Real Madrid Prepares for Club World Cup in Miami

Miami, Florida — Real Madrid arrived in North America last night, ready to compete in the Club World Cup. The team will begin full training this Sunday ahead of their opening match against Al-Hilal at Hard Rock Stadium.

Coach Xabi Alonso‘s staff has already started individual sessions with players. Goalkeeper coach Luis Llopis is working closely with Thibaut Courtois. Llopis has communicated the new strategies to implement, alongside a recent rule change that affects goalkeepers.

Pierluigi Collina, the legendary Italian referee, explained this new regulation in the daily newspaper AS. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) aims to eliminate time-wasting by requiring goalkeepers to release the ball within eight seconds. This rule will be enforced in all football competitions beginning this summer.

Collina commented, “This is the most important change, aimed at reducing time loss. It worked well in the Libertadores and Sudamericana. In the first 160 matches, the rule was applied only twice.” He assured that goalkeepers will not take long on their goal kicks and stated that this change is positive for the game.

This important clarification underscores that Thibaut Courtois needs to be vigilant, as referees have been instructed to strictly enforce this new rule. Consequently, Llopis has clearly communicated these expectations to the Belgian goalkeeper.