Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti raised other people’s eyebrows for a change when quotes from an interview in Italy were published, where he declared that Los Blancos would not be going to the FIFA Club World Cup next year. Reports from the Spanish capital in response to those comments claim they still intend to go to the tournament.
According to Diario AS, Real Madrid would refuse the invitation as things stand, but are open to accepting it with several changes. Chiefly the fee they would receive, feeling that €50m (Ancelotti put the figure at €20m) is too little for their presence for a month – they also feel that the competition is not based on solid ground, with unnamed sources referring to it as a ‘ghost competition’.
Meanwhile Marca say that it is one of two areas of negotiation Real Madrid are hoping to bridge with FIFA. One of them is the fee they would receive, and the other is the World Cup final in 2030. Real Madrid President Florentino Perez is keen for the Santiago Bernabeu to host it, but they do not want to cede their stadium to FIFA for three months, as current regulations stipulate. They highlight good relations betweeen FIFA President Gianni Infantino as an omen that those negotiations will be fruitful.
Ultimately, it all comes down to a question of money. A week after Talor Swift graced the Bernabeu, bringing with her hundreds of thousands of fans and many millions of euros, Los Blancos’ plan to ensure their stadium is churning out profit throughout the year means that the prospect of losing it for a third of the year bears an important cost. Equally, if Real Madrid are to have an extra seven games of the year, they will want an extra 10% of what they make for the rest of the season, which eclipses what is currently on offer.
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