Real Madrid gets their club World Cup campaign on June 18 when they take on the Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. On Wednesday, Xabi Alonso's debut will also see as the new head coach of the club, after his move from Bayer Leverkusen to replace Carlo Ancelotti.
And before the match against Al Hilal, Alonso spoke with Real Madrid TV in the current state of affairs for him and his team. According to Diario as, he expressed excitement with the early signs he sees.
“We are starting a new phase and we have to prioritize what is important: what we want to be, how we want to play and that we feel it. We want to be able to do that from the first moment, from the match against Al Hilal. First, we must be able to recognize ourselves.
“Talking with the players has been very positive. Little by little they get to know them, you have that much needed contact and little by little more players arrive.”
Alonso also showed some frustration about the lack of preparation he has had because of international competitions, although he remains convinced that his Real Madrid side can perform well during the Club World Cup.
“Everything needs to be accelerated because we have very little time to get to know each other and to train. We arrived here and today Lunin, Vinicius and Arda Guler have come with a team and we have three training sessions for the game. We come with a lot of desire, with the illusion of a good tournament and able to go all the way.”