"We can’t forget that the previous one was very successful for us" - Carlo Ancelotti confirms one major change he will make at Real Madrid this season
Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he plans to change the formation Real Madrid use in the 2023-24 season.
Italian head coach Ancelotti has normally favored the 4-3-3 formation throughout his time at Madrid. However, there has been speculation that Karim Benzema's departure and Jude Bellingham's signing could see the club switch to a different formation.
Benzema recently moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Ittihad on a free transfer. On the other hand, Madrid signed England midfielder Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund this summer.
Los Blancos paid a mouth-watering €103 million (£88.5 million) fee and signed the 20-year-old on a six-year contract. They have also signed the likes of Joselu, Arda Guler, and Fran García, with Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard, and Mariano Diaz joining Benzema in departing the club.
After a training session on Friday, July 14, Ancelotti, in a press conference, confirmed that he was planning to switch formation for the upcoming season.
"This year we will change our formation. We can’t forget that the previous one was very successful for us. But we have to find a new playing style," he announced (via managingmadrid).
When pressed on what changes he was planning to make, The 64-year-old explained that he was looking to deploy Eduardo Camavinga in his natural midfield position.
Camavinga was forced to play as a left-back for the majority of last season as first-choice full-back Ferland Mendy was sidelined with injuries for most of the campaign.
"Our plan is to deploy Camavinga either as a CM or as a DM. If Fran Garcia or Mendy are available he won’t play as a LB," he explained.
The signing of Fran García, who came through the ranks at Real Madrid, from Rayo Vallecano could pave the way for Camavinga to play in the middle of the field more often in 2023-24.
"I adapted and I'm still adapting" - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on adapting tactics to suit his players
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti also recalled how he did not look to adapt tactics to the players at his disposal at the start of his managerial career. His stubborn nature forced a star like Roberto Baggio to leave his then-club Parma.
"When I started coaching I had a clear idea, and I didn't adapt to the players I had. I had an experience at Parma, where Baggio wanted to play as a playmaker and I didn't change the system. He went to another team. And I was wrong," he said. (via ESPN)
The veteran then spoke about how he began to change his ways at Juventus when he had to shoe in a prodigious talent like Zinedine Zidane into the team.
"At Juventus, with Zidane, I started to understand that it's better to adapt to the players. Players have to feel comfortable. I adapted and I'm still adapting," he added.
Real Madrid have begun their pre-season training and will soon be in action in the Soccer Champions Tour. They are set to play four matches against AC Milan (California, July 23), Manchester United (Houston, July 26), Barcelona (Texas, July 29), and Juventus (Florida, August 2).