Real Madrid News
Isco reveals Barcelona approach in 2018: “Wouldn’t leave Real Madrid for all the gold”
Isco Alcaron was one of the centre-pieces of Zinedine Zidane’s Real Madrid setup. He may not have been a regular starter for the Merengues, but his importance in the triple-UCL winning squad cannot be understated.
The Spanish international made 353 appearances for the men in white, scoring 53 goals and providing 57 assists in the process. He has won five UCL titles, four FIFA Club World Cups, three La Liga titles and a Copa del Rey amongst other titles with the club
The midfielder recently came out in an interview with MARCA talking about his final months at Real Madrid, the struggles he has faced after his departure and his current situation. He briefly touched upon his time under former manager Zinedine Zidane and accepted that he should have done better.
“Did I expect more from Zidane? No. Zidane expected more from me, to be honest.”
Isco’s importance in the team took a steep fall after the appointment of Santiago Solari in 2018. He opened up about the difficulties he faced under the Argentine tactician’s tenure and his ostracisation from the squad.
“When Solari came, Isco no longer existed for anyone. Not for the coach, not for the assistants, not for anyone.”
“Nobody gave me explanations as to why I suddenly stopped having minutes and when I asked Solari directly he told me that nothing was wrong, but that the coach decided.”
The former player proceeded to admit that he should have left the club at that very instant, yet admitted that the decision was not an easy one to execute.
“Other seasons, the club called me to tell me all the offers they had for me and that it was going to be difficult for me to play. I always replied that it had taken me a long time to get to where I was and that I would compete with whoever was needed. But this time it was different. I should have left.”
“I should have left Real Madrid before, but it’s the most difficult thing in the world.”
Isco also revealed that Barcelona had indeed made an offer to sign him in the summer of 2018. The Catalans’ proposal was economically tempting, but the player refused to leave Real Madrid despite the financial bait.
“Barca offer in 2018? Yes, Bartomeu called me & with the salary he was giving that time. But I was very well in Madrid, my teammates, and an incredible atmosphere. It was the team of my dreams, where I won everything. I wasn’t leaving Madrid for all the gold in the world.”
The past few years have not been easy for the 31-year-old and he is currently without a team since leaving Sevilla on a free transfer in August 2022. Yet, he looked back on his time with Los Blancos with pride and did not hold any hard feelings over his treatment.
“I started in two CL finals, Cup finals, Super Cups…until 2018 I managed to be in all the important moments of Real Madrid – the largest team in football history.”
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid full-back never considered summer exit, would retire at club if given chance
Ferland Mendy finds himself in a difficult situation at Real Madrid. The Frenchman has struggled with injury and fitness woes for a large part of the past year, leading to doubts over his future at the club.
In fact, it had been reported that Los Blancos were considering selling Mendy during the summer transfer window earlier this year itself.
But, such a move did not materialise and the 28-year-old has stayed put at the Santiago Bernabeu although reports suggest that he is likely to be on the move next year.
Mendy would retire at Real Madrid if he could
Despite there having been numerous reports about his future in the summer, The Athletic reports that Mendy did not consider the possibility of an exit at any point.
In fact, the report adds that if given a chance, the 28-year-old defender would retire at Real Madrid.
Mendy’s contract with Los Merengues expires in 2025 and he is understood to be seeking a renewal for a while now, but there has been no move made by the club.
The injuries that the 28-year-old has picked up are understood to be a major deterrent for Real Madrid, which is why they are already looking to reinforce the left-back position with Alphonso Davies next year.
Mendy enjoys Ancelotti’s trust
Despite the non-stop speculations surrounding him, Mendy continues to enjoy the full trust of manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Indeed, as per the report, the Italian tactician has informed the Frenchman that he is the left-back that best fits the defensive requirements needed in the team.
Ancelotti’s decision to bench Fran Garcia in the UEFA Champions League game even though Mendy was unavailable and start David Alaba at left-back was taken as an indicator within the dressing room that the Frenchman remains the first-choice in the position.
So, it remains to be seen how the situation unfolds over the coming months, especially with Ancelotti’s future also uncertain as his contract expires in 2024.
