Karim Benzema’s departure has left a hole in Real Madrid’s attacking leadership that the Brazilian hopes to fill. He returns to work with Rodrygo and Militao on Thursday, already in Los Angeles.

Carlo Ancelotti will have all of his players available from July 20 to begin preparing for the start of the regular season. Five additions and the return to work of the Brazilians round out the group of chosen ones, which also includes Nico Paz. Of course, the presence of Vini Jr. sticks out among them all. The Brazilian, as he wishes to be known from now on, is totally involved in the process of metamorphosis that has led him to become a world reference in the world of football, both on a sporting and social level.

His boundaries are undefined, and the next stage is to take on a role once held by Karim Benzema. The striker believes he is capable of operating as a leader and being Real Madrid’s offensive reference. He has demonstrated that he is not afraid of responsibilities and that he never hides.

Vini Jr. does not disguise the fact that he must take the step, and that the power he has demonstrated in the last two seasons should propel him to the top of world football. For this, this season is vital because the white team must learn to play differently, without the presence of the current Ballon d’Or. He understands that the offensive weight of the squad is borne primarily by him and Rodrygo. Responsibility enjoys it.

Continuous growth

His numbers have risen as the seasons have passed. Ancelotti has now discovered the ideal environment for his football. He has now prepared himself to continue his development, first as the leader of Real Madrid, and subsequently as the best player on the planet. He had 23 goals and 21 assists in the 22-23 season, up from 22 and 20 the previous year. He’s making good progress.

The Brazilian striker understands the importance of staying focused when the ball is in play, but he will not tolerate disrespect from his opponents. He wants to play in peace and quiet, so he can show off all of the football he carries inside of him.

Furthermore, Vini Jr. is presently negotiating a new contract with a sportswear company after parting ways with Nike. And he does that while already being a star, a football reference, wearing the number seven for Real Madrid and the number ten for Brazil. Furthermore, we must not overlook his humanitarian side through his Foundation and the deaf work he conducts in Brazil through the establishment of an educational project in the neighborhood where he was born.

Today he returns to work, and his first appearance with the white squad will be in the first pre-season encounter, which Ancelotti’s men will play against Milan next Sunday. He has worked over the holidays and is well-prepared.

Ancelotti, the perfect teacher

To cook the generational transformation, Real Madrid abandons Valdebebas for two weeks and travels to Los Angeles, where they will mix physical work at UCLA with four games in North America in which football and business will be blended. Rodrygo, Militao, and Vini Jr. will join Carlo Ancelotti and his team’s day-to-day activities upon their arrival in the United States.

The present team arrangement is considerably different from previous seasons, when there was a light that illuminated everyone, and that was none other than Karim Benzema, adapting to his new sporting life in Saudi Arabia, which appears to be proving difficult for him. Real Madrid needs to reinvent itself, and for that there is the figure of the Italian coach, now known as Vini Jr., who was the first to blindly trust him.

Rodrygo and the challenge of the 20 goals

Last season he broke his goalscoring records to leave his account at 19

Real Madrid’s fate is dependent on whether or whether a world-class scorer replaces Benzema (31 goals last season) and, to a lesser extent, Asensio (12). Waiting to see if this movement, with Mbappé at the heart, can solve the goal-scoring problem next season is one of the issues that Carlo Ancelotti’s club poses. For the time being, reinforcements for the attack have arrived in the form of second unit players Joselu, Brahim, and Arda Güler.

In this situation, the two Brazilians at the front of the attack, Vinicius and Rodrygo, take on the position of first scorer. In that regard, the two have evolved significantly. The new 7 has two seasons with at least 20 goals (22 and 23). Rodrygo Goes is battling this frontier in this campaign.

Last season, the So Paulo player greatly enhanced his productivity in front of the opposing goal. He scored 19 goals, two more than in his previous three seasons at Real Madrid (2, 7 and 9). Rodrygo’s meteoric rise as a scorer has positioned him in a new role for the upcoming season, which begins on August 12 at San Mamés.

A lot more protagonist

Rodrygo’s reputation rose last season after scoring the two goals that gave Madrid the Cup against Osasuna in La Cartuja. Due to Benzema’s recurrent absences prior to the World Cup in Qatar, Ancelotti turned to the Brazilian as a center striker in the face of Mariano’s continued departure from his duties.

There were many games in which he played the role of center forward (20), a position that is not his, one that lacks some classic elements but has virtues that Ancelotti appreciated in order to use him in a position where Real Madrid was moving away from the canons of a lifelong killer with Benzema. “He has stood out as a center forward; he can play there, and we must consider his unique characteristics.” It is simpler to score a goal if you dribble within the area rather than outside. “In aerial duels, he lacks structure, but he has an important quality,” Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said after the win at Sánchez-Pizjuán, where Rodrygo left a piece of art in the form of a goal.

The fact is that Rodrygo’s position on the field prompted Ancelotti reconsider his playing style and whether it was time to explore a system change. “What is Rodrygo’s position?” I like 4-2-3-1. As attacking midfielders, we use Rodrygo, Modric, and Asensio. We’re considering it. “It’s probably the best position for him,” Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho stated last season.

The existing structure of the white team indicates to Ancelotti that the system will be different. From the start, it appears like there will be four midfielders, with Vinicius and Rodrygo at the attack’s apex.

Rodrygo begins with that mark of 19 goals as a reference for the first time, with stripes starting from the beginning. It is not an easy task to achieve 20 goals. In addition to Cristiano, only Higuain, Benzema, Bale, Morata, and Vinicius have hit that mark since his arrival. Only Vinicius has been able to break that mark since Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure.