Madrid’s Ancelotti backs Antetokounmpo “no failure” cry

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday for his insistence there was “no failure in sports” last week.

After top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks crashed out of the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Miami Heat, Greek player Antetokounmpo said teams can have good days and bad days, but there was no such thing as failure in sport.

“What this player said was spectacular, I have nothing to add, I think 100 per cent like him,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“In sport, you can’t talk about failure, in life you can’t talk about failure. Failure is only when you don’t try to do something the best that you can, that is failure.

“When you have a calm conscience, trying to do the best that you can, it will never be a failure.”

La Liga champion Real Madrid is second in the table, 11 points behind rival Barcelona, with six games remaining.

However, Madrid are in the Champions League last four, and on Saturday, they face Osasuna in the Copa del Rey final.

“In sport, you lose more than you win,” Ancelotti said.

“It’s true, I’ve got a belly full of titles, but if I had to put the trophies I lost in there, it wouldn’t be a belly, it would be a house.

“These words, and not just regarding sport, were spectacular.”

Madrid visit Real Sociedad on Tuesday in La Liga, after Barcelona hosts Osasuna looking to move 14 points clear.

Ancelotti was not impressed with the kick-off time of the match in San Sebastian, at a local time of 2200 (2000 GMT).

“Tomorrow we have a difficult game against a great team, and we have absences through injury and suspension,” said the Italian.

“It’s a tricky match, at a kick-off time that makes no sense, but it’s what we have to do.”

Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is suspended, while Los Blancos will be without Luka Modric, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy due to fitness problems.