Real Madrid under pressure for 15th UCL

Real Madrid CF has had a massively successful 2021-22 season. In a complete turnaround from their disappointing campaign the year before, Los Blancos managed to add three major trophies to their already bulging cabinet. Despite this, the atmosphere at Valdebebas has shifted to a more serious note.

The celebrations have now been firmly put in the past, and manager Carlo Ancelotti has made it clear that the goal is to win the club's 15th UEFA Champions League title.

Real Madrid has a special relationship with the European Cup, with the club now holding a record 14 wins–twice as many as their nearest rivals. They do not want to stop there, and they want to extend that record to 15 wins as soon as possible.

Last season, they also won their 35th La Liga title as well as the Spanish Super Cup. While the celebrations are over, it will be difficult for the team to focus on the task at hand, and Ancelotti knows that he needs to keep his players focused.

In just a week's time, they will get a chance to repair one of the rare sore spots from last season. Real Madrid will be facing bitter rivals FC Barcelona in a pre-season friendly in Las Vegas, but everyone will have the 0-4 thrashing from the Catalans in the most recent "El Clasico" at the back of their minds.

Meanwhile, even though the club trophies have already been put away, the individual awards will still be pouring in. Karim Benzema is widely expected to clinch the Ballon d'Or this year, and Vinicius Jr. will likely rake in a number of individual accolades as well.

The UEFA awards will take place in August, with FIFA also handing out The Best awards. A number of Real Madrid players will surely be in the spotlight, including goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and midfield trio Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric.

Obviously, a locker room full of stars is something that an experienced manager like Ancelotti knows how to handle. However, as early as now, he is said to be on a mission to keep the egos in check in order to keep the eye on the prize for the next campaign.