Real Madrid News
Tite rates Real Madrid forward ‘highly’, could replace Neymar for Brazil vs Switzerland
Even though they registered a rather impressive 2-0 win over Serbia, Brazil were hit by a huge blow as Neymar had to leave the pitch injured. The PSG forward has a knock on his ankle, and is expected to miss all games in the group stages.
And while it is a huge absence, Brazil are no short of options. They have incredible attacking depth, with the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, Antony, and Rodrygo coming on as substitutes.
With Neymar injured, Tite has enough replacements, and if reports from MARCA are to be believed, Rodrygo is the leading option to take up Neymar’s no. 10 role. He is not, however, the only option.
Tite could move Lucas Pacqueta to attacking midfield, with one of Fred or Bruno Guimares coming in to form the double pivot with Casemiro. The former was the first one to come on vs Serbia, while the latter remained as an unused substitute.
The Brazilian coach rates Rodrygo very highly, as has been reported, and the final decision on his role will be made during the two training sessions ahead of the Brazil vs Switzerland game.
Rodrygo played as a second striker-cum-10 for a few games during his Santos stint, and will not be a tourist to the role.
Further, he has been in rather impressive goalscoring form this season, with four goals and assists each to his name in the league, which means he can recreate a majority of Neymar’s threat in the same position.
Before he was hired by Bayern Munich as the direct replacement for Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel was closely linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The German tactician had kept a close eye on the development at Santiago Bernabeu, especially with coach Carlo Ancelotti facing immense pressure following the club’s poor performances in domestic competitions.
A recent report from Jorge Picon has offered more details on the Tuchel saga, suggesting that the coach was even learning Spanish during his time at Ibiza, anticipating a potential move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
There were even contacts made between Tuchel’s entourage and Real Madrid. Although the talks were positive, the two sides were not able to reach an agreement.
Real Madrid did not guarantee him the job. They had informed Tuchel that Ancelotti may continue at the Bernabeu in the event the club win the UEFA Champions League this season.
This bit of uncertainty played a critical role in convincing Tuchel to join Bayern Munich instead. The former Chelsea boss was hired as a direct replacement for Nagelsmann, who was sacked after a poor season in the Bundesliga by the club’s high standards.
However, Tuchel’s move to Bayern appears to be a missed opportunity on the German’s part, as Real Madrid have recently intensified their search for a new manager.
It is clear that the club’s hierarchy is yet to reach a consensus over the future of Ancelotti, with some believing that a change is necessary come the end of the season. In fact, the club’s president Florentino Perez has been an admirer of Tuchel’s compatriot Nagelsmann.
The coaching prodigy is one of the candidates to replace Ancelotti in the summer, though it is Mauricio Pochettion who is reportedly leading the race so far.
