Real Madrid News
Real Madrid loanee Antonio Blanco talks Zidane, Ancelotti, Raul, Casemiro
Real Madrid’s on-loan midfielder Antonio Blanco has said that Casemiro helped him a lot during his tenure, while also adding that Carlo Ancelotti has created a very good atmosphere at the club.
Blanco, who currently plies his trade on loan at Alaves in Segunda Division, has been with Real Madrid since 2019. Progression through the youth ranks, he made his senior team debut in April 2021 under former manager Zinedine Zidane, coming on as a substitute in a 0-0 draw against Getafe.
In August 2022, he moved to Cadiz on a season-long loan but was recalled in January 2023 before being sent to Alaves until the end of the season. Speaking about his Madrid tenure, he recollected that since he made his debut under Zidane, he has it tattooed on his body.
“Zidane gave me my debut, I have it tattooed. He gave me a lot of peace of mind, he is a very calm person, he knows how to handle the players and take pressure away,” he said during an interview with AS.
Adding further, he explained how Casemiro has been an influential figure in his career. “Casemiro was a player who gave me a lot of advice before a game and after a game, he would tell me ‘well played, now move on, keep working hard.”
“He helped me a lot, he gave me advice on positioning, pressure… Also Nacho, Lucas, Carvajal… They are always closer to the academy, they have lived through that and they know what you have had to go through,” he added.
Given that Blanco has been with Madrid since 2019, he played under Raul in the subsidiary team and while speaking about his approach to the game, he said,
“Raul is a competitive coach, he never wants to lose. He teaches you a lot and always carries the values of the club, he teaches you that you are a Madrid player 24 hours a day and 7 days a week,” he added.
The 22-year-old, who plays as a defensive midfielder, had some words reserved for Ancelotti.
“Ancelotti also manages the locker room very well and created a very good atmosphere with the players. That’s very good for the group. Any player who is at Madrid is plugged in, you can see that joy and that desire to play.”
Real Madrid have two of the world’s brightest prospects on their wings. Vinicius Jr has already made his name as one of the generation’s best talents on the left wing while Rodrygo Goes is not far from doing the same on the other flank.
However, the duo no longer have a central striker to complement them for the season to come. With both Karim Benzema and Mariano Diaz no longer in the squad, there Merengues have no options left to fill the number nine vacancy.
Harry Kane has quickly emerged as Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti’s favourite option to fill the void. However, reports earlier in the week claimed that Tottenham Hotspurs manager Daniel Levy wished to keep the striker in London and even quoted a €115 million price tag.
According to reports from MARCA, Los Blancos are preparing an opening offer worth €80 million for the English striker. Needless to say, the bid is not too far off from the Premier League side’s asking price.
Negotiations are expected to progress swiftly in the coming week. Given that not too much separates the two parties, one can expect Florentino Perez to come up with creative ways to bridge the gap.
Despite the relatively steep price tag, Real Madrid are in an advantageous position for two reasons.
For starters, Kane wishes to represent the club’s crest and reports even claim it is the only team for which he would leave the Premier League. Secondly, Daniel Levy does not wish to sell the player to direct competition in the Premier League, indirectly favouring the Merengues.
The 29-year-old has been Tottenham’s centre-piece since 2013 and has racked up goals for fun year after year. In the recently concluded season of the Premier League, he scored 30 goals and provided three assists in 38 appearances in addition to creating 14 big chances.
