Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid duo start for Belgium in friendly vs Egypt
Belgium will continue their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2022 with a friendly encounter against Egypt today. And Real Madrid duo Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois have been named in the starting XI by manager Roberto Martinez.
It is an important game for the Belgian Red Devils to get some momentum behind them heading into the World Cup. Having made it as far as the semi-finals at the last World Cup, they will be keen on going a step further this time out.
And, there will be a lot of hope pinned on Hazard, who is the captain of the national team. The 31-year-old has found game-time hard to come by at the club level this season with Real Madrid, given that he has fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti.
As for Courtois, he has been a permanent fixture in goal for Real Madrid and has done well and the national team will be hoping for more of the same from the goalkeeper in the coming weeks.
Atletico Madrid duo Yannick Carrasco and Axel Witsel also make it to the Belgium lineup, who will rely on Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne to produce the magic on the field.
Team news. ‼️ #SelectedbyPwC #BELEGY #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/4FdDgB29m2
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) November 18, 2022
It is astounding that despite being the biggest club in Spain, Real Madrid do not have many Spanish players to show for it.
Los Blancos do indeed boast of a special diversity in the dressing room, but their lack of locally trained players could pose problems according to MARCA.
The Spanish outlet confirms that UEFA does not mandate the inclusion of any minimum number of locally grown players for a club. However, the Spanish federation stipulates that a club in Spain must boast of at least eight players who meet a specific set of conditions.
Of the aforementioned eight candidates, there must be at least four players who have spent three seasons or 36 months at the club between the ages of 15 and 21.
Currently, only Nacho Fernandez, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, Federico Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and Mariano make up the required number on that front.
The problem, however, arises with the condition for the other four players in the list of eight. RFEF stipulates that the second set of four players must have completed at least 36 months in teams attached to the federation of Spain between the ages of 15 and 21.
Only Jesus Vallejo, Alvaro Odriozola, Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos tick the aforementioned box. However, all four players have uncertain futures at the club and are well-placed to depart in the summer.
There are thus big decisions to be taken over the transfer strategy for June. Real Madrid can work ways to ship all four players out, it would require the re-integration of players like Sergio Arribas, Miguel Gutierrez or Fran Garcia to ensure the fulfilment of the criteria.
With both Vallejo and Odriozola seemingly frozen out of Ancelotti’s plans, their departures from Santiago Bernabeu appear inevitable. Thus, the management could be forced to renew one of Asensio or Ceballos come June.
