Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rally around young midfielder facing a crisis of confidence – report
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.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar’s summer contract renewal saga compared to a romantic movie: ‘We know how the movie will end’
Vinicius Junior’s contract renewal with Real Madrid was one of the club’s biggest stories of the summer.
Months of uncertainty eventually ended in a long-term agreement that keeps the Brazilian at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2032.
At one point, it looked like the prospect of the Brazilian leaving the Santiago Bernabeu this summer was a realistic possibility.
However, as quoted by MARCA, Thiago Freitas, operations director at Roc Nation, has compared the entire saga to a romantic film with a happy ending.
Vinicius renewal was far from straightforward
Freitas explained that the negotiations were handled by Roc Nation executive Federico Pena and admitted that reaching the final agreement required patience from everyone involved.
“This operation between Vini and Real Madrid was like a trilogy of romance movies,” Freitas said.
“Throughout the movies there are conflicts, there are issues, there are some obstacles. But we all know how the movie will end: with a big kiss and everyone happy,” he added.
There was plenty of speculation around Vinicius while negotiations continued, particularly as the process stretched across the summer.
However, Freitas made it clear that the Brazilian’s preference was always to continue at Real Madrid rather than look for an exit.
“You only have to remember the history of all the players who have passed through Madrid in the last 20 or 30 years. None of them wanted to leave,” he said.
That is an important point for Madrid supporters. The difficulty appears to have been reaching an agreement that satisfied both sides, rather than convincing Vinicius that his future belonged at the club.
Jose Mourinho now has certainty
For Jose Mourinho, the first few weeks were spent in uncertainty over whether Vinicius would be part of his project at the club.
The Portuguese tactician has always been a vocal advocate of keeping the Brazilian and was said to have been a driving factor in the contract negotiations.
Ultimately, as Freitas put it, everything ended in a big hug and a kiss between Vinicius and Real Madrid. It meant that everyone, except Arsenal were happy.
It remains to be seen whether the 26-year-old can now repay the club and Mourinho’s faith in him, and return to his best level this season and beyond.
