Carlo Ancelotti has said he plans to trial a new formation during Real Madrid‘s U.S. tour this month, as the coach looks to fit new arrivals like Jude Bellingham into the team ahead of the 2023-24 season.
A busy summer so far has seen midfielder Bellingham, forward Joselu, playmakers Arda Guler and Brahim Díaz and full-back Fran García join Madrid, while Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Eden Hazard and Mariano Díaz all departed as their contracts expired.
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“When I started coaching I had a clear idea, and I didn’t adapt to the players I had,” Ancelotti told a news conference on Friday, when asked if he’d consider a change of system.
“I had an experience at Parma, where [Roberto] Baggio wanted to play as a playmaker and I didn’t change the system. He went to another team. And I was wrong.”
Madrid’s summer business means the squad is currently overloaded in midfield, with at least seven players — Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos — all competing for places.
Ancelotti has tended to favour a 4-3-3 formation throughout his time at Madrid, but there has been speculation that Bellingham’s signing could signal a switch to a midfield diamond.
“At Juventus, with [Zinedine] Zidane, I started to understand that it’s better to adapt to the players,” Ancelotti said. “Players have to feel comfortable. I adapted and I’m still adapting.
“This year we might play a different system. The system we have played with has been very successful, but we can try a new style. We’re going to try it on the tour. It’s a good time to do so.”
