a lot of your time. Their players cover a large area. We made some mistakes in our judgment of goal kicks and could have passed the ball to an unmarked player or kicked it to a place where Rudiger, Militão, and Tchouaméni couldn't contest. They are a team with very strong physicality, and it's hard to shake off their pressing when they are in good form.
Is Borja Iglesias the player who has done the best job of interpreting how to hurt Real Madrid?
He is very intelligent in reading the game and pressing. He brings a lot of organization to our offense and defense, not to mention his talent in holding up the ball with his back to the goal and making the attack better.
What's your opinion of Xabi Alonso? Do you think this Real Madrid team can win the league championship?
There is no doubt. He is a great coach, surrounded by a group of very outstanding coaching staff, and he has an extraordinary lineup. He has been extremely unlucky with injuries to his defensive players. He is a coach with abundant resources and can change the game at both offensive and defensive levels. After many years of Ancelotti's tenure, he obviously needs an adaptation period, and time is very important for a coach. Real Madrid could not find a better coach than him.
How much of Celta's victory is due to their own merits, and how much is due to Real Madrid's mistakes?
In all the matches won by a team, the credit goes to the winning team and the mistakes of the opponent. I only evaluate my own team, commenting on what I like and dislike. When we had a numerical advantage, we hesitated a bit about whether we should continue to pursue a second goal or play conservatively, and I don't like this. I hope we can create more attacks far from the goal. Real Madrid did many things well, created opportunities, and had moments when they overwhelmed us. They could have achieved better results. Results often obscure the merits of the losing side and exaggerate those of the winning side, which is not always entirely fair.
Did this victory at the Bernabéu put an end to external doubts?
When we lose a game, the doubts come back. We were not as bad as some people said before, and we are not a "Dream Team" now. We are a team that has won one game after losing two games and reaching extra time in the Copa del Rey knockout stage, and the dressing room still maintains the same belief.