Are Europe's best about to get better?

With Euro 2024 glory followed by further triumphs astatine nan European Under-19 Championship and nan Olympics, it has been a sizzling summertime of occurrence for Spanish football.

The trophy tally was kickstarted successful June astatine nine level by Real Madrid, who completed a convention and European double by downing Borussia Dortmund successful nan Champions League last astatine Wembley.

Prior to a caller play featuring expanded formats for some nan Champions League and Club World Cup, Real intelligibly stay nan squad to beat, some domestically and abroad.

And Wednesday's Super Cup lucifer pinch Atalanta is nan first chance for Carlo Ancelotti's men to not only declare different portion of Spanish summertime silverware, but besides show nan world they could beryllium astir to get moreover better.

The transportation communicative of nan summertime was settled very early, pinch Real yet bringing their on-off-on-off pursuit of French superstar Kylian Mbappe to a successful conclusion.

Both nine and subordinate judge Mbappe has ever been destined to play for Real Madrid, and his presence gives Los Blancos arguably nan 3 champion attackers successful nan world alongside Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.

The mobility is wherever nan caller man will fresh in. Mbappe is not a genuine centre-forward, successful nan aforesaid measurement that Vinicius and Rodrygo are not genuine wingers, and a important grade of positional elasticity will beryllium required to guarantee nan star-studded guardant statement complement each different - alternatively than get successful each other's way.

Ancelotti, however, is nan cleanable coach to execute this delicate balance, ever preferring to accommodate to nan qualities of his players alternatively of laying down rigid tactical structures.

So we tin expect to spot plentifulness of interchange betwixt Mbappe and Vinicius successful particular, arsenic they roam and harvester betwixt nan near flank and punishment area.

Mbappe is not nan only breathtaking summation to nan guardant line. This summertime has besides seen nan long-awaited presence of Brazilian boy wonderment Endrick, who has already won 10 elder world caps contempt only turning 18 past month.

Endrick will beryllium eased gradually into action, and his presence adds further squad extent heading into nan longest nine play successful history, featuring 2 further Champions League group-stage games and an overhauled Club World Cup - scheduled to extremity successful mid-July.

Ancelotti has ever been adept astatine sharing nan playing clip evenly, demonstrating much than astir coaches that shot is now genuinely a squad crippled alternatively than conscionable a 'starting XI'.

Only 1 subordinate (Federico Valverde, 33 games) started much than 30 convention games for Real past season, and that rotation argumentation will beryllium further strengthened successful nan gruelling coming campaign.

So, tin Vinicius Jr and Mbappe beryllium accommodated wrong nan aforesaid squad? Ancelotti should beryllium capable to reply that luxurious mobility without excessively galore problems.

To level retired those summertime arrivals, Real waved goodbye to 3 veterans pinch defender Nacho and frontman Joselu moving to nan Middle East, while midfield maestro Toni Kroos has retired.

Ancelotti boasts plentifulness of resources to support nan midfield smoothly ticking complete contempt nan unplanned nonaccomplishment of Kroos, possibly including a deeper domiciled for Bellingham pursuing nan summation of Mbappe to nan guardant line.

But 1 circumstantial mobility arising from Kroos' departure is who will now return connected set-piece duties?

The veteran's deadball transportation excellence was a accordant spot for Real complete nan past decade, and it was fitting that his past important enactment successful nan celebrated achromatic garment was planting a perfectly placed area connected to nan caput of Dani Carvajal for nan opener successful June's Champions League final.

The German walk master's departure could accelerate nan improvement of Turkish teen Arda Guler, who followed a good decorativeness to past play by sparkling for his nationalist squad during nan Euros.

Guler is an outstanding set-piece taker and that property is apt to heighten his playing clip - often successful rotation pinch nan guiding manus of Luka Modric (more than doubly Guler's age), who has remained for different play but is improbable to commencement excessively often.

Away from nan reigning champions, it has been a summertime of alteration astatine La Liga's different 2 heavyweights.

Barcelona person a caller coach, pinch erstwhile Bayern Munich and Germany leader Hansi Flick replacing nan axed Xavi and past week welcoming his first signing pinch nan 55m euros (£47m) presence of Spain's Euros-winning prima Dani Olmo.

But Barca's cupboards are bare, partially because of soaring costs of nan ongoing Camp Nou renewal project, which will unit them to walk astatine slightest nan first half of nan play playing 'home' games astatine nan city's little than atmospheric Olympic Stadium.

That intends location won't beryllium galore much squad reinforcements, truthful it is conscionable arsenic good Flick tin count connected a halfway of spectacular youngsters including Lamine Yamal and a brace of Olympic golden winners, Fermin Lopez and Pau Cubarsi.

Atletico Madrid leader Diego Simeone has reacted to past season's disappointing fourth-placed decorativeness by undertaking a large overhaul of his squad.

Several veterans including Alvaro Morata, Stefan Savic and Mario Hermoso person departed, pinch Spain centre-back Robin le Normand, Norway striker Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez from Manchester City each arriving.

England world Conor Gallagher could still follow.

Whether Barca aliases Atletico will person capable to situation Real's power remains to beryllium seen, but it is simply a very gangly order.