But Pintus’ relationship with Ancelotti has become strained in recent months. [...]But Ancelotti and others think that Madrid’s players aren’t running as much as last season and that they have to increase their distance covered in kilometres — something the club’s directors have highlighted to the squad. The staff disagree among themselves how important this is, however, with some claiming that the most important metric is distance covered at maximum intensity.

People familiar with the environment describe Pintus as a trainer who adapts physical work to the preference of individual players, but that sometimes this isn’t very intense. Some players feel comfortable with him, but some key figures in the team think more regular work is needed. Some of the exercises he gives the players are also considered old-fashioned by other people involved in player preparation.

Others who are close to Pintus’ thinking say the intense schedule and the lack of a proper pre-season can help explain the injury problems. They point out that Girona had 12 first-team injuries at one point in October.