Real Madrid are preparing to present their new signings during the current week, just days before their first appearance in La Liga against Espanyol. This time the club's management have torn up the traditional format fans have grown used to over the years, opting instead for something more intimate and family-oriented.
According to Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Real Madrid intend to stage the presentation ceremonies at the club's facilities in Valdebebas, with president Florentino Perez and the players' families in attendance. The celebrations will take place behind closed doors, away from supporters and the media.
Six players arrived at the Bernabeu during the summer transfer window under Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, yet none has had an official presentation. That prompted the club to draw up a special programme to unveil the new faces before the season officially begins.
Most striking is the absence of fans. The players will not hold press conferences after their presentation either, a break from previous seasons, when Real Madrid's signings enjoyed public celebrations and extensive media conferences.
Expected on the list of players the club will present are Mourinho, Diomande, Cucurella, Konate, Dumfries, Espai and Bernardo Silva, in ceremonies the club described as different from the traditional image of unveiling new signings.
All of this comes as Real Madrid prepare for their La Liga opener, a trip to Espanyol on Saturday 22 August in the second round of the competition, kicking off at half past nine in the evening.
The club hope the new signings, together with Mourinho's project, can mark a turning point after two seasons in which they fell short of their objectives. The coming days should reveal the full picture of the new group before the race for the season's titles begins in earnest.