Real Madrid posted a video of their return to prepare the 2019-20 season, and there are some things that their fans have to keep an eye on ahead of what seems to be an interesting new project under Zinedine Zidane.
The world of football is eager to find out how the French tactician will set up his team on the pitch, considering the arrivals of players such as Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic or Ferland Mendy. Added to that, the presence of some seasoned veterans will give Zidane and his staff room to improve what was a disappointing end of the 2018-19 season.
As we looked into the short video posted by Los Blancos on their Twitter feed, there were five things that caught our eyes. Here's a breakdown of the video before you can get a glimpse.
1. Gareth Bale was all smiles
The Welsh ace seems to be on his way out of the club, but he seemed glad to salute some of his team-mates. Bale can be seen sharing an embrace with Dani Carvajal and later, he can be seen sharing a smile with Toni Kroos. Will he manage to stay for the entire season?
2. All but one of the new signings was there
Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo Goes and even Japanese youngster Takefusa Kubo made their way to Real Madrid's training complex, but there was one new signing that was nowhere to be found. Eder Militao was the only footballer not to make it to the start of the pre-season, but Zinedine Zidane was OK with that fact, since the player was given a few days off after playing in the Copa America with Brazil.
3. Kubo's respectful bows
Youngster Takefusa Kubo may not be included in the team for the 2019-20 season, but he was asked by Zidane to join the first team before he makes his way to play for Real Madrid Castilla. All of those players who made their way into the dugout and greeted Kubo saw the Japanese player paying his respects with a traditional vow. Nice first impression!
4. Hazard's number-less booth
Fans were baffled to find out that none of the first-team signings was unveiled with their new number, and that trend continued during the first day of pre-season. Eden Hazard sat between Isco and Dani Ceballos' booth, but where there would be Number 23 right along the player's last name, Hazard and everyone there saw a blank space.
5. Zidane's new staff addition
The French legend made his way into Los Blancos' training complex along with his backroom staff, with one major addition. Zizou will now have Gregory Dupont as the team's physio, which will surely change how Los Blancos prepared to keep themselves fit throughout the season.
Here's Real Madrid's video as posted on their Twitter feed.
Back to work at #RMCity! #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/NBHBjekKXP
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) July 8, 2019
An extended version of the video was revealed by Spanish newspaper Marca, which can be found here.
