Real Madrid News
Barcelona sporting director explains why Bernardo Silva chose Real Madrid: ‘His views differ from ours’
Barcelona sporting director Deco has revealed why Bernardo Silva ended up at Real Madrid, despite the Portuguese midfielder being heavily linked with a move to Camp Nou after deciding to leave Manchester City.
Earlier in the summer, Bernardo’s future had looked increasingly likely to involve Barcelona.
In fact, reports even claimed that talks had progressed significantly and that the midfielder was preparing for a move to Catalonia.
That momentum eventually disappeared, with Jose Mourinho playing a major role in shifting the situation towards Real Madrid.
For Deco, though, Barcelona’s decision was ultimately dictated by their own recruitment criteria rather than simply losing the player to Madrid.
Why Barcelona walked away from Bernardo Silva
Speaking about their interest, Deco said that Barcelona admired Bernardo but did not consider his position a priority.
“It wasn’t the position we were looking for. I love him – he’s one of the best in the world in his position and he’s Portuguese,” Deco told SPORT.
The sporting director also suggested that the player’s expectations regarding his role and playing time did not fit the club’s plans.
“He wanted to come to Barça, but it didn’t work out because we have certain criteria. If things go any further, there’s nothing we can do. It was a question of money and playing time.
“We’re not saying whether he’ll play or not. If his views differ from ours, there’s nothing we can do. He wanted to play, but I prefer to rely on our own players.”
Deco responds to Real Madrid and Rodri
Barcelona did lose Bernardo to their biggest domestic rivals, but Deco’s comments about Real Madrid were quite particular.
He acknowledged the quality available to Jose Mourinho’s team while making clear that Barça’s attention remains on their own campaign.
“They’ve got some brilliant players, a great manager – my manager at Porto. I wish them luck, though not against us.
“If they manage to build a team, it’ll be tough this season. We’ll just focus on our own game.”
Lastly, Rodri’s decision went the other way after the midfielder was also linked with Real Madrid before choosing Barcelona. When asked about his ‘no’ to Real Madrid, Deco refused to elaborate.
“You’ll have to ask him about that,” he concluded.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
