Ancelotti: 'It's a very important tour.'
'There are many reasons: to prepare the team for next season, to get to know fantastic stadiums along with the fans in the United States and to play competitive games,' he told a press conference.
Carlo Ancelotti held a remote press conference at Real Madrid Sport City for the American media to discuss this pre-season tour of the United States, on which Real Madrid will play four matches in the Soccer Champions Tour. The Italian coach indicated: "The reasons for this tour are multiple: to prepare the team for the new season, to get to know fantastic stadiums, to be with the fans in the United States and to play competitive games to see how the team is at this stage of the season. It will also be very important because we have new players and we need them to adapt to our style and philosophy as soon as possible. The internationals, who are now working individually, will also join us."
"We are working very hard. The tour is important for the whole team, but for players like Bellingham, Güler, Brahim, Fran García and Joselu, it gives them the chance to adapt to a new idea of football and get to know their new teammates better."
Los Angeles
"UCLA has fantastic facilities and the weather is great because it's not too hot. Also, in the United States there are great stadiums and great fans."
Football in the USA
"Football in the US has to compete with very popular sports, but the signing of Messi by Inter Miami could help its standing. There is great passion for football among the public. I have a bad memory of the Rose Bowl because I lost the 94 World Cup final against Brazil there. I'm sure there will be a good atmosphere for the match against Milan."
"We are working very hard. The tour is important for the whole team, but for players like Bellingham, Güler, Brahim, Fran García and Joselu, it gives them the chance to adapt to a new idea of football and get to know their new teammates better."
Los Angeles
"UCLA has fantastic facilities and the weather is great because it's not too hot. Also, in the United States there are great stadiums and great fans."
Football in the USA
"Football in the US has to compete with very popular sports, but the signing of Messi by Inter Miami could help its standing. There is great passion for football among the public. I have a bad memory of the Rose Bowl because I lost the 94 World Cup final against Brazil there. I'm sure there will be a good atmosphere for the match against Milan."
The pre-season Clásico
"The Clásico is a classic, it doesn't matter where it's played, and there are no friendlies in a game like this. Everyone knows that they are fantastic games and they always have been because there is a great rivalry and it is always a special match. We saw it last year in a fantastic atmosphere and I'm sure we'll see it this year in Dallas. It's a difficult game, but everyone likes to play it and we'll try to win it as always. There are no friendlies between Real Madrid and Barcelona and there never will be."
Bellingham
"He's very young and different to other midfielders we have. We are very happy that he is with us and he raises the level of Real Madrid. He works hard, he's doing well and he will play on the tour."
Camavinga at left-back
"He's played at full-back as an emergency because of Mendy's injury. Mendy is doing very well, as is Fran García, who can contribute a lot. Camavinga is a midfielder with a lot of quality and potential and the idea is to use him as an inside player or playmaker, not as a full-back. If Mendy and Fran García are available, he's not going to play as a full-back."
Do you have a system or do you adapt to the players?
"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. At Juventus, with Zidane, I started to understand that it's better to adapt to the players. Players have to feel comfortable in the system they play. I adapted and I'm still adapting. This year we might play a different system. We don't have to forget that 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, which is a good time to do so."
"The Clásico is a classic, it doesn't matter where it's played, and there are no friendlies in a game like this. Everyone knows that they are fantastic games and they always have been because there is a great rivalry and it is always a special match. We saw it last year in a fantastic atmosphere and I'm sure we'll see it this year in Dallas. It's a difficult game, but everyone likes to play it and we'll try to win it as always. There are no friendlies between Real Madrid and Barcelona and there never will be."
Bellingham
"He's very young and different to other midfielders we have. We are very happy that he is with us and he raises the level of Real Madrid. He works hard, he's doing well and he will play on the tour."
Camavinga at left-back
"He's played at full-back as an emergency because of Mendy's injury. Mendy is doing very well, as is Fran García, who can contribute a lot. Camavinga is a midfielder with a lot of quality and potential and the idea is to use him as an inside player or playmaker, not as a full-back. If Mendy and Fran García are available, he's not going to play as a full-back."
Do you have a system or do you adapt to the players?
"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. At Juventus, with Zidane, I started to understand that it's better to adapt to the players. Players have to feel comfortable in the system they play. I adapted and I'm still adapting. This year we might play a different system. We don't have to forget that 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, which is a good time to do so."