Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti made headlines on Monday morning after declaring that FIFA could forget about his side attending the reformed Club World Cup next summer in the USA. Both club and manager moved to back away from those statements, but not all is as it seems.
Los Blancos put out a statement declaring that they would be attending the competition for the foreseeable, and Ancelotti himself released a tweet saying that his words had not been interpreted as he had intended. However Relevo say that Ancelotti’s statement was in fact written word for word by Real Madrid’s communications department.
In addition, the journalist who conducted the initial interview for Il Giornale Tony Damascelli has affirmed on multiple platforms that Ancelotti’s declarations were word for word his, and he had not altered anything.
While Los Blancos were keen to make peace in public, they are not the only side that are unhappy with the tournament as is, with Manchester City also reluctant to go – at least at the current price.
The FIFA Club World Cup certainly approaches saturation for the footballing calendar, and various elements of the Real Madrid dressing room, including Thibaut Courtois, have been vocal about their frustration with it. There will be around a month between the end of the season in 2025 and the start of the new one.
