Ancelotti: Real Madrid could give players breaks during 2024-25 season

Carlo Ancelotti has said Real Madrid are considering allowing players to take short breaks during the season with concerns about the congested fixture schedule.

Ancelotti, who led Los Blancos to a record sixth Super Cup triumph against Atalanta on Wednesday, now turns his attention to the new LaLiga season.

Madrid travel to the Visit Mallorca Estadi to face Mallorca on Sunday in their opening league encounter as they begin their title defence with Kylian Mbappe in their ranks.

However, Ancelotti revealed that the club are considering extended breaks away from action during the season due to the pressures of domestic and club football.

“The players need rest, they need holidays and we are thinking about giving individual holidays to the players during the season,” Ancelotti said.

“We are thinking about giving in-season breaks, give a week off for a player so he can go and stay with his family, especially international players, who have very little rest because they usually don’t get even a day’s holiday in international breaks.

“We are assessing it with the medical staff and the physical preparation.”

Getting ready for our @LaLigaEN return! #RMCity pic.twitter.com/psffdjpOI8

— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) August 16, 2024

Following their La Liga and Champions League double last season, Ancelotti faces the possibility of winning seven titles during the 2024-25 campaign.

Los Blancos will compete in LaLiga, the Champions League, Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, plus the FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the new Club World Cup in the United States.

Madrid have strengthened with the arrivals of Mbappe and Endrick, but Ancelotti believes the club need to make sacrifices to preserve the health and fitness of their players.

The Italian said he and his staff are already looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, with the 2026 World Cup putting extra demands on international players.

“At the moment we still don’t even know the date (of the Club World Cup), same with the Intercontinental. We are bidding for seven titles but we still don’t know when or how,” Ancelotti said.

“The 2025-26 season might start earlier because of the World Cup, so we have to plan accordingly starting this season.

“For example, when Vinicius Jr comes back after playing with Brazil, instead of playing in LaLiga, he rests for three or four days, he goes on holiday and then he comes back.

“That’s the only way. Normally those players train, even if they don’t play. But we’re going to take that away, let them do what they want on those days. That’s what we’re going to do.”