Real Madrid News
Real Madrid director not looking for exit amid rumours of potential return to coaching
Despite recent market speculation, Santiago Solari is not preparing to step down from his role at Real Madrid.
According to a fresh update from COPE, the club’s Director of Professional Football is happy in his current position and has no plans to return to coaching anytime soon.
Just hours before this report, rumours had emerged suggesting that Solari could walk away from the club to resume his coaching career. However, these claims have now been dismissed by sources close to the club.
In fact, Solari feels satisfied with the progress being made under his watch. In fact, he has played a key role in several operations, including the recent signing of Argentine wonderkid Franco Mastantuono from River Plate.
Solari’s solid ties with River Plate were said to be a decisive factor in securing the transfer, showing how important he has become in Real Madrid’s behind-the-scenes planning.
What is Solari’s role at Real Madrid?
Under Florentino Perez, the role of a traditional “sporting director” no longer exists at Real Madrid. That responsibility has long been shared between general director Jose Angel Sanchez and the president himself.
They have the final say on all major decisions, while recruitment efforts are led by Juni Calafat, who has been instrumental in signing top talents like Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, and Eder Militao.
Even though the structure has changed, a team of key figures still work closely on sporting decisions. Solari is one of them.
Over time, he has become a central part of Real Madrid’s planning team, working quietly but effectively in the background.
Though he once managed Real Madrid Castilla and the senior team briefly in 2018-19, and later coached Club America in Mexico, Solari is currently focused on his administrative role and he is staying put for now.
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”.
