Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid striker calls Vinicius a “lost cause” in brutal assessment of his attitude
Real Madrid may have started their La Liga campaign with three points against Espanyol, but Fernando Morientes believes there are still important questions for Jose Mourinho to answer.
Speaking on El Partidazo de COPE, the former Real Madrid striker looked beyond the result and assessed the team’s early-season structure.
While he was largely satisfied with the attacking options available to Mourinho, Morientes identified midfield as an area that could become a concern as the campaign progresses.
But the strongest part of his analysis came when the conversation turned to Vinicius Junior.
Morientes worries about Real Madrid’s midfield
For Morientes, it is too early to make final judgments about Mourinho’s Real Madrid.
The team has already had to cope without important players in the midfield, meaning the manager has not yet had his preferred options available.
However, Morientes believes the picture is clearer in attack.
Arda Guler’s role on the right has helped give Real Madrid a more settled attacking structure, and the former striker believes Mourinho has enough quality to feel comfortable about his forward line.
“As for the front four, I think it’s all sorted, barring any unexpected injuries.”
The midfield is a different story.
Morientes believes Real Madrid have lacked a genuine playmaker for the last two seasons, and he feels the team still need to manage their midfield resources carefully over a demanding campaign.
Discussing Bernardo Silva, he explained where he sees the Portuguese midfielder making the biggest impact:
“I prefer Bernardo Silva to play a bit further forward, a bit like Modric, who used to push forward and get in behind the defence.
“He’s a very intelligent player, not so much for scoring goals, but for delivering that final pass.”
More to the story
Morientes’ concern is not limited to the quality of Real Madrid’s midfield, as he is also looking at the demands of the season.
With a packed fixture schedule ahead, Mourinho will need to rotate his players effectively, particularly experienced figures.
Morientes hopes the squad do not become short of options in the position where he believes Real Madrid have lacked a specialist profile for some time.
“I hope the team doesn’t end up short-handed in that position, because for the last two years the team has lacked a playmaker.”
Morientes’ verdict on Vinicius
The discussion became more direct when Vinicius’ attitude was brought into focus.
Morientes first acknowledged that footballers mature at different speeds and that development is not always straightforward.
“Players go through a process of maturing, just like children; there comes a time when some mature earlier, whilst others mature later.”
But he then sided with Santiago Cañizares, who had previously criticised Vinicius over his behaviour during matches.
“As things stand, I’m jumping on the Cañete bandwagon and see him as a lost cause, and I think that’s what drives him,” he concluded.
Real Madrid News
Real Sociedad icon looks back on failed Real Madrid transfer move: ‘It was a serious option’
Former Real Sociedad striker Darko Kovacevic has an interesting history with Real Madrid, not least because he once came close to wearing the white shirt himself.
The former Serbian striker was involved in negotiations with Madrid in 1999 during his first spell at Real Sociedad, but the deal dragged on, and he eventually accepted an offer from Juventus instead.
He would later become something of a thorn in Madrid’s side after returning to Real Sociedad.
Kovacevic scored 10 goals against Los Blancos in total, including a brace in Sociedad’s memorable 4-2 victory in 2003 and another goal in a remarkable 4-1 win at the Santiago Bernabeu the following year.
In an interview, as quoted by AS, Kovacevic spoke about his failed move to Madrid.
“It was a serious option. We spoke for several months, but the signing was not completed, time passed, and Juventus appeared with very strong interest,” he said.
Kovacevic compares his story to Rodri
Asked whether his situation resembled Rodri’s decision to choose Barcelona after Madrid showed interest, Kovacevic agreed.
“It could be very similar to what I experienced. If what I read and hear is true, Madrid had been interested for some time, there were doubts, they did not close it earlier, and then Barcelona appeared at the end,” he said.
Kovacevic also described Rodri’s transfer to Barça as “the signing of the summer internationally”.
He also felt that the €75 million fee for a 30-year-old was justified when the player has the pedigree that Rodri does.
“Clubs think a lot about age and how much football a player has left, but if he gives you four or five good years, for me the investment is already justified,” he explained.
Every team has extra motivation against Madrid
Kovacevic scored 10 goals against Real Madrid during his career, but insisted there was never any bitterness over the move that failed to happen.
“Against Madrid, every team has extra motivation because the big clubs force you to give your maximum. Everyone wants to beat them because those victories have huge impact,” he said.
He also addressed Madrid’s midfield needs after missing out on Rodri.
“Madrid wanted Rodri and could have gone for Zubimendi a year ago, but Mourinho is the one who has to decide whether he needs that type of player,” Kovacevic explained.
Diomande and Espi get his backing
On Yan Diomande’s enormous transfer fee, Kovacevic was measured.
“He is a great player and has a fantastic future ahead of him. Madrid have made a big investment in him, and time will tell whether he is worth that money,” he said.
He was far more certain about Carlos Espi.
“I like that kid. He has present and future. He is the type of striker big teams always need. Madrid did very well with Joselu, and I think they will do very well with Espi too. He looks like a great signing,” Kovacevic elaborated.
He was also asked who he would sign for Madrid if they had an unlimited budget, and his answer was interesting.
“I would try for Lamine Yamal,” he concluded.
Another ‘what could have been’ story
Looking back, Kovacevic’s story remains one of those fascinating Real Madrid “what ifs”.
A powerful, prolific No. 9 who eventually became so effective against Madrid could easily have been scoring those goals in white instead.
There is also some irony in how things developed. Madrid missed out on Kovacevic and then repeatedly suffered at his hands after he returned to Spain.
More than two decades later, the story has repeated itself with Rodri, and Los Blancos will hope that the Barça midfielder does not subject them to the same kind of performances in the coming seasons.
