Real Madrid News
Brazilian footballer offers brutally honest take on Real Madrid sensation – “Far from Neymar, Ronaldo”
Vinicius Jr. is slowly gaining his form back, but he is still far from the footballer who was a Ballon d’Or favourite just years ago.
While it is true that he continues to be one of the team’s biggest difference-makers on the field, his image in the sport has gone down for a number of reasons.
Kylian Mbappe’s arrival did indeed dent some of his importance as a poster boy, but beyond that, his own antics on the field have led some former followers to turn against him. After all, his charisma has been debatable from the very beginning.
Compatriot’s opinion
Speaking to the media in a recent interview, former Brazilian player Joao Miranda opened up on Vinicius Jr. and what he thought of the player’s comparisons with some of the greatest in the game.
“For me, Vinicius has a lot of quality, but he is still far from Neymar, Messi, Cristiano,” he began.
Elaborating on what the Real Madrid star does well to adapt to today’s game, Miranda had some positive words for the winger.
“Football, at the moment, is the best we have, because for me football has changed a lot. It has a lot of physicality and Vinicius has the technical part and the physical part.”
However, he did insist that Vinicius had an ingredient missing that still kept him away from the same stature as Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and others.
“But he is not like Messi and Neymar. He lacks something. I don’t know if it is charisma with people.”
Finally, the former Atletico Madrid player was asked about racism in La Liga, especially given his experience in the league as a Brazilian.
“Here in Spain and in Europe, not anywhere, I have not experienced racism, because I had my head only to play football. What people said to me was only a distraction to take the focus away from the game.”
“When you’re going to play a game, if you let the fans take the focus away from the game, it changes the way you play a little, it takes away your concentration a little,” he added.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid resolve their pitch problems as the Bernabeu surface returns to good condition
After years of problems with the pitch, Real Madrid now believe that those issues are now a thing of the past, reports MARCA.
For several seasons, the playing surface at the Santiago Bernabeu had become one of Real Madrid’s biggest headaches. Five pitch changes in a single season, paint used to disguise its poor appearance on television and criticism from all sides.
The club had been trying to solve the problem for some time and now, they believe they have finally found an answer.
The Bernabeu begins to put its turf problems behind it
The latest operation was accelerated following the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Commanders, forcing the club to replace the playing surface in just 72 hours to meet the deadline last season. This time, however, there was an important difference.
After establishing that the underlying structure was in good condition, Real Madrid decided to retain the existing turf panels and hybrid stitching system rather than remove everything and start again.
The new grass was installed over the existing base after being cultivated for several months. The variety selected was RyeBlue Deportivo, a high-performance mixture consisting of 50% perennial ryegrass and 50% Poa pratensis.
Real Madrid hoped the combination would provide a definitive solution. The club’s groundskeeping team has since refined the maintenance process, and the results are encouraging.
The Bernabeu is now in a condition that satisfies the club, and there are no plans to make further changes to the playing surface during the season.
It is the outcome Real Madrid have been pursuing for years, following a situation that eventually concerned the players themselves.
Major concerts remain the Bernabeu’s outstanding challenge
While the pitch problem appears to have been brought under control, the return of major concerts remains the Bernabeu’s biggest unresolved issue.
Real Madrid have spent months working to address the noise problems that forced them to suspend large-scale concerts.
The work has included soundproofing improvements and other measures designed to prevent noise from escaping the stadium. However, there is still no confirmed date for the return of major events.
Real Madrid believe the work carried out has brought the stadium closer to an optimal level of sound insulation.
Several areas have been reinforced to reduce noise escaping outside, with particular attention paid to entrances, enclosures and other points through which sound waves could travel.
The structural soundproofing work is understood to be nearing completion, with final architectural finishing work and official sound-emission tests still outstanding.
In the meantime, Real Madrid are exploring ways to make a return to large-scale events more feasible.
The aim is to make full use of the improvements already completed and establish a model that allows the club to revive an activity that was one of the major commercial attractions of the renovated stadium.
Until that becomes possible, Real Madrid continue to explore other ways of generating revenue from the Bernabeu. Corporate events, award ceremonies, conferences and private celebrations remain among the alternatives.
For Real Madrid, resolving the pitch issue is a significant step forward. Restoring large-scale entertainment to the Bernabeu remains the next major objective.
