There are reportedly growing tensions within Carlo Ancelotti's backroom staff following Real Madrid's difficult start to the season.
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- Real Madrid suffer underwhelming start to season
- Tensions rise in Ancelotti's backroom staff
- Physical preparation and injuries cause friction
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Real Madrid have not had the dream start to the season they had expected when they announced the signing of French superstar Kylian Mbappe over the summer. Instead, the season has been a bit of a disappointment so far as Los Blancos have not seemed to click and morale seems down in the entire camp, with talks of Ancelotti being sacked.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Injuries have also been a major issue for Real Madrid this season as they have suffered a total of 25 within just three months of the season starting. Ancelotti currently has nine players out injured in the form of David Alaba, Joan Martinez, Dani Carvajal, youth centre-back Jacobo Ramon, Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Aurelien Tchouameni, Lucas Vazquez and Rodrygo. As per The Athletic, this has caused a sense of mistrust within the backroom staff towards the team’s physical preparation.
Real Madrid's head of performance, Antonio Pintus, is responsible for the physical training but some consider his methods to be old-fashioned, while Jude Bellingham admitted last year that the fitness trainer "loves to kill us".
However, sources close to Pintus believe the club’s intense schedule is one of the causes of their mounting injury woes.
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DID YOU KNOW?
It has also been reported that Pintus’ relationship with head coach Ancelotti has become strained in recent months. The dressing room is said to believe that the problems between the two Italians is due to Pintus not taking responsibility for important decisions, including the recovery process of injured players. Furthermore, there are disagreements over the importance of the players' running metrics during matches.
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WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
Sources told The Athletic that Pintus' future at Valdebebas is currently up in the air as further strains between the coaching staff and physical trainers may break whatever sort of professional bond there is, and that could affect the team's morale further down the line.