Real Madrid News
Liverpool midfield ace has ‘always dreamt’ of playing for Real Madrid, claims national team coach
In recent times, Dominik Szoboszlai has become one of the most important players for Liverpool.
Since joining the club in 2023, the playmaker has featured in 128 competitive matches, racking up almost 50 goal involvements.
Szoboszlai’s name, though, has become a hot topic in the Real Madrid camp as well, especially after the revelation of his national team coach, Marco Rossi.
Marco Rossi’s claim about Szoboszlai
Rossi, who has maintained a close relationship with the midfielder since his childhood, has recently revealed that playing for Real Madrid has been the 25-year-old’s dream.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I have with Dominik Szoboszlai since he started playing football as a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” he said, in a recent interview with WinWin (h/t MARCA).
However, Rossi was quick to bring the situation back to reality by acknowledging the player’s current commitments.
Szoboszlai has evolved into a key figure at Anfield, growing into a leadership role within one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs.
Rossi noted that the final decision regarding any potential move rests with both the player and Liverpool, a club where he is already highly valued.
“I don’t know if he’ll be able to take that step, because the decision depends on him and also on his club,” he said.
The coach did not rule out the possibility of a contract renewal at Anfield, emphasising that Liverpool remains one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I absolutely don’t rule out the possibility of him staying at Liverpool and renewing his contract there, especially because he’s highly valued within the club,” he concluded.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
