Real Madrid’s physical fitness has been a matter of serious concern in recent times and has not shown any signs of improvement despite changing managers.
At the time when Los Blancos got knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Arsenal two seasons ago, there was a shocking metric that came to light which highlighted that Real Madrid ran a staggering 12.7km less than the Premier League side.
That aspect of their game did not improve last season either as they were constantly outrun by opponents and even conceded several goals in the dying minutes of games owing to physical fatigue.
Needless to say, Jose Mourinho has always been a disciplinarian on the fitness front and has taken it personally to improve the team’s output.
Intensity in training
As reported by Diario AS in a recent report, the new Real Madrid manager is pushing players very hard in training and showing no signs of mercy.
Mourinho’s training sessions are brutal. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
The physical aspect of the team’s preparation is being focused on endlessly, and it is clear that the manager prioritises his players being fit to put in ruthless shifts.
Real Madrid’s first team squad is currently undergoing two training sessions per day as opposed to one that they used to train in recent seasons. Even the most heard phrase during training is ‘lots of intensity.’
A short pre-season for the internationals
While Mourinho is indeed doing everything in his capacity to improve the squad’s fitness ahead of the new season, the fact of the matter remains that he has had hardly any time to work with the internationals who participated in the World Cup.
Looking to solve Real Madrid’s physical problems. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
With some key stars returning just days ago, the manager will have less than a week with them before the first game of the new season, and it is close to impossible to see any physical improvement in such a short span.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. are the ones who received the most slack last season for not helping the team defensively. It remains to be seen if the manager pushed them to track back as well or delegates the responsibility to other players.
In any case, improving on the physical front is a marathon and not a sprint, and it will take a couple of months to see any tangible improvement on that front.