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.
According to AS, everyone at Real Madrid has rallied around Eduardo Camavinga during a particularly difficult period of his career.
After making it clear that he had no intention of leaving the club this summer, Camavinga has received the full backing of the dressing room and coaching staff.
While Real Madrid remained open to a transfer during the summer, they did not turn their backs on the midfielder.
Instead, the focus throughout has been on helping him rediscover his touch, confidence and the level of performance he has shown he is capable of reaching.
Within the club, there is a determination to support him and help him get back to his best.
The real problem has been confidence
The feeling at Valdebebas is that Camavinga’s biggest issue has been psychological rather than physical or technical.
His poor end to last season, compounded by his sending-off against Bayern Munich and the disappointment of missing the World Cup, left him badly affected. From there, the task has been to rebuild his confidence.
It was never considered a question of fitness, nor of his basic footballing ability. The bigger challenge has been getting Camavinga’s mindset back to where it needs to be. That is why the club’s support has been so important.
Mourinho backs Camavinga
New manager Jose Mourinho was particularly strong in his defence of Camavinga after the match against Malaga.
“Today, a boy who isn’t very loved… played a great game, Camavinga. I’m very happy with the response he gave. I saw a lot of commitment,” he said.
Camavinga started against Malaga this past weekend and completed the full 90 minutes, producing some encouraging numbers.
He completed 64 passes, the third-highest total in the team. He was also Real Madrid’s leader for recoveries (9), while his 83 touches ranked him third for involvement.
There were still mistakes during the game, some of which drew whistles from the Bernabeu. Nevertheless, his overall display helped repair some of the damage to his reputation.
Camavinga determined to stay
The transfer situation has been clear for several weeks. Real Madrid had been open to selling Camavinga, but the player was always determined to remain at the club. His firm stance effectively stopped any potential deal from developing.
Furthermore, no offer arrived at the Bernabeu close to the figure Real Madrid were planning to demand either, with the club valuing him at a minimum of €70 million.
Camavinga has been working with Mourinho since 13 July, when the manager’s new project began. The relationship between the pair is good, even though both understand that breaking into the starting XI will be difficult.
Federico Valverde is considered indispensable, while competition for the other midfield position is expected to be fierce, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Bernardo Silva also in the picture.
Camavinga understands the doubts surrounding him and knows how far his performances have fallen. But he wants to stay and fight his way back.
