Real Madrid fitness coach Antonio Pintus has revealed the challenge that could face Carlo Ancelotti if they were to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku this summer. Lukaku has been regularly linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge this summer after a tricky return to England with Los Blancos among those keeping tabs.
Thomas Tuchel added the 29-year-old to his options last summer for a club-record £97 million with the hope of firing the Blues into the Premier League title race. But Lukaku ended the league season with just eight goals in 26 appearances although off-field issues both of the player's making and not will not have helped either.
Inter Milan, AC Milan and Barcelona have all been linked with moves for the striker ahead of the summer, while Madrid are reportedly considering Lukaku as a potential replacement for the ageing Karim Benzema, despite the Frenchman coming to the end of one of his most productive seasons.
READ MORE: When Chelsea will return for pre-season as Thomas Tuchel sets Todd Boehly big transfer demand
With the rumours still swirling, Real Madrid's fitness coach Pintus was interviewed with the Champions League final against Liverpool in the offing. Pintus coached Lukaku during his time at Inter Milan and spoke about the challenges curating training sessions for such different players can throw up. In this instance, he speculated what it would be like to train a player like Lukaku and one like Luka Modric.
“They are very different," he said in an interview with Sky Italia via Football Italia. "Lukaku is a sprinter, he’s basically got the body of an American Football player. Modric is a marathon runner with these incredible surges of pace.
“They are complete opposites, but the training regime has to be one for the whole squad, then you try to work on individual routines, focusing on strength, resistance and pace, but also take their age into account.”
