Real Madrid News
Ex-Barcelona star claims Real Madrid forward can be ‘unstoppable’: “Like Ronaldinho or Neymar”
Cesc Fabregas sat down with Cadena SER ahead of Barcelona’s highly-anticipated Clasico against Real Madrid, in the semifinal of the Copa Del Rey.
The former Barcelona midfielder talked about the club’s progression under Xavi Hernandez along with his thoughts on the Negreira controversy.
He also talked about Vinicius Junior and how important it is for Barcelona to stop him. He also praised the youngster for his potential, comparing him to Neymar and Ronaldinho.
“Vinicius’ performance is a bit of everything. If I had been a full-back, I would have tried to cover him as best I could, even doing things that I don’t do with others because he’s better,” Fabregas said.
The midfielder’s comments indicate that the Barcelona full-backs including Ronald Araujo, who could feature as the right-back in the Clasico, must be on his toes if he is to keep hold of the explosive Brazilian.
“You have to try to take him out of the game because he’s very good,” he added. Vinicius has indeed been very influential for Madrid this season, racking up 18 goals and nine assists in all competitions. The forward has three goal involvements in his two Copa del Rey matches so far.
Aware of his potential, Fabregas compared Vinicius to other Brazilian superstars such as Neymar and Ronaldinho, adding, “He’s a very young boy, that has to be taken into account too. If he manages this well, he can be unstoppable like Ronaldinho or Neymar.”
In addition to his comments on Vinicius, Fabregas revealed that he had suggested Barcelona to sign Aurelien Tchouameni, but the Catalans could not afford him. “I advised Barcelona to sign Tchouameni from Monaco, but they couldn’t afford him,” he said.
Before he was hired by Bayern Munich as the direct replacement for Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel was closely linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The German tactician had kept a close eye on the development at Santiago Bernabeu, especially with coach Carlo Ancelotti facing immense pressure following the club’s poor performances in domestic competitions.
A recent report from Jorge Picon has offered more details on the Tuchel saga, suggesting that the coach was even learning Spanish during his time at Ibiza, anticipating a potential move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
There were even contacts made between Tuchel’s entourage and Real Madrid. Although the talks were positive, the two sides were not able to reach an agreement.
Real Madrid did not guarantee him the job. They had informed Tuchel that Ancelotti may continue at the Bernabeu in the event the club win the UEFA Champions League this season.
This bit of uncertainty played a critical role in convincing Tuchel to join Bayern Munich instead. The former Chelsea boss was hired as a direct replacement for Nagelsmann, who was sacked after a poor season in the Bundesliga by the club’s high standards.
However, Tuchel’s move to Bayern appears to be a missed opportunity on the German’s part, as Real Madrid have recently intensified their search for a new manager.
It is clear that the club’s hierarchy is yet to reach a consensus over the future of Ancelotti, with some believing that a change is necessary come the end of the season. In fact, the club’s president Florentino Perez has been an admirer of Tuchel’s compatriot Nagelsmann.
The coaching prodigy is one of the candidates to replace Ancelotti in the summer, though it is Mauricio Pochettion who is reportedly leading the race so far.
