MADRID, Spain.– Carlo Ancelotti, the Italian coach of Real Madrid, acknowledged the daily affection he receives from the Madridista fanbase, remaining unfazed by criticism following a draw against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga. He stated, with a touch of irony, that he is "good" when his team wins and "bad" when they draw.

"Win," he responded when asked to choose between winning and playing well. "Because it's the only way a coach is evaluated. If we win, I'm good; if we draw, I'm bad. I adhere to the belief that winning is the only method for a coach to be evaluated."

"I truly feel loved by the fans. I receive a lot of affection from the Real Madrid supporters on the street and at the Santiago Bernabéu, not to mention from the club, which shows it to me every day. I don't feel the criticism; I am very comfortable," he added.

Ancelotti set his sights on winning the fourth match of the season in the Champions League, which would secure his team's qualification for the knockout stages with two rounds to spare.

"It's important to achieve four victories in four matches. It's a match we have to fight for. We recently played against Braga, we know each other well, they are a good team and they come to the Bernabéu to earn points. We have to give our maximum," he warned.

To achieve this, his team must improve their scoring efficiency, although Ancelotti refused to admit that they have less scoring power than in past seasons, defending the number of goals they have achieved.

"It's hard to say how many goals you need to score to win. The team that concedes the least has the most chances of winning. On average, with me at Real Madrid, we've scored two goals per game. I don't control the statistics now, but in the first part of the season, we've scored more than two per game. Defensively, the team has improved a lot this season; we've kept clean sheets many times and that's enough to say that we don't need to score too many goals," he analyzed.

The Italian coach ruled out going to the winter market to sign a central defender or a forward. "We don't need it, we will continue as we are and we have to bear in mind that in the second part of the season, Courtois and Militao will return. We're not going to do anything in winter."

He also addressed the difficult situation of Brahim Díaz, who has hardly received any minutes to demonstrate his qualities at Real Madrid, making it clear that he has nothing personal against a player he confessed he likes despite hardly giving him opportunities.

"I have spoken with him; he hasn't had many minutes and I know perfectly what he can contribute. The competition is very tough, but he is a player that I like because of his characteristics. He is serious, professional, and will have his role. I have read that I have something against him and that he is doomed, but I am not a judge who sentences. I have something special for Brahim because he has played in Milan," he concluded with a hint of humor.