Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti joined the voices that paid tribute to the two great world football legends who died in recent days: the Brazilian Mário Jorge Lobo Zagallo and the German Franz Beckenbauer. At the beginning of a press conference in Saudi Arabia, before the match between his team and Atlético de Madrid for the Spanish Super Cup, he spoke about them.
“Before starting I wanted to remember two figures who have left us, Zagallo and Beckenbauer,” said the Italian in the preview of the semi-final of the mini-tournament also being played by FC Barcelona and Osasuna in Riyadh. “They have been two key figures for this sport. They have left many good things… professionalism, seriousness and love for this sport,” he added and insisted that he “wanted to remind them.”
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Zagallo, the only four-time world soccer champion and the first to lift that trophy as a soccer player and as a coach, died on Friday at the age of 92. Three days later, last Monday, the death of Beckenbauer, world champion as a player in 1974 and as a coach in 1990, was announced.
Comunicado Oficial: fallecimiento de Franz Beckenbauer.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) January 8, 2024
Possible alignments of Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid
The derby in the Spanish capital will be played starting at 4 p.m. (Brasília time) at Al-Awwal Park, the stadium where Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr is home. Ancelotti recovered several of his soldiers, including Vinicis Junior, who is expected to share the forward line with Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, a little further back on the field of play.
On Diego Simeone’s side, Samuel Lino will provide the Brazilian presence. The attack will be led by Álvaro Morata and Antoine Griezmann, who if he scores would become the club’s all-time top scorer, after equaling the mark of 173 that he now shares with Luis Aragonés.
