Real Madrid News
Report – Reason behind Real Madrid captain’s Saudi Arabia move being held up
Following the retirement of Toni Kroos, it appears to be only a matter of time before Real Madrid lose yet another club legend in the form of Nacho Fernandez.
The veteran defender, currently on international duty with Spain, is poised to make the move to Saudi Arabia, just a few weeks after leading Real Madrid to the club’s 15th UEFA Champions League title.
Nacho awaiting an offer from Al-Ittihad
A recent report from MARCA has offered a crucial update on the future of Nacho, giving an explanation as to why the move is taking so long.
It appears Nacho is still awaiting the Saudi Arabian government to finalise its budget for its clubs – a process that may be completed by the end of the week or the one after that.
Although Al Ittihad have finalised the details of their offer to Nacho, the club cannot officially make a move until the Saudi government closes its budget.
Al Ittihad pick Inigo Martinez as alternative
While the report does not mention any possibilities of the move falling through, it does claim that Nacho is not the only defender on Al Ittihad’s radar.
The Saudi Arabian giants have identified Inigo Martinez as a potential alternative. But for now, Nacho remains the absolute priority.
Meanwhile, Al Ittihad had asked Karim Benzema about his former teammates Nacho and Lucas Vazquez. While the former may soon make the move to the Middle East, Vazquez is likely to extend his contract at Real Madrid.
Speaking of Los Blancos, the club are closely monitoring this evolving situation. In the background, they have already started looking for defensive reinforcements, with Leny Yoro, in particular, emerging as a priority.
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”.
