Real Madrid were not neccesarily set for a big summer outside of their move for Jude Bellingham, but Carlo Ancelotti already has five new faces to work with, and another month and a half of the transfer market to go. Yet they seem to be assimilating well.
Left-back Fran Garcia needs a little less adaptation given he left Real Madrid just two years ago, and only to go across the city to Vallecas and Rayo Vallecano at that. He told Diario AS that he is ready to show he has the quality to play at the Santiago Bernabeu though.
“I see a boy who left home with enthusiasm, and the desire to come and do what he liked best at the club of his dreams. I had the opportunity to grow and forge my career because I started out very young. I come back as a man and wanting to show that I can play here.”
“Returning to what has been my home since I left when I was 13 years old makes you happy and proud after so much work.”
In terms of his first days with the first team, he noted the notorious work ethic that Fitness Coach Antonio Pintus demands.
"They are getting involved very quickly like the rest of the group, and that speaks volumes about how we do things here."
Fran Garcia has told Diario AS that Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler and Brahim Diaz are adapting well to Real Madrid #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/0lhnethWJ0
— Football España (@footballespana_) July 14, 2023
“The first days were very heavy-going, with a lot of gym and with the work of Pintus on the pitch that we all know by now.”
Garcia was also complementary of Head Coach Carlo Ancelotti too, who is already building a relationship with the new recruits.
“He tries to correct any game situation, especially regarding certain positions or heights that I must have in terms of playing out from the back or during the game. That closeness, especially to the new ones, helps us a lot.”
While perhaps people are too quick to dumb Ancelotti down into simply a man manager, if there is one thing he excels at, it is building relationships with his squad. Few are so beloved by their teams as Ancelotti is, something which clearly doesn’t take long for others to understand.
