Real Madrid News
Real Madrid built training facilities ‘from scratch’ in Miami for FIFA Club World Cup
The United States has not quite been a hub for football over the years and is now rising on the map of the sport globally.
They are set to host the FIFA World Cup next year and this season’s Club World Cup is a trailer of sorts to the global event scheduled a year down the line.
Unsurprisingly, the infrastructure for teams participating in the event is far from up to the mark. Currently in the USA for the aforementioned club event, Real Madrid have thus been hit by a serious shock as relayed by MARCA in a recent update.
A barren training facility
The Gardens North County District Park was given to the men in white to be their headquarters and training centre for the FIFA Club World Cup.
To the surprise of the Merengues’ organising department, however, the facility had absolutely no infrastructure when they visited to inspect it a year ago.
The location in Miami has no changing rooms, showers or quality fields whatsoever and the club thus faced a steep task of bringing the venue to shape before Xabi Alonso’s team arrived for the competition.
Given that it is also a centre for the World Cup next year, it was a real shocker for the Real Madrid board.
That, however, did not stop Real Madrid as they successfully managed to convert the public park into a training facility where the men in white are currently practising.
The 33-acre municipal park was partially transformed by the local authorities with the help of a $100,000 fund from the Palm Beach County Sports Commission.
But Real Madrid have installed several temporary structures including heated tents, changing rooms and portable showers from scratch to bring it to shape.
Further, they have also had to put up temporary structures for players’ ice baths and a mobile gym for training, none of which were available prior.
To date, a part of the park remains open to the public for use and Real Madrid have thus had to ensure extra care with player security and access to the facilities. The hope, needless to say, is that they conquer the hurdles and go on to win the title.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
