Real Madrid News
Real Madrid mainstay not considering moving to Bayern Munich: “I have very clear goals”
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Austria’s international friendly against Germany, Real Madrid defender David Alaba has made it clear that he is not thinking about moving back to his former club Bayern Munich at this point.
Alaba joined Real Madrid from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window of 2021 and soon became an instant hit at the club.
The Austria captain is closing in on 100 appearances for the Merengues and has chipped in with five goals and eight assists already.
In the time that he has been at the club, Alaba has won every possible trophy with Real Madrid under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti.
Having achieved great success in Madrid, Alaba was asked if he is thinking about moving back to Bayern Munich, where he spent 13 years of his career and made over 400 appearances.
In response, Alaba said (h/t Fabrizio Romano): “I’m not thinking that far ahead. I feel very comfortable in Madrid. I like Real Madrid and I have very clear goals. My thoughts are not anywhere else.”
Alaba still has more than two years left on his contract with Real Madrid which runs until 2026.
The 31-year-old is a permanent fixture in the lineup at the Santiago Bernabeu and it is clear by his words that he is not considering leaving anytime soon.
In fact, if anything, Alaba could be helping the Merengues sign another Bayern Munich player, Alphonso Davies, who is a top target for the club heading into 2024.
Real Madrid News
Rayo Vallecano manager names the one Real Madrid figure he would remove from the team
Rayo Vallecano face a daunting trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on a wounded Real Madrid this weekend.
Life after Inigo Perez has not been kind to the Vallecas-based club, who have already had to travel to Camp Nou and now face a trip to the home of their city giants.
Speaking ahead of the game (h/t Madrid Xtra), Rayo Vallecano manager Benat San Jose was asked which Real Madrid player he would like to remove from the team before this weekend’s game.
Surprisingly, his choice was not Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior or Thibaut Courtois.
“Mourinho”
Asked which Madrid player he would take out of the upcoming contest, Benat jokingly chose the man sitting on the opposition bench.
“Which Real Madrid player I’d remove from the match against them? Mourinho,” Benat said with a laugh.
The answer might have been delivered jokingly, but the Rayo coach immediately made clear just how highly he rates the Portuguese manager.
“He’s one of the best managers in history,” he added.
It is significant praise ahead of Saturday’s meeting at the Bernabeu.
Madrid’s squad contains enough individual quality to give any opposition coach several obvious answers, but Benat instead highlighted the influence Mourinho can have over the entire team.
That has become particularly relevant since the Portuguese coach returned to Madrid. His early work has focused on making a talented group function with greater collective discipline.
Courtois and Madrid’s attack also praised
Benat did not stop with the manager.
“They also have one of the best GKs in history and one of the best attackers in history,” he said.
Benat will definitely have seen how Thibaut Courtois played against Inter Milan in midweek and will hope that version does not turn up again this weekend.
Even when teams manage to create opportunities against Madrid, they still have to beat one of the defining goalkeepers of his generation.
At the opposite end, Madrid possess attacking quality capable of turning a match on its head.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham can all decide matches single-handedly.
Madrid have a point to prove
Madrid are coming off a disappointing loss to Real Betis in La Liga last weekend and will come into this game with a point to prove.
They will want to ensure that the loss to the Andalusian club was a one-off and that they return to winning ways against Rayo.
Their title rivals, Barça, have been flying high in the league, scoring goals and picking opponents apart for fun.
Madrid need to ensure that they do not hand too much early incentive to Barça, and it remains to be seen how Los Blancos fare against Rayo Vallecano.
