Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ‘fourth-choice’ centre-back’ determined to fight for a place
It is easy for a professional sportsman to get demotivated when his team signs another player for his position. Not only does it signal the arrival of direct competition but also an indication that the club does not consider his contributions sufficient enough.
Last season, Nacho Fernandez was the third choice centre-back behind David Alaba and Eder Militao at Real Madrid. Yet, being the first-choice substitute helped him gather minutes when the starters were injured or rotated.
And he did a rather excellent job, including in the latter stages of the Champions League when the pressure ramped up.
This season, the Spaniard’s role is not as clear. The arrival of Antonio Rudiger has complicated the situation, for Nacho is now the fourth-choice centre-back.
According to reports from Diario AS, the Spaniard is not afraid of competition. He is not disheartened by the arrival of Rudiger and is, in fact, used to such complicated situations.
He finished last season at a very high level and came back to work with a determined mindset. During Real Madrid’s US leg of the preseason, the Spaniard displayed that he is a reliable presence in the back.
The reason for his mental strength in this difficult situation is that Nacho feels he is at his dream club and at the best moment of his career. Moreover, the manager’s trust in him is a driving factor too.
Last season, the 32-year-old made 28 La Liga appearances for the champions and scored three goals. Defensively, he averaged over six defensive actions per game and oversaw four clean sheets.
His current contract with the club expired in June 2023, but there have been talks over an extension for an additional year. It remains to be seen if Los Blancos push for the renewal or if the player departs because of a lack of playing time.
After a month into the new season, Aurelien Tchouameni is finally back in action for Real Madrid.
The Frenchman made his first appearance of the season for the Merengues last night against Inter Milan after recovering from the muscular injury that delayed his campaign.
His return to fitness had raised questions over where he would fit into Mourinho’s plans.
Tchouameni has been a regular in Real Madrid’s midfield for several seasons under different managers, but the end of last season was far less straightforward.
His confrontation with Federico Valverde, combined with speculation over his future at the club, created uncertainty about his position. His lack of a proper pre-season also appeared to put him behind other midfield options.
Bernardo Silva had established himself as an important figure, while Eduardo Camavinga was also ahead of Tchouameni in terms of match fitness.
With Real Madrid looking for greater creativity in midfield, there were questions over whether the Frenchman would still be a first-choice player.
Key for Mourinho
According to AS (h/t Bernabeu Digital), however, Mourinho has no such doubts. Tchouameni remains a key player for the Portuguese coach and is expected to be a starter.
Mourinho sees the French international as a midfielder without a direct replacement in the squad.
For Jose, Tchouameni provides something that none of the other midfielders in the squad do – a more defensive and positional presence, combining his tactical discipline with considerable physical strength.
His ability to shield the defence and provide balance could be particularly important for a Real Madrid side that want to defend aggressively and attack quickly in transition.
For that reason, his absence at the start of the campaign has not changed the manager’s view of his importance.
Mourinho faces a midfield selection problem
The challenge for Mourinho now is finding a way to fit all the pieces together.
If Tchouameni is guaranteed a starting position and Valverde is considered untouchable as captain, the obvious consequence is that Bernardo could find himself starting from the bench.
The summer arrival had been given an important role in helping Real Madrid control and distribute possession from deeper positions.
However, with Tchouameni and Valverde both occupying midfield places, Mourinho cannot accommodate everyone in the same lineup.
How the Portuguese coach manages that competition will be interesting to see in the coming weeks.
