Real Madrid's Nacho is hoping he and his teammates can make history at the Fifa Club World Cup taking place in Abu Dhabi this December.
The Spanish giants became the first team in the Uefa Champions League era to win that trophy in successive seasons in June, seeing off Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff.
They will attempt to repeat that feat at the Club World Cup when the reigning Spanish, European and world club champions arrive in the UAE on December 6.
No team has won back-to-back titles in the previous 13 stagings of the competition. Madrid won the 2016 tournament in Japan when they came from behind to beat Kashima Antlers 4-2 after extra-time with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick.
“We’ve got the chance to keep on making history," Nacho, Madrid's Spanish defender, told Fifa's website.
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"No club had ever won the Champions League twice in a row before and nobody has ever won back-to-back Club World Cups.
"We’ve got the chance to fly the Madrid flag high again at this Club World Cup. We’ve got a great squad and all we have to do is go out there and play well.”
Nacho and Real begin their Uefa Champions League campaign, bidding to win it for a third time in four years, and become the first side since Bayern Munich (1974-76) to win the tournament three years on the trot, on Wednesday at home to Apoel Nicosia.
Guess who's heading back to the #ClubWC? @realmadriden will defend their title in 🇦🇪UAE in December#UCLfinal
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) June 4, 2017
📸➡️https://t.co/mT6yvFT4wR pic.twitter.com/tC0jZ5a6IZ
Real are one of four sides already confirmed for the Club World Cup in the UAE, where games will be played at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi and the Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain between December 6-16.
Al Jazira, last season's Arabian Gulf League champions, will represent the UAE as host nation following Al Ain's elimination from the Asian Champions League on Monday, while Mexican side Pachuca, winners of the Concacaf Champions League winners, and Auckland City, the champions of Oceania, will also be competing.
OFFICIAL: @AlJazira_uae are the confirmed representatives of host country 🇦🇪UAE at this year's #ClubWC in December pic.twitter.com/ccarpCNC33
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) September 11, 2017
The other three spots are to be filled by the winners of the Asian Champions League, African Champions League and the Copa Libertadores.
Tickets for games can be bought via www.ticketmaster.ae.
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