Real Madrid News
21-year-old breakthrough forward picks starting for Arsenal over ‘Real Madrid’s bench’
Shakhtar Donetsk starlet Mykhaylo Mudryk has been one of the great finds of this UEFA Champions League campaign so far.
At the age of just 21, the youngster performed consistently in the group stages of the UCL. He racked up three goals and two assists in six matches, helping Shakhtar Donetsk finish third in the group.
Needless to say, Mudryk’s explosive performances at Shakhtar have not gone unnoticed, with multiple European giants interested in his services.
However, in a recent interview, Mudryk has broken the silence on his future, notably mentioning Real Madrid while detailing what he would look for at his new club.
The Ukrainian winger suggested that he would prefer regular game-time rather than joining a European giant such as Real Madrid, stating (h/t MARCA), “From a purely hypothetical perspective… if there was the option of being a bench player at Real Madrid or a starter at Arsenal, probably I would choose Arsenal.”
Mudryk, though, is open to joining a club such as Real Madrid if the coach guarantees him the opportunity to prove himself. “But it is a difficult question and involves many factors in my answer. First I would like to know from the coach that even if he was not a guaranteed starter, he would receive an opportunity,” he said.
“Essentially, I need to hear directly from the coach What do you envision my role to be?” he added.
Since making his breakthrough for Shakhtar Donetsk, Mudryk has featured in 42 competitive appearances for the club, racking up 10 goals and 17 assists. He has won eight caps for the Ukrainian national team as well.
Interestingly, the young winger has faced Real Madrid four times in his career already. Having faced the Whites for two consecutive seasons in the Champions League, he thanked the fans for receiving the Shakhtar team so well, even giving them a standing ovation once.
“I’m grateful to the Real Madrid fans for giving me that great recognition,” he said.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid locker room angry with Barcelona midfielder’s ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour – report
While the evident frustration among the Real Madrid players was quite visible following the recent 1-2 defeat against Barcelona, the feeling of vexation was not really limited on the field.
Journalist Mario Cortegana, while writing for The Athletic, has confirmed that once the players got into the dressing room, the environment had an air of anger and frustration.
Players from each team had a go at each other right till the end, especially the likes of Dani Carvajal and Arnau Tenas, who had to be separated by several members from both teams.
Interestingly, before the aforementioned incident, Barcelona midfielder Gavi was already causing some trouble on the field. The youngster did not shy away from putting his body on the line throughout the game and it annoyed Madrid players to the extreme.
First, he pushed Carvajal in one incident and after that, he entangled himself in an off-the-ball clash with Dani Ceballos. The Madrid midfielder first had a collision with Robert Lewandowski and as the game moved on, Gavi made note of the incident.
During the run of play, Gavi pushed Ceballos with his shoulder and it did not settle well with the Madrid players and manager Carlo Ancelotti. The players and the manager were disturbed by Gavi’s behaviour and considered it ‘unsportsmanlike’.
On the other hand, there was frustration involving refereeing decisions as well. It must be remembered that in the 82nd minute, Marco Asensio found the back of the net to send the Madrid fans into a frenzy.
The celebration, however, was cut short as VAR disallowed the goal for an extremely tight offside. “We are sad, frustrated,” a dressing room source told The Athletic. “What happened? A guy looking at a TV in Madrid has decided La Liga.”
Ancelotti, on his part, said: “The disallowed goal? I don’t know, I really don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m leaving with this doubt. If the VAR is sure.”
“I leave this match very proud. I don’t think we deserved to lose today,” he added.
