At the pre-match press conference held at Chicago's Soldier Field, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti elaborated on topics such as the team's pre-season training, players' status, tactical changes and the outlook for the new season. He said that although this season's pre-season training is a bit special, the team's overall status is good, and has been fully prepared for the upcoming season.
Carlo Ancelotti began by recognizing the team's performance in pre-season training: "Pre-season training this season is indeed a bit special because the players will return one after another. But so far we have trained well. We have also evaluated the young players well and their performance has been impressive. All the returning players are in good shape, which is different from the past preseason. Now the players are ready to play as soon as they return to the team."
In terms of fitness, Ancelotti expressed no concern: "We are well equipped in every position, especially with a great player like Mbappe. Although there is not much time to prepare for the first leg, the players will return in good shape. They will complete some 'homework' before arriving at the team, but the most important thing for them is to be well rested after a long season. The whole team will return on the 7th and I am sure we will be ready for the start of the season."
On the absence of Kroos, Ancelotti said, "We are indeed missing Kroos, but fortunately we have many different alternatives. Although the style of these players may be different from his, they all have excellent abilities. We will make full use of them to ensure the team remains competitive in the competition."
In terms of reinforcements, Ancelotti revealed, "The line-up has basically been finalized. Vallejo has returned and Alaba is recovering. At the same time, we have some young players who have shown a high level of performance in training, such as the three center backs Joan Martinez, Ramon and Raul Asensio. We feel very secure in this position."
Speaking about the change in tactical style, Ancelotti said, "We want to stick to the vertical style of play, even when Kroos was in the team. Getting into the opponent's half quickly will create more chances for us. Bellingham is a player who has the ability to get into the box and we want him to get as close to the goal as possible. Of course, our tactics will be adjusted depending on the game, but the overall philosophy will always be to control the game, play vertically and defend well."
Ancelotti has high hopes for new signing Ndelic: "It's been a very exciting week for him. He is very young but physically amazing, strong and fast. I'm sure he'll fit in well. I won't ask too much of him because he still needs time to adapt to his new surroundings. But we can expect him to contribute to the team in the future."
In addition, Ancelotti talked about Rüdiger, his own youth players and last season's success. He said that Rüdiger is a great player and teammate; that the youth players are very focused and eager to learn; and that last season's success was due to the team's team spirit, the management of injuries and the contribution of the substitutes.
Finally, Ancelotti looked ahead to the new season: "We have a strong squad and a group of players full of fighting spirit. I believe that as long as we stay united and work hard, we will be able to achieve good results in the new season." At the same time, he also revealed the tactical formations that the team may use: "We will use tactical formations such as 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 depending on the match."
