Real Madrid’s summer of continuity has been refreshed as rivals restart, but will it help them stay on top?

HELSINKI, Finland – As Real Madrid embarking on a quest to win six titles in one season, it is remarkable how serene and unchallenged their panorama is compared to the chaos that almost every domestic and European competitor must face to face. Their tough test begins with the UEFA Supercup here in Helsinki, against the Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurtmake the flight with the first person LaLiga game (at the time of promotion Almeria this weekend) and marched on through the Champions League, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and FIFA World Club Championship, the journey finally ending next June.

Oh, and there’s a “small” World Cup problem for most Los Blancos‘players were neat throughout November and December.

But the least one can ask for before a ball is kicked in fury is that the club, squad, first team and staff are in a state of harmony, hunger and happiness. So it was. There have been departures (Marcelo, Gareth Bale, Luka Jovic, Isco), but not a single key player left the squad that conquered Spain and Europe last season. Two important, smart and impactful signings have been added Aurelien Tchouameni (a first-choice central midfielder for world champions France) and, as a free agent, Antonio RudigerA fierce competitive defender who has a habit of winning everything for club and country.

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The bucolic bartender for their club will look more appealing to Madrid and Madridistas the same as they looked at their competitors at home and across Europe.

Domestic, Barcelona are potential opponents more thorny than last year. But they are engaged in a bloody, humiliating battle simply to sign their new signings with LaLiga. If they manage it, then continue the game. If not? Madrid advantage. However, other Spanish clubs such as Seville, Real Betis, Villarreal and Atlético Madrid failed to significantly strengthen the teams that failed to meet Madrid’s rigorous standards last year.

In the UK, Chelsea noticeably weaker both in the main lineup and in the overall lineup. Moreover, under new ownership for the first time in two decades, they are emitting a fragrant aroma of chaos. Do not compare with Los Blancos this summer.

Liverpool keep going, still formidable and still ambitious, but they don’t want to lose Sadio Maneand while Darwin Nunez With remarkable qualities, this will be a huge season of learning and adaptation for him. However, Carlo Ancelotti does not have to deal with either of these factors.

City of Manchesterhave to admit, now there are Erling Haaland ahead, plus the fun Julian Alvarezand as a result they will often round up their opponents. But Chelsea beat them in the market to get their favorite left-back (Marc Cucurella), during departure of Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko will be felt and Bernardo Silva also want to leave for Barcelona. Chaos.

Tottenham Hotspur, so to speak, have had the least tumultuous summer of England’s top four – but are they really strong enough to topple the European champions? Meanwhile, no Serie A champions have proven to be Madrid’s Champions League heavyweights in recent years, and no big-name Italian club has been able to ramp up to the level of threat in the competition. this summer.

Bayern Munich is Bayern Munich. They are proud, well structured, well trained and dangerous, if underestimated, but they have proven how much they fear losing. Robert lewandowski whether they tried, but failed, to cling to him. Over the course of a long season, they will have to endure his absence.

Frankfurt, Wednesday’s rivals in the UEFA Super Cup that Ancelotti made clear he is determined to win, kissed their totem spirit leader goodbye, the fan favorite Martin Hintereggeris under severe pressure from Juventus let their Serbian winger stand out Filip Kostic switch clubs, and they were beat 6-1 at home by Bayern last weekend (replay on ESPN+ in the US). None of this is the degradation that Madrid has suffered.

But in terms of heavyweights, leave Paris Saint-Germain.

The French champions have fired another coach – which is like pointing out that September after August – plus their director of football. As such, a lot of “acquaintance” happened this summer at a club with three super strikers (Neymar, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe) will all focus more on winning the World Cup than on Ligue 1 or the Champions League.

However, and this is the only real trace on Madrid’s horizon, PSG still boast of the absolute phenomenon that is Mbappe. OK, his goals at the Parc des Princes and the Bernabeu weren’t enough for PSG to knock Madrid out of the Champions League last season, but this is a guy that everyone from Madrid president Florentino Perez, through Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and most importantly, Ancelotti, is expected to play in the world famous white shirt and help create a historic double of La Liga and Champions League this season.

Modric recently disputed the situation in the Croatian media. “Mbappe has every right to make his own decisions, but now he has to live with his choice. We all thought he would go to Madrid, but in the end it was not so. So what now We can’t suspend him. He’s a great player, but I always say: nobody is more important than the club Madrid is above anyone and everyone. other. “

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Please don’t be confused about what this means. It’s not that Madrid will falter, lack confidence or be embarrassed by Mbappe’s lofty and charismatic decision to stay in Paris rather than move to the European champions for free. No chance. However, his absence could be a key factor in how Ancelotti’s side cope with the holy grail – only Barca and Bayern have achieved it – in a potential six-title campaign.

Mbappe will not simply be a “galactico“signed, the best player in the world joins Madrid to add brilliance and shimmer in its worldwide marketing, or to add millions of “followers” that the club can Merchandise No: we’re talking about a 23-year-old, one-year-old, hugely talented, not yet peaking career, who is contributing much better than his Ligue 1 goalscoring performance per game. and Champions League (goals and assists combined) That’s 252 goals or assists in 236 games (once every 84 minutes).

However, Madrid have done absolutely nothing to try to replace the massive goalscoring record they have spent the past three years finding, saving and planning to launch. Unless they have an overwhelming transfer market, how Mbappe’s decision affects what Ancelotti and his staff are planning, strategically, will be intriguing.

It’s about how Madrid reacted.

In fact, the Italians have stated that “the lineup is complete.” We’ll see, but it means if Los Blancos will compete with, or outpace the heroes of last season, when they will depend heavily on four factors: Benzema, Vinicius, Rodrygo and their overwhelming attitude made them Spanish and European champions.

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Modric continued: “When you play for this club, after each title you immediately think ‘how do we win the next one?’ During the celebration in Paris, everyone of us started talking about how ‘from tomorrow’ we will all start our work on winning our 15th Champions League, as if it were ‘normal’ often.’ But that’s not an attitude you can adopt: it has to be in your DNA.”

Lucas Vazquez told Diario AS something similar last month. “Our secret is our Madrid mentality. We never give up, we are never defeated until the final whistle blows, we all focus on each other. ., but that’s what we do.”

Last season, Benzema, who turned 35 in December, scored 50 goals for club and country. Furthermore, he is “Eureka!” player for Madrid. When needed, he produced football genius. Vinicius became hugely important, not only creative, and Rodrygo ended the season creating so many miracles that he felt not only complaining to Ancelotti for letting him out against Liverpool, but even repeated the anecdote to the Brazilian media.

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Lucas Vazquez believes Benzema (34 years old) and Modric (36 years old), represent a seismic in elite football.

“They are examples not only for Madrid, but all over the world. They run more or more than anyone else in our games. Who would have imagined Luka running our midfield? at 36, playing better football now than when he came from Spurs? Who would have predicted Karim was LaLiga’Pichichi“that he will score 44 goals for the club at the age of 34 and, as well, play better football now than he did when he was 29?”

There’s even the Antonio Pintus effect to correct. The 59-year-old Italian coach is famous for the terrible pressure he puts on the physical training of the players. But look: no team in Europe’s top leagues has scored more goals late (defined as the last 15 minutes of the game) than Madrid. Given their age profile, that’s great.

So the whole process, minus Mbappe and the strong advantage he can have for them, minus whoever has signed to replace what Madrid have been counting on getting, starts again.

I’ll give Lucas the last word. “From the moment we started pre-season, we were thinking: ‘Win the UEFA Super Cup, win La Liga, win the Champions League, win the Spanish Super Cup, win the Copa del Rey, Win the World Club Cup. Let’s win a lot!”

They can?