Real Madrid started their pre-season training this week, almost a month after their La Liga rivals Barcelona.
Because Xabi Alonso’s side competed at the Club World Cup, their 2024-25 season ended up being extended until July 9, when they lost 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals. Barca started back in training on July 13.
On Monday, Madrid’s players returned for work at the club’s Valdebebas training ground. So, what’s the plan for this atypical season start, and will having played at the Club World Cup be a help or a hindrance?
Here, The Athletic explains what’s next for Alonso’s new side before they start their La Liga campaign on August 19 at home to Osasuna.
What has everyone been doing since the Club World Cup?
Resting, or at least getting as much rest as is typical of a professional athlete during their summer holidays.
After exiting the Club World Cup, Madrid’s players were given time off. They all took advantage of this break to have a holiday. Some stayed in Spain, such as Dean Huijsen, who enjoyed time with his family in Marbella, and fellow new arrival Alvaro Carreras, who did the same in Ferrol.
Both also had time to visit Ibiza, as have other team-mates such as Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior. Others opted for more exotic destinations, such as Dani Ceballos, who visited Soneva, an island resort in the Maldives. Meanwhile, as has become almost tradition, others such as Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr and Eduardo Camavinga have been in Brazil, with Vinicius Jr as their main host.
As for new manager Xabi Alonso, he spent time back in Guipuzkoa, the Basque province of northern Spain where he grew up. But the 43-year-old remained in regular contact with his staff to plan and evaluate the team’s return to work and what comes next.
During the holidays, each player was sent a specific training plan designed by the club’s specialists, as is usual. In many cases, this plan was designed to complement the work of their personal trainers, who were also in contact with Madrid. Endrick even took his physical trainer (Vinicius Nevado) with him on his honeymoon to Japan.
So, is everything going to plan?
Madrid actually wanted to postpone their first La Liga match of the new season against Osasuna, arguing that they needed more rest after progressing into the Club World Cup’s latter stages.
Madrid’s request was supported by the Spanish players’ union (and Osasuna themselves), but opposed by La Liga. Ultimately, the Spanish FA had the final say and the request was rejected by their sole competition judge.
The decision did not go down well at Madrid, with the club’s official TV channel launching an angry response this week.
Kylian Mbappe, David Alaba and Arda Guler pictured on Monday (Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
The Osasuna game will take place a little later than might have been previously expected, however. The match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19, rather than on the weekend.
Despite their request to push back their opening game, Madrid always intended to return to training on August 4.
How are they preparing for the start of La Liga?
On Monday, Madrid’s players underwent medical tests in the morning and began group training in the afternoon. Since then, individual and group exercise in the gym has been combined with ball work on the training fields, mixing focus on possession, finishing, dribbling and small-sided matches.
One of the main differences in Madrid’s physical preparation between now and last season is a greater focus on field work, rather than the specific individual strength work Antonio Pintus favoured when he was in charge of fitness training. The Italian is still employed by the club but is now much less influential.
Several changes have been made to the medical staff, too, after a spate of injuries last season.
Trent Alexander-Arnold in the gym at Valdebebas (Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
Two of Madrid’s new permanent physical trainers employed this summer, Javier Arnaiz and Ismael Fernandez, also favour new techniques such as coordinating muscle training based on the body’s temperature. New analysis of performance data is being used to better analyse the risk of future injuries.
Madrid now plan to continue training at Valdebebas until they travel to Innsbruck, Austria, for a friendly match against top-flight side WSG Tirol next Tuesday (at 7pm local time). According to staff sources — who, like all those cited here, asked to speak anonymously as they did not have permission to comment — arranging the match was not suggested by the coaching team. Madrid do not plan to stay in Austria for a training camp.
It would not have been surprising — and, in fact, a club source mentioned it as a possibility for this summer — for Madrid to face local teams such as Getafe or Leganes behind closed doors in other games that might have been held at Valdebebas instead, as has happened in recent years. However, the Tirol game is expected to be their only preparation match before their first fixture of the new season.
Will they be ready? Has the Club World Cup helped or hindered?
Madrid have mixed feelings about the Club World Cup.
One source from the coaching staff points out that conditions in the United States did not help preparation for various reasons — including the number of minutes accumulated, weather conditions described as “adverse” due to humidity and heat, poor pitches, time differences and the staging of the tournament at the end of a full season.
But another source involved in the day-to-day at Valdebebas described the Club World Cup as “very useful” because it served to achieve the main objective, which was “to change the team’s dynamic” from last season. Alonso and his collaborators wanted to implement a method in which the players showed more intensity in training. Videos were more present and more individualised, and other aspects such as punctuality were taken care of.
“We’re happy, but now we have to start again,” the source added.
Another topic of comment between Alonso and his staff is the need for signings, an idea that came up before the tournament in the United States and still remains. A source close to the coach suggested that two more signings would be necessary. They pointed to how domestic rivals Atletico Madrid and European challengers Liverpool have strengthened this summer.
However, club sources believe Alonso has a good squad and point out that there are 24 players already registered, with the 25th (La Liga’s maximum) probably going to academy product Gonzalo Garcia.
In other words, if no one leaves, and nobody has shown signs of wanting to, they cannot bring new faces in.
(Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images)
