Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid lineup against Rayo Vallecano
With Real Madrid set to take on Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu in a couple of hours, manager Carlo Ancelotti has unveiled the starting lineup that will be stepping onto the pitch.
The man dominating the headlines in football, Vinicius Jr, does not make the cut unsurprisingly despite having his red card rescinded, as he is dealing with a knee issue.
In his place, Federico Valverde gets moved to the attacking unit, with the Uruguayan starting on the right flank while Rodrygo Goes slots in on the left. Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema spearheads the attack.
There are big changes in midfield as well, as Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Eduardo Camavinga all return to the team after being benched for the match against Valencia. The German ace starts as the defensive midfielder.
In defence, Dani Carvajal and David Alaba come in for Lucas Vazquez and Ferland Mendy in the full-back positions while Nacho replaces Eder Militao as Antonio Rudiger’s partner. Thibaut Courtois lines up in goal.
📋✅ Our starting XI 🆚 @RayoVallecano! #RealMadridRayo pic.twitter.com/fklX1JOPPN
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) May 24, 2023
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
