Real Madrid News
Odriozola, Rudiger, Camavinga, Tchouameni get new kit numbers at Real Madrid
The end of last season saw the end of an era for Real Madrid. Several stars of the triple UEFA Champions League winning squad bid adieu to the club, bringing about a change of guard in many positions.
With players like Marcelo, Gareth Bale and Isco now no longer at the club, the baton has been passed on to youngsters and new signings. This transfer begins with new faces taking over the kits donned by the former stars.
As revealed on the official website, Marcelo’s number 12 kit will be worn by Alvaro Odriozola for the coming campaign. This will be the first time since 2006/07 since anyone other than the Brazilian wears it.
Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger will be the new number 22 for the club. The new signing takes over the kit from Isco Alcaron, who joined Sevilla as a free agent.
The third kit number revealed was that of Aurelien Tchouameni. The French midfielder will take over Gareth Bale’s number 18 jersey for his debut season.
Luka Jovic’s departure from the club opened up a vacancy for the number 16 in the dressing room. The kit will now be donned by Eduardo Camavinga, who exploded towards the end of last season.
Apart from the numbers 26 to 30 that are reserved for players promoted from the subsidiary team, only the number 16 remains vacant in Los Blancos’ dressing room. All first-team players have been registered, with the exception of Reinier, whose future is uncertain.
With the squad seemingly full, any new arrivals must now go hand in hand with a first-team departure.
Real Madrid News
U-turn? Benzema hints at Real Madrid stay during ceremony: “Reality is not the internet”
There has been a lot of talk around Karim Benzema’s situation over the course of the last week or so, with reports claiming that the Frenchman was on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it was reported that Benzema was joining Al Ittihad as part of an incredible deal worth nearly €200 million. The striker was also offered 100% of his image rights and advertising deals by the Saudi government.
Over the last day or so, it has been reported that the move is all but official at the moment, as Benzema has accepted the offer, and will soon inform Real Madrid about it.
Benzema was awarded the MARCA Leyenda awards for contribution to sports today, and speaking during it, he dropped a rather cryptic message about his future – one that says quite the opposite to what has been in the news recently.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet,” he added.
This certainly falls away from the departure line for Benzema, who was reportedly already contemplating his life away from Madrid.
At first, though, he was hesitant about speaking about his future, saying, “Staying or leaving Real Madrid? At the moment, I’m here…we have a game on Saturday.”
He repeatedly talked about the fans, calling them the best in world football. He also said, “I know how much Real Madrid fans love me. I feel that when I’m on the pitch, I give my best for them, always.”
“I always say that we play with 11 on the pitch but also with a crucial factor, Real Madrid fans,” Benzema concluded.
