Real Madrid News
Real Madrid-linked Liverpool star has no desire to leave, agent confirms
In recent days, Dominik Szobozlai has emerged as a hot topic within the Real Madrid circles, with talks of a potential move to Santiago Bernabeu next summer.
The speculation came on the back of Hungarian coach Marco Rossi’s bombshell revelation, as he claimed that Szoboszlai always wanted to play for Real Madrid.
Real Madrid, for their part, are open to considering a move for the Liverpool star, as they are reportedly looking for a new playmaker in the market.
Szoboszlai doesn’t want to leave Anfield
However, Szoboszlai’s agent, Matyas Esterhazy, has offered a key clarification surrounding the future of the Liverpool star.
In a recent interview with WinWin (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Esterhazy has confirmed that Szboszlai is not looking to join another club, at least for now.
“It’s completely normal for the public, when he’s performing like this, to talk about what’s next and whether there’s something better,” he said when addressing recent links to Real Madrid.
As for the future of Szoboszlai, Esterhazy remained coy while suggesting that Liverpool are a big club themselves.
“For us, it’s not an issue. We’re halfway through the season, and he has a lot of work ahead of him in the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League. He’s said on several occasions how important this competition is to him,” he said.
“It’s not right to talk now about what might happen in the summer. Not to mention that Liverpool is one of the biggest clubs in the world, and Dominik occupies a position in the team that has a lot of competition, so we’re not looking elsewhere,” he added.
This will come as a major blow for Real Madrid, although it must be noted that the club already have a stacked creative department, with Nico Paz also returning to Bernabeu next summer.
The pursuit of Szoboszlai, therefore, can wait, as Los Blancos have more pressing matters to attend to in the summer.
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”.
