Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rejected Manchester City icon before his move to Barcelona – report
Ilkay Gundogan has been the talk of the town in Spain over the past 24 hours as he nears a departure from Real Madrid’s arch-rivals FC Barcelona.
The 33-year-old former Manchester City captain and icon joined the Blaugrana only last year but is being forced out due to their financial woes and struggles to register players.
Gundogan was offered to Real Madrid first
With all the speculations swirling around Gundogan and his future, Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA has now come out with a report claiming that the German midfielder was offered to Real Madrid before his move to Barcelona last summer.
Indeed, according to the journalist, the reigning champions of Spain and Europe were provided with an opportunity to sign Gundogan last year when he left Manchester City as a free agent.
However, Real Madrid rejected the chance to secure the 33-year-old’s services and he ended up signing for Barcelona.
Gundogan is a top footballer and enjoyed a solid debut campaign in La Liga with Barcelona in 2023/24.
But given the sheer quality and options already available at Carlo Ancelotti’s disposal in the midfield department it made sense for Real Madrid to not sign him last year.
Jose Felix Diaz’s report further adds that ‘nothing has changed’ with regard to Los Blancos’ interest, or lack thereof, in Gundogan as he is set to be available for a transfer again this summer.
As things stand, the veteran German, who has previously praised Real Madrid for their success and mentality, appears likely to return to Manchester City for another stint.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
