Real Madrid News
Real Madrid fans to pay tribute to club icon with a tifo in UCL tie vs Juventus
Real Madrid are set to take on Juventus tonight in what is a crucial encounter for Xabi Alonso and Los Blancos.
Although Real Madrid have already started their Champions League season well, sealing a win going into this weekend’s Barcelona clash will serve as a major confidence-booster for the club.
As far as the Juventus game is concerned, though, Real Madrid fans have a special tifo in mind when the club take on the Old Lady at the Bernabeu tonight.
Real Madrid fans to honour Lucas Vazquez
As reported by MARCA, Real Madrid fans are set to honour former player Lucas Vazquez tonight by unveiling tifo dedicated to the Galician winger.
Vazquez spent almost entirety of his career at Real Madrid before leaving the club permanently last summer, joining Bayer Leverkusen in the process.
During his time at the Bernabeu, the veteran featured in more than 400 matches for Real Madrid, notably securing five Champions League titles. Real Madrid fans plan to honour that contribution by unveiling a tifo against Juventus.
The mosaic will feature a touching image of a young Lucas, dressed in a green jacket and holding a Real Madrid scarf – a photo the player himself shared on social media in 2017 before a Clásico.
That image has since become iconic among Madrid supporters, symbolising the pure passion of a boy who grew up dreaming of representing his club.
The choice of opponent adds another layer of significance. Against Juventus, Lucas was directly involved in one of Real Madrid’s most unforgettable moments – the stoppage-time penalty incident with Medhi Benatia in the 2018 Champions League quarterfinals.
His efforts led to Cristiano Ronaldo’s decisive goal and Real Madrid’s path to their 13th European title.
Real Madrid opted to renew Antonio Rudiger’s contract this past summer to keep him at the club for one more season.
The 33-year-old veteran defender, though, has not been performing at his best, with physical problems taking their toll and age starting to catch up with him.
As such, the expectation is that Los Blancos will not extend his contract again when his current one expires on 30 June 2027.
Tottenham eye Antonio Rudiger
And, according to reports relayed by AS, Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur are plotting a free-transfer swoop to sign Rudiger in the summer of next year.
The north London club are understood to be keen on reinforcing their backline next year and see the German defender as an option, given his experience in the Premier League and the fact that he would be available for free in the summer.
So far this season, Rudiger has played only five games for Real Madrid, amounting to a total of 396 minutes.
The 33-year-old has even chipped in with two goals, including the all-important winner in the 4-3 comeback victory over AS Roma on Wednesday night.
Time to move on?
Despite Rudiger being a hugely respected figure in the Real Madrid locker room, he is currently the third-choice centre-back for Jose Mourinho.
After all, summer signing Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen have been preferred by the manager so far in the new season.
Moreover, with Eder Militao set to return imminently after a lengthy injury layoff, Rudiger’s game-time could be impacted further.
Given the situation and factoring in Real Madrid’s plans to sign another centre-back next summer, it is pretty much evident that Rudiger does not feature in the club’s plans for beyond this season.
As such, a separation of ways seems pretty likely when his contract expires, and Tottenham are now positioning themselves as early suitors to sign Rudiger as a free agent in 2027.
