Xabi Alonso: "Today We Begin to Build This Team"
Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso addressed the media briefly ahead of the team’s training session in the United States, where Los Blancos are preparing for their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
"Today, Lunin, Vini, and Arda Güler will rejoin us, and from this moment on, we begin to build the team," Alonso said, referring to the players' return from international duty.
Andriy Lunin recently represented Ukraine at the Canada Shield tournament, while Vinícius Jr. was involved in World Cup qualifiers with Brazil. The trio are expected to play key roles in Madrid’s pursuit of global silverware.
"We’ll need to accelerate everything as quickly as possible for this tournament. There’s not much time to get to know each other," Alonso admitted, having only conducted his first training session with the team on June 9.
The tournament schedule offers some relief, as Real Madrid will enter the competition later than most, with their first match scheduled for June 18 against Saudi side Al Hilal.