When it comes to transfers, the Premier League will always be ahead in Europe, but Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti promises his team won’t give up lightly.
The January transfer window saw clubs in the English top division spend over a record-breaking £800 million, with a number of high-profile deals coming from Chelsea, who broke the competition’s transfer record by bringing in Enzo Fernandez.
The Premier League spent more money on player acquisition than the combined budgets of LaLiga, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the Bundesliga.
Ancelotti stated that European clubs will always lag behind those across the English Channel when it comes to spending sprees in his remarks prior to his team’s match against Valencia on Thursday. However, he added that Premier League teams will not necessarily dominate in UEFA events.
“We know what happens there,” he said. “With the television rights, they can spend higher amounts. It will continue like this.
“Europe will follow the Premier League, it gives them an advantage.
“Even so, the competition against them, in Europe, it will not end.”
🗓️ Mark your calendars!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) January 31, 2023
👊 It’s our February fixture list! pic.twitter.com/IteWnqvYjs
Ancelotti’s side are preparing for a busy four-week period that will see them juggle matches across four competitions, including the Club World Cup.
Though Madrid are ready to rise to the challenge, Ancelotti said the congested schedule laid out by UEFA and FIFA is a pressing concern for big clubs.
“We’re in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, the last 16 of the Champions League and the Club World Cup,” he added. “We don’t throw away competitions.
“It is a [tough] calendar. LaLiga wants to do its thing, FIFA wants to do its thing, UEFA wants to do its thing. It doesn’t let us have days off.
“The calendar is a very serious issue. We are excited to fight in all these competitions, but the calendar limit is being exceeded. We have to do something to avoid this.”