Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar ready to step up as the team’s leader after Benzema’s exit
The shock departure of Karim Benzema earlier this summer left a gaping hole in the Real Madrid squad. Not only did the Merengues lose their ace goalscorer, but they also lost one of the leaders of the team.
Naturally, the void left by the Frenchman’s surprise exit is huge. But, according to Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA, one of the rising stars of the game, Vinicius Jr. believes he is ready to step up and take over as the leader of the team following Benzema’s departure.
Vinicius has been making rapid strides on the pitch over the past couple of seasons and is rightly recognised as one of the most dangerous forwards in the game at this point in time.
The 23-year-old Brazilian’s influence has grown beyond what he does on the pitch as he is now seen as the face of the fight against racism in football.
Real Madrid view Vinicius as the present and the future of the team and have thus handed him iconic the No. 7 shirt heading into the 2023/24 campaign.
And the Brazilian international believes he is ready to repay the faith shown by the club by taking over the mantle of leadership and filling the void left by Benzema.
The 23-year-old is confident that he is capable of being the leader of the team and acting as the reference in the attacking department now that his former partner-in-crime, Benzema, is no longer at the club.
As iterated earlier, Vinicius has shown tremendous growth in the last couple of seasons. He was one of the most important performers in 2021/22 as Real Madrid won the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League, finishing with 22 goals and 20 assists.
Last season, the Brazilian went on to better those numbers, ending the campaign with 23 goals and 21 assists across all competitions.
There have been controversies surrounding the Brazilian due to his occasional confrontations with opponents. But he realises that he needs to play with peace and complete focus although he will not back down if opposition players disrespect him.
Real Madrid News
Rodri talks Real Madrid, Barcelona’s form, Jose Mourinho and more ahead of El Clasico
Real Madrid are set for their most important game of the season so far as they take on Barcelona at Camp Nou this weekend.
It promises to be a special match for Rodri, who will face Real Madrid for the first time after a failed move to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer. It will also be his first ever experience playing El Clasico.
Speaking to DAZN ahead of this highly-anticipated matchup, Rodri spoke at length about Barcelona’s form, Real Madrid and coach Jose Mourinho, among other things.
Rodri on Mourinho and a wounded Real Madrid
First and foremost, Rodri spoke about the opposition, crediting Mourinho for the impact he has across his teams.
“Mourinho is a coach with an extremely strong personality, and he has a significant impact on all the teams he coaches. He possesses a very clear philosophy, and he always succeeds in elevating the competitive level of his teams,” he said.
Rodri is also well aware that Real Madrid will arrive desperate to end their recent struggles in the fixture.
“They told me that Real Madrid won, I believe, just one match out of the last six or seven Clasico showdowns. So they’ll have a huge desire to redeem themselves.”
“It’s clear that Real Madrid plays in a style different from ours, but the competitive spirit is always present, especially in a match as big as El Clasico. So, we expect the Real Madrid match to bring everything they’ve got,” he added.
Barcelona’s form and first El Clasico
Rodri went on to talk about Barcelona’s own form, especially after a midweek setback against PSG.
“We will continue on our path. It’s true that we suffered a setback in the last match against Paris Saint-Germain. But we have a good mindset, and we have the desire to continue working and delivering things the right way,” he said.
The former Manchester City midfielder offered his thoughts on playing El Clasico for the first time as well.
“This will be my first Clasico, and therefore it will be a very special event, and I hope things go well,” he said.
“Returning to La Liga and playing matches of this kind is extremely special, because it puts you under the eyes of the entire world, as if the world stops to watch it,” he added.
The Spaniard went on to explain why competing in La Liga, and the Clasico in particular, was such a draw for him.
“One of the reasons I’m always delighted to return to Spanish football is, of course, experiencing the Clasico and what it represents on a global level,” he said.
Finally, Rodri explained why he is so delighted to have returned to Spain, even though his move to Real Madrid in the summer did not materialise.
“I believe there are players who spent their entire careers in the English league and didn’t receive the same appreciation because they didn’t play much in Spain.
I was fortunate to get the chance to return, and perhaps the players who move abroad don’t have the same impact that they could have achieved in the Spanish league,” he concluded.
Patrick sibusiso sibiya
July 20, 2023 at 9:52 am
Vini Jr deserve number 7 shirt, he is the star of real madrid for years to come, he loves the badge and respect his team mates, all the best Vini hala madrid, Hola madrid hola
Yesh Jaipurkar
July 20, 2023 at 6:44 pm
The matter of fact that Madrid have Modric and courtiuo it isn’t that high possibilities that vini Jr might lead the team