Ancelotti making major change at Real Madrid due to Zidane understanding

15 July 2023 , 14:10

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Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane (Image: Getty Images)

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he is planning to tweak his system on their pre-season tour of America in a bid to get the best out of new signings like Jude Bellingham.

Real finished second in La Liga last season and were knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals by eventual winners Manchester City. And the Spanish giants have responded with a major overhaul of their squad.

Bellingham has been the biggest addition so far, making the move to the Bernabeu from Borussia Dortumund for an initial £88m. However, Real have also signed the likes of Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz, Joselu and Arda Guler, while Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema, Eden Hazard and Marian have all left.

And Ancelotti is planning to move away from his favoured 4-3-3 system this season, amid suggestions he may now favour a midfield diamond given Real's wealth of options in the centre of the park. Indeed, the boss has also suggested his new approach is a lesson he learnt while managing Zinedine Zidane at Juventus

"When I started coaching I had a clear idea, and I didn't adapt to the players I had," Ancelotti admitted. "I had an experience at Parma, where [Roberto] Baggio wanted to play as a playmaker and I didn't change the system. He went to another team. And I was wrong.

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"At Juventus, with [Zinedine] 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.

"This year we might play a different system. The system we have played with has been very successful, but we can try a new style. We're going to try it on the tour. It's a good time to do so."

Ancelotti is considering tweaking his formation to accommodate new signing Jude Bellingham (2023 Real Madrid)

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Bellingham will be competing with the likes of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Ceballos for a spot in Ancelotti's midfield. And the veteran manager has hailed Bellingham, stating that he will 'raise the level at Real Madrid '.

"He's different to the other midfielders we have," Ancelotti said of Bellingham. "We are very happy that he's with us. He raises the level at Real Madrid. He works hard, he's doing well and he will play on the tour."

"The respect England has for Real Madrid is so high," Bellingham said of his decision to join. "As you grow up you appreciate what came before. It is a great history, but I want to be one of the players that adds to that. Money is not a thing."

Matthew Cooper