Already during the pre-season, with the prospect of an endless season of up to 72 games for Real Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti pointed out the need to find imaginative formulas to avoid exhausting the players: “We have to think about giving them individual rest,” he said. This Saturday, the eve of the second match of the season, the league opener on Sunday in Mallorca (9.30pm, Dazn), he provided more details of the plan: “The players need to rest, they also need holidays. What we are thinking about is, at certain times of the season, giving the players individual holidays. It could be that a player does not play for a week and goes to rest with his family. We are studying it, especially with the players who play in the national team.”
The case of the internationals could be even more extreme. Carvajal, for example, could end up having 84 matches on his calendar, adding to the 72 for Madrid up to 12 with the Spanish national team, 10 of which are during breaks and two more if Spain plays the final phase of the Nations League. The full-back already complained the day before the European Super Cup: “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s impossible for us to maintain an optimal level, with the Intercontinental Cup, with a Club World Cup that takes you away from home for a month.”
Regarding the new FIFA championship scheduled between June 15 and July 13 in the USA, Ancelotti expressed doubts this Saturday: “We still don’t know how many competitions we have to play, because there are two competitions, which are the Club World Cup in the summer and the Intercontinental Cup. [18 de diciembre] which are not yet clear.”
In any case, the internationals are the focus of Ancelotti’s selective rest plan, which he gave a practical example: “Vinicius goes to the national team, plays two games, and when he comes back, instead of playing a league game, he rests and doesn’t play the league game. And he rests for three or four days. He goes on holiday, and after the game he comes back. That’s the only way. Because usually the player who comes from two international games doesn’t play the game, but he trains, he’s part of the team, he goes to the bench… I think we have to take this away, give him three days and let him do what he wants. And then, come back.”
The first international break is scheduled after Sunday, September 1, when Madrid host Betis at the Bernabéu (9:30 p.m.). Following Ancelotti’s example, Brazil play on September 7 and 11. Vinicius’ next game would be on September 15 in San Sebastián, but according to this plan he could skip it and put together five days (travel included) until he returns to training on September 17, in what could be the prelude to the Champions League opener.
You can follow Morning Express Sports onFacebook andXor sign up here to receiveour weekly newsletter.