Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that "titles are always important for this club", with the capital giants preparing to compete in the Spanish Super Cup.
Los Blancos will take on Valencia in the semi-finals of the competition on Wednesday night ahead of a possible final against either Real Betis or Barcelona on Sunday.
Real Madrid will again target success in La Liga and the Champions League this season, while they are still in the Copa del Rey, with the Spanish Super Cup down their list of priorities.
However, Ancelotti has detailed the importance of the competition in Saudi Arabia.
"Titles are always important for this club. Last year it was a title that gave us confidence for the season. Hopefully, it can be the same in this Super Cup," Ancelotti told reporters.
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"We have to prepare well for tomorrow's game and play well. Then we'll try to go home with another title.
"We have to fight for every title, we think about winning everything. Now we will do everything we can to win the Super Cup. We don't think about whether or not it's an objective.
"We are delighted to play the Super Cup here, because of the atmosphere we had last year."
Ancelotti also reacted to the team's 2-1 loss to Villarreal in La Liga at the weekend, with the Italian admitting that the capital giants have not been at their best since returning to action following the 2022 World Cup.
"I think it was foreseeable that we wouldn't be at our best at this stage of the season. The signs from training were good, I was surprised by the Villarreal game. We have to get back to doing things right; the defensive aspect wasn't good," he added.
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"We have to work and show something different. We know how to defend much better. Tomorrow we have to apply ourselves, the defensive phase is important for us. Up front we have the quality we need.
"I don't think it was too much of a mental burden (the World Cup). It could be that some people are affected emotionally, but we have to wait a bit to draw conclusions. We are hurt by Villarreal and I hope the team reacts tomorrow. It's a very important test."
Real Madrid are the second-most successful side in the history of the Spanish Super Cup, lifting the trophy on 12 occasions, including last year.
Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba have not made the trip to Saudi Arabia due to calf problems, while there have been claims that Ferland Mendy is a doubt for the Valencia match due to muscular overload.
Matt Law
