Continuing Preparation For Eibar

Everyone was back outside training today, along with Álvaro Medrán. The exceptions were Illarra who worked out inside and Lukita who is recovering.

There was a short interview with Marcelo on the mothership today as well.
FROM REALMADRID.COM

Marcelo: “Our desire to help our team-mates makes us better”
by Alberto Navarro

“It is easy for us to play with the stars we have up front: they score and set up goals.”

Marcelo is perhaps enjoying the greatest moment of his career and gave his two cents about Real Madrid’s current excellent run of form: La Liga leaders, first in their Champions League group and practically through to the next round of the Copa del Rey. In an interview with Realmadrid.com and Realmadrid TV, the Brazilian explained that the key to this success is unity and hard work: “Our desire to help out our team-mates makes us better.”

“We are in good shape and we help each other out a lot on the pitch but we also know that in order to continue like this we must keep on working, defending and scoring goals. Our aim is to win everything, but in order to do that we must work hard.”

His great run of form
“This could be my best run of form. I always want to improve and be at my best in order to help Real Madrid. I feel good and I am enjoying a great run of form, but there is always room for improvement.”

Praise for Ancelotti
“He has allowed us to enjoy the games and also to improvise. He knows we are very confident. We do everything for him, for all the help he has given us and for what he tells us in every game. He is a very easy-going person, who says everything to your face and that is key. I’m sure that even those who have played very little would say the same.”

“He is a winner and he instils that humility and the desire to get started and do everything in order to win. We knew that we had to be extremely united in order to win something.”

“The fact that Benzema, Cristiano, Isco, Bale and James work in defense enourages the rest of us to work harder.”

“It is easy to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. He knows where he has to give you the ball and does it perfectly. He helps the team out in defence and on top of that provides assists and great passes. It is easy for us to play with these stars: they score and set up goals.”

20 goals scored with Real Madrid
“I can’t remember all of the goals I’ve scored, but they are all important as they helped out the team. I know my job description is not to score goals, but I am proud to have 20 to my name with Real Madrid. It means I have made history with this team.”

Holding onto the Champions League title
“We are in good shape, but we are aware that we can’t take it easy. We work hard on a daily basis to improve certain aspects of play. We want to win all our matches in order to try to hold onto the title.”

The final of The Tenth
“At the beginning we had those nerves and the focus that allow you to walk out onto the pitch full of self assurance and confidence so as not to make any mistakes and to do our jobs well. That day we knew it would be a joyous final because we didn’t stop fighting and everyone was supporting us from the dugout. We wanted to give the fans and our families something to be happy about, and we knew that it had to be that way. We had to give it our all.”

“Winning the Champions League was really important. It is the most important title I have ever won. I have been here eight years and it was an enormous source of happiness. When Zidane came in and hugged me after the match had ended I broke down and cried and felt an immense sense of happiness. It was indescribable.”

And on that note, I’m off to dinner.

– Lozil