Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid and Brazil winger backs Vinicius Jr. amid poor form: ‘Very complicated’
One of the biggest takeaways from Real Madrid’s opening stage of the season so far has been the struggle of Vinicius Jr. who has looked like a shadow of his former self for a long time.
Kylian Mbappe appears to have directly hit the star’s ability to create chances and importance in the team, for the Frenchman often drifts into the same areas that Vinicius thrives in.
As a result of the change in dynamic and his low confidence, he has simply not been the same in the final third. For the first time in years, his place in the starting XI is being called into doubt.
Former player backs Vinicius
Former Real Madrid player Savio Bortolini spoke to the media in a recent interview where he touched upon the topic of Real Madrid’s form and some of the club’s Brazilian players in detail.
The headline of his interaction was his stance on Vinicius Jr. who has suffered a torrid start to the season and seems lost in Real Madrid’s attacking third.
“It’s very complicated because I’m watching him from Brazil and I don’t follow the training sessions daily, nor everything that happens.”
“He is going through a harder period than any other he has lived through here. But this is normal. All footballers go through good times and bad times. This is part of the game,” he added.
When asked what Vinicius must do to turn his situation around and come back stronger from everything that is being said about the player, Savio said,
“He must be extremely focused mentally and get past this stage. He is a talent. He is a young man I love very much. I always used to say that when they asked me about him before, when he arrived here.”
“Many were saying he had great difficulty shooting and passing, and I said, ‘Alright, calm down. Don’t worry. He is very young in age’,” he added.
Elaborating on how Vinicius is very strong mentally given all that he has overcome in his career, the former Brazilian star said,
“He is a young man who practically moved from the youth teams to Flamengo’s first team. It was necessary to have a little patience and caution. He gained confidence in himself and wrote history at the club.”
“Now, of course, he is not going through his best times, but he will get past this stage because he possesses the talent and ability. We have to wait,” he added.
On Real Madrid’s situation
The former player then opened up on Real Madrid’s situation and poor start to the season so far, saying,
“I follow from Brazil. The situation is unstable, but I hope Mourinho has enough experience to save the team.”
“I am a fan of Flamengo and Real Madrid, and I am always here in Brazil sending my positive energy,” he added.
He then acknowledged the team’s undeniable quality but stressed that they must turn their situation around swiftly.
“Yes, I think so. The team has the ability and enough time. But things cannot be allowed to continue like this for a long time.”
“Of course, there are very important players, very talented players. They must adapt, and we will see what happens,” he added.
On Endrick’s struggle at Real Madrid
Finally, Savio spoke of another young, struggling Brazilian at Real Madrid, Endrick.
“In Brazil, he was very talented. At Palmeiras, he caught my attention with his performances at a young age.”
“But of course, he is now at a different team, a very big one, so he is under great pressure, and he is still young,” he added.
Backing the striker to do well at the club, Savio concluded, saying,
“I think he has great talent that has not yet been exploited, and I hope he shines at Real Madrid because I know him, I saw him in Brazil and he has huge potential.”
Source: GOAL
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.
