Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has warned Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal that he will have a hard task to win the Premier League in his first season at the club.

The Red Devils finished seventh in the top flight under David Moyes and then interim boss Ryan Giggs as the club struggled following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ancelotti believes that it will take time for Van Gaal to implement his system into his new team and also the quality of the league may hinder his chances to take the title back to Old Trafford.

He told reporters: "He is a very good and very experienced manager, he has fantastic experience and he will do a fantastic job at United. He is a manager who has nothing to learn.

"After Sir Alex Ferguson, it was more difficult for United, but they now have to rebuild a team. They have signed good players, but building a team is not easy and the Premier League is a very competitive league.

"It will not be easy to win in the first year, because there are many competitive teams who want to win. It's also not easy to implement a new system. It is important that the player is convinced, but it is difficult to say how long it will take."

Madrid and United face off in a pre-season friendly game later today.