Real Madrid News
Italy icon reveals why he turned down once-in-a-lifetime chance to join Real Madrid – ‘I chose my heart’
AS Roma icon Francesco Totti has once again opened up about his famous decision to reject a move to Real Madrid at the peak of his powers, one of football’s most romantic ‘what if’ moments.
Speaking in the newly released documentary “Eroici! 100 Years of Passion and Sporting Stories” produced by Corriere dello Sport, the legendary Italian playmaker reflected on the intense love he held for Roma, the club where he spent his entire career, and why no amount of silverware or prestige could lure him away from the Stadio Olimpico.
“Everyone knows that Roma’s fans are different from any other fan base in Italy or Europe,” Totti said.
“I experienced something unique here in Rome. I was crowned in this city, and that was possible because of the fans. They gave me so much.”
Why he said no to Real Madrid?
Totti then acknowledged just how close he was to joining Real Madrid, a club synonymous with glamour, Champions League glory, and global superstardom.
“During my career, I had the chance to play for other teams, both in Italy and abroad. Abroad, especially Real Madrid, where a transfer was very, very close.”
However, the man known as El Capitano chose differently not because of fear or indecision, but because of something deeper.
“It wasn’t a question of weakness,” he clarified. “It was a question of love. I chose my heart. I chose my life, which I have always dedicated to Roma, to the love I felt for these colours, for this shirt.”
His words will resonate with fans across generations, especially in today’s football landscape where loyalty has often taken a back seat to ambition.
Totti, who spent 25 years in Roma’s first team, turned down the greatest club in world football at a time when many would have seen it as an obvious step forward.
Real Madrid, for their part, were genuinely interested in bringing Totti to the Santiago Bernabeu.
The club saw him as the next Galactico, a player who could follow in the footsteps of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, and Ronaldo. But the Italian never crossed that line, and in doing so, cemented his place as one of football’s rare one-club icons.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Real Madrid News
Kylian Mbappe fires back at critics over his Real Madrid role: ‘A player who scores goals will never be the problem’
Kylian Mbappe has started the new season for Real Madrid in great form, scoring five goals in five games so far.
The Frenchman has continued from where he left off last season, with seemingly no drop in his scoring rate, and he could have had one more had he not missed his penalty against Real Betis.
The 27-year-old superstar has pushed back against criticism of his contribution to Real Madrid, insisting that his goalscoring should not be treated as a problem.
Mbappe’s logic is that the fundamental objective of football is to outscore the opposition and that, therefore, goalscoring should never be seen as an issue.
As quoted by Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe addressed the issue in an interview with L’Equipe, where he spoke openly about criticism of his defensive work and the constant scrutiny associated with him.
Mbappe responds to criticism
The Madrid forward believes people have become so accustomed to his attacking production that attention naturally shifts towards what he does not provide.
“Is it normal that people forget my goals and focus on the defensive work? No, but that is the life of someone who has been close to excellence for 10 years. I am not new to this. Everyone knows what I can do,” Mbappe said.
“It is human to look at what someone does not do. When someone has been doing something for 10 years, we stop looking at it because we know he can do it, so we look at what he is not doing. I do not take it personally.”
Mbappe’s standards are so high that scoring regularly can almost be taken for granted. However, one has to remember how remarkable that consistency is.
‘A player who scores goals will never be a problem’
Mbappe was even firmer when discussing suggestions that his goals may not necessarily translate into collective success.
“It makes no sense. If I do not score goals, they are going to ask me why I am not scoring,” he said.
“As a footballer, I have learned that there are millions of coaches in every match you play, and not all of those coaches are happy. Everyone has an opinion, but in football the objective is to score more goals than the opponent.”
Then came his clearest message.
“A player who scores goals will never be the problem of a team, because no team has ever won titles without scoring goals.”
Madrid need balance, not less of Mbappe
Mbappe’s argument is difficult to dismiss.
Even if they say “attack wins you games, defence wins you tournaments”, you cannot win games unless you score goals, and you cannot win tournaments unless you win games.
Madrid can demand more collective work from every player, especially under Jose Mourinho, without pretending elite goalscoring is somehow secondary.
The real challenge is finding the right balance.
Madrid need Mbappe to remain devastating in front of goal while fitting into the team’s pressing and defensive structure. Those demands are not one or the other.
If anything, Mourinho’s task is to build a system that protects Mbappe’s greatest strength while still making Madrid harder to play against.
Mbappe’s goals are not, and never will be, the problem. The onus is on the manager to bring those strengths out in a system that also preserves the defensive structure.
