The Italian has set his sights on becoming the first team to win back-to-back Champions League titles, while Iker Casillas thinks every part of their squad is perfect
Carlo Ancelotti is confident that Real Madrid can win consecutive Champions League crowns having branded Real Madrid’s squad as “the strongest in the world”.
The Blancos rounded off 2014 with a 4-2 friendly defeat to AC Milan, but that result did nothing to take the shine off the club’s astonishing form at the back end of the calendar year.
Victory over San Lorenzo in the final of the Club World Cup provided the European champions with more silverware and extended their winning streak in competitive action to 22 matches.
Ancelotti is confident more success can be achieved in 2014-15, highlighting the strength in depth at his disposal at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“In 2015 we want to compete in every competition. We have a very strong squad and we have the confidence to compete for everything,” Ancelotti told Madrid’s official website.
“It is clear that winning the Champions League in 2015 would be a dream and we will try to do it. Real Madrid are always the same, we try to win everything possible.
“We are confident because the squad is very strong, the strongest in the world. We have to work and fight in order to try and win again.”
Club captain Iker Casillas has enjoyed and endured a turbulent 12 months. After starting last season as a cup goalkeeper only at Real Madrid, he finished it by winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey.
Since then he has come under fire for his poor performances with Spain at the World Cup but has been backed as the outright No.1 by Ancelotti with Diego Lopez having been sold to AC Milan, and the veteran echoed his coach’s sentiment that his team-mates are the greatest on the planet.
“It would be good to win more titles,” Casillas added. “We are talking about a team that is now experienced, that started out young but is now mature.
“We have high expectations to achieve everything possible, as we have the team required to make things happen. I think that in each position we have the best players. We can compete for everything given that we are such a competitive team.”
Real Madrid begin the new year with a trip to Valencia on Sunday.