Zinedine Zidane has decided to take his Real Madrid squad to Montreal for pre-season training; the place where they began their preparations for their double-winning campaign of 2016-17.
The club had booked pitches at UCLA in Los Angeles, but Zidane has moved training to Canada in the hope of repeating their LaLiga Santander and Champions League double success of two years ago.
Zidane found that the weather was ideal to prepare the team in Montreal, where they will use MLS side Montreal Impact’s training facilities.
That pre-season three years ago was Zidane’s first as Real Madrid coach and it produced a trophy-laden season.
Real Madrid went to Los Angeles the following summer before going on to win their 13th Champions League title in Kyiv, but Zidane isn’t forgetting the disappointing domestic campaign as well.
After three or four training sessions at Valdebebas, Los Blancos will spend eight days in Canada before playing three friendlies in the United States.
Their first is against Bayern Munich in Houston on 21 July before facing Arsenal in Maryland on 24 July, and then Atletico Madrid in New Jersey on 27 July.
Real Madrid will also compete in the Audi Cup in Munich where they will play Tottenham on 30 July and either Bayern or Fenerbahce in a final or third-place playoff.
They will then return to Valdebebas to finish their build-up to the start of the new season, and there’s still another friendly to be finalised.