Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says his players' attitude has not been 100 percent through recent weeks, especially in last week's 4-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid, but expects them to bounce back as they prepare to host Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
Madrid finished 2014 by winning their 22 games in all competitions, but have started the new year in much rockier form, exiting the Copa del Rey to Atletico, and then being humbled in their heaviest "derbi" defeat in four decades at the Estadio Vicente Calderon last weekend.
Photos and videos that subsequently emerged from Cristiano Ronaldo's 30th birthday party on the night of that game have not gone down well with Madrid fans and pundits, with Marca reporting on Friday that the player himself was apologetic about what had happened and was hoping for a positive response from the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu during Saturday's game.
Ancelotti told his prematch news conference that matters such as the party were not his concern, so long as Ronaldo and his teammates proved their professionalism and commitment on the pitch.
"The issue of the party is not an issue for me," the Italian said. "I have never judged the private lives of players, and will not begin now. To ask players to apologise would be to get into private lives of players. I do not want to do that -- I would not like anyone to judge my personal life.
"This squad and players have many times proven their professionalism. This year, last year, winning a lot, showing always great commitment to the shirt. I have no doubts about that."
Madrid's attitude and concentration had slipped since the heights of late 2014, Ancelotti accepted, while saying a good performance against Depor and then in Wednesday's Champions League last 16 first leg at Schalke would show the team was back on the right path.
"Saturday's defeat surprised us all -- not just the result, but the way it happened," he said. "At the end of last year, we won the World Club Cup [but then] we dropped a bit our attitude and concentration. I do not know if this is normal, but it is what has happened.
"In football, you must always be at 100 percent. If you drop a little with your attitude, or concentration, you can lose games, and your position in the table. But we are still very competitive, and must move on now. Next week, starting tomorrow, is very important for us to see what will happen in future."
The last week has seen a resurgence of speculation that Ancelotti might be replaced as coach by Zinedine Zidane for next season, but the former AC Milan and Chelsea coach said club president Florentino Perez had been "positive" in talks about the team's form.
"The president has spoken with me, and the players, and shown his concern with recent games," he said, "but it was always positive, we have tried to look for a solution."
Ancelotti said the players' reaction in training this week had been positive after the Atletico loss.
"Everyone, after the game, was frustrated -- the fans and us too," he said. "But for the players this is a motivation to try to improve things. In this sense -- what I have seen at training -- the team has reacted well. Knowing the players' character and professionalism, I am very relaxed and confident.
"We are still top of La Liga and want to stay there. And next week the Champions League starts again. I am confident the same thing will happen as last year."
Ancelotti said a long injury list, including Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, James Rodriguez, Sami Khedira and Fabio Coentrao, meant he had few options to freshen up his team for Saturday's game against Depor, whom Madrid beat 8-2 in September's reverse fixture.
"We are missing players, so I do not think there will be many changes," he said. "It will be more or less the same players. We could have [Alvaro] Arbeloa for [Dani] Carvajal and [Asier] Illarramendi for Khedira, but the rest of the players are the same. Lucas Silva is ready, but he will not start. If there is a chance in the game I will give him some playing time."