Real Madrid News
Real Madrid make a new addition to Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff – report
Real Madrid appear to have closed the chapter on first-team signings for next season, but the club are still strengthening Jose Mourinho’s coaching staff.
Indeed, according to journalist Rodra (h/t Defensa Central), Los Blancos have brought in Fran Lapiedra, a former Valencia analyst who worked as part of Carlos Corberán’s coaching staff.
After many years at Valencia, Lapiedra is now moving to the Santiago Bernabeu and joining Mourinho’s team, having left Los Che a few weeks ago.
Mourinho’s new coaching staff
Mourinho arrived at Real Madrid with much of the same coaching structure he had used during his time at Benfica in Lisbon.
There are, however, some notable additions, including former midfielder Sami Khedira as a special assistant, reflecting Mourinho’s preference for having a former player close to the squad.
Meanwhile, Florentino Perez’s trusted personnel, Antonio Pintus, has remained a part of the Portuguese tactician’s staff at the club’s request to oversee physical preparation.
Goalkeeping coach Luis Llopis, meanwhile, was left outside the first-team structure despite still having a contract with the club and has moved into another area without direct involvement with the senior squad.
Lapiedra will work under Roberto Merella, the first-team’s head of analysis.
His responsibilities will include analysing opponents and Real Madrid’s own performances, identifying tactical patterns and preparing audiovisual material that Mourinho and his staff can use when preparing for matches.
His arrival therefore strengthens a department that is expected to play an important role in Mourinho’s methodology.
An experienced La Liga specialist
Lapiedra brings extensive experience in professional football, particularly in La Liga. His career has been closely connected with Valencia for many years. He began working in the club’s academy before moving up to the first team in 2020.
He subsequently worked as an assistant coach and collaborated with figures including Mista before becoming part of Valencia’s first-team analysis department.
He later worked alongside Jose Bordalas during the 2021-22 season, followed by a spell with Gennaro Gattuso. He then became a regular member of the coaching staffs led by Ruben Baraja and, most recently, Carlos Corberan.
A valuable addition for Mourinho
Lapiedra’s versatility is one of the qualities he can bring to Real Madrid. His work has extended beyond match analysis to studying training sessions and opposition teams.
During his time at Valencia, he was involved in tactical analysis and also had a presence on the bench, giving him practical experience in delivering relevant information to the coaching staff during matches.
His arrival could also strengthen Mourinho’s team’s knowledge of Spanish football and La Liga.
Merella remains Mourinho’s trusted figure in the analysis department and has a long working relationship with the Portuguese coach. Lapiedra, meanwhile, adds years of experience within Spanish football.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
