Real Madrid & Barcelona News
Latest headlines pulled from major football outlets. Click any story to read it on the source site.
- Managing Madrid·16h ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jose Mourinho on Vinicius Jr: “He deserves to be helped”
MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 9: Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho addresses journalists during a pre-match press conference at the club's Valdebebas training complex in Madrid, Spain on October 9, 2026. Mourinho responded to questions regarding squad preparation and tactical strategy ahead of their La Liga Matchday 8 fixture against Villarreal. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images Jose Mourinho spoke to the media ahead of Real Madrid’s return to action against Villarreal on Saturday. He was asked about whether a player will play based on meritocracy, to which he said: “Meritocracy, yes, but also an openness not for the name, but for the moment. Knowing what might be the best way to help a particular player. There are players who, when they’re not playing well, there are strategies to help them improve. One is pure meritocracy, and if you’re not playing well, you’re out. It has risks. There are players who take time to get back to their normal level. You’re referring to Vini. I’m not hiding anything. What hurts me, what makes me sad, is understanding that he wants to be well, he wants to be the one who wins games, who makes the difference. What hurts me is feeling this pain he feels, being a guy who, to my surprise, is extraordinary and works so hard to come back. Will he always play until he returns, or will there come a time when there’s a specific plan where he doesn’t play or goes to the bench, and we find another way? I don’t touch true Real Madrid fans. I only respect them.” But it breaks my heart to see a boy like him, who isn’t the Vinicius of this otherworldly world, not being helped by people influenced by many of you. He deserves to be helped. He desperately wants to be the Vinicius who has brought so much joy to Real Madrid fans.” Mourinho on the game vs Villarreal “Our opponent is a Champions League team. A top-level team. They play very well. They don’t have the points they’re going to have. They’re going to be much higher in the standings. After losing our last match, we need to get the points. The preparation isn’t easy. We’re down to five players. The others were arriving after their last international matches and the days off we gave them. Villarreal isn’t in our situation, but they’ve also had players away on international duty. It hasn’t been a perfect week for them either.” Mourinho on the Mbappe story “If this happens, it will be a great victory for you (press). Not even huge cases like City, the old story you love to talk about, the difficult situation in my country with Cristiano and his coach—so many cases that could have fueled your work—but it hasn’t been enough. Real Madrid is Real Madrid, and you always have to find something. I expected the first one to be the only one about something real. A difficult match. Yours is the first… But, here we are.” Mourinho on whether the stuff about him is exaggerated “Ridiculous.” Mourinho on managing players’ private lives “For me, a player is a player 24 hours a day. Anything important or negative he does privately always has repercussions. I always maintain that a player will always be a human being. A man who can make mistakes, but who has a sense of responsibility. I, honestly, haven’t been here in Spain for 13 years. You know me. I don’t lie. I might try to escape, be clever and avoid some more complicated issues, but I don’t lie. At any level. If you ask me who’s going to start, I won’t tell you, but I won’t say he’s not going to play and then he does. During this period, the players have been exemplary. We worked to ensure they had no doubts about their availability for their national teams, when they needed free time. Everything was perfectly defined. Everyone has complied. The injured players come to Valdebebas immediately. They have their diagnoses, recovery plans… Players like Arda, who was suspended for the fourth match, I gave him two unscheduled days off.” People with serious injuries have been here every day. Valverde, Konaté. Mbappé, for example. He’s been here, he’s had a diagnosis. He went for an outpatient consultation because his knee has a history that can’t be forgotten. Complete agreement between diagnoses. Recovery plan that you don’t need to know in detail. And then, there’s the realm of troublemaking. The real problems that football has had these past couple of weeks haven’t been enough, so there’s this search for problems. First, the nightclub that wasn’t a nightclub. Because it was a venue for a private event during Paris Fashion Week. Then, the bicycle in Switzerland, which was a hotel with small houses. They were bicycles for getting around to common areas in a quiet hotel. And it seems he was doing the Tour de Suisse. Then, poor Huijsen, who was standing in front of Pitarch’s house sending a message, and suddenly he’s practically a criminal on the highway at 200 km/h sending messages. I’m knocking on wood, because football is football. I’m giving you the story. This is the first time in 10 years that Real Madrid has arrived in mid-October without any injuries. They’re all injuries from last season. It’s a first. It’s a good story, but you don’t like it.” Mourinho on why fans are upset with Mbappe “This is one of your objectives. You don’t need to be Einstein to understand that this is the objective. I prefer not to speak about who it is; I could be wrong, but it is one of the objectives. I won’t comment on the Bernabéu. I respect it. My hope is that the Bernabéu will be able to be fair. To be fair is to be intelligent. To read between the lines and understand the dynamics. To understand the objectives. I promise that if a Real Madrid player doesn’t behave like a Real Madrid player and fails as a Real Madrid player, if he doesn’t fulfill his obligations as a player or as a citizen, you won’t see that player on the bench. You won’t be able to boo him. He’ll be at home. I won’t give him the opportunity to sit on the bench. Mbappé will play. He won’t even be on the bench. I’m sure he hasn’t failed in his obligations to Real Madrid.” Mourinho on the second part of the season “We’ve been here, and when you have little actual fieldwork, you have much more time to analyze every detail. In this first period, we’ve found many good things and things to improve. It doesn’t mean we have to change drastically. You need work and time for that. I can’t just arrive with one or two days and say, ‘Let’s start playing with five at the back, four in midfield, and change the full-back.’ You can’t. Yesterday, I read something curious that shouldn’t happen at Real Madrid. Mikel Arteta has renewed his contract. He said that we’re just starting out and that there’s a lot to do. Real Madrid is coming off a difficult period. What would be a normal situation for others… Real Madrid is to blame. Because they’ve won so much in the last ten years, and even before, everything takes on a different dimension. We need time to improve things. There are things that improve gradually, and we’re doing that. Yesterday we worked on these aspects. We have things to improve.” I’m not adamant that we should have won the match against Atlético because it should have been 11 against 9. We need to look for improvements in things that are within our control. Perhaps, to the untrained eye, many people won’t be able to understand it. But we will try to make adjustments to improve in some areas.” Mourinho on Yan Diomande “I’m not going to answer whether he’ll play or not. I don’t lie, and I’m not going to say who’s going to play. I don’t want to lie to you. Real Madrid can play with anyone from the squad up front. We have a lot of quality players. They can’t all play together. If you want four attackers, you can. Against Elche, we played with six for the last few minutes. But in a balanced situation with controlled risks, we can’t play with seven at once. We can’t play all of them.” Mourinho on what he did during the break “I spent two or three days straight after the last match trying to analyze every possible detail, so I wouldn’t get stuck on the obvious. But the obvious thing that’s not under my control is that it was an eleven-against-nine game. I didn’t want to dwell on that. Then, I spent three days away watching London and Portugal, and then I came back and worked incredibly hard. Little time on the pitch and a lot here. I’ve meticulously prepared for their arrival. Some arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday; some play, others don’t; some are jet-lagged, others haven’t slept… It’s complex. We’re working very well organizationally. We could have an injury in ten minutes, but not having any injuries isn’t something we forget here. Many things have changed, and we’re doing well. We’re preparing for the future as best we can.” Mourinho on Fede Valverde and Eder Militao “Fede is the doubt. Militao isn’t a doubt, he won’t be available. But seeing him train the way he does, we’ve never trained with just five players. Always 20. We’ve trained with youth team players. Sometimes Castilla would come, other times the C team, other times the youth team mixed with players from Castilla and the C team. If you don’t know Militao’s problems, you’d put him in tomorrow. I joke with him and ask, ‘Are you going to play?’ He’s better than I thought. He won’t be available tomorrow, neither in Rome nor against Sevilla. He needs a couple of weeks. His medical history is quite extensive, and we have to be careful. Mendy will train on the pitch with us for the first time. Rodrygo is further away. Valverde, the problem has persisted until today. We’ll decide about tomorrow today.”
- BBC Sport·18h ago·Real Madrid·transfers
'Real consider McTominay move' - gossip
Real Madrid are reportedly keeping a watch on Scott McTominay as Scottish winger Danny Armstrong is close to signing a new contract with Dinamo Bucharest.
- Managing Madrid·1d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Madrid Daily: Mourinho’s reflections, Carvajal’s Getafe obstacle and Kroos’ coaching plans
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 20: Jose Mourinho head coach of Real Madrid during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on September 20, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images) | Real Madrid via Getty Images Real Madrid’s return to league action is approaching, with Villarreal preparing to visit the Bernabéu on Saturday without Tajon Buchanan but with an ambitious approach. Away from the match preparations, José Mourinho has discussed his return to Madrid and revisited several controversies, while reports on Dani Carvajal, Endrick and Toni Kroos point to possible next steps in their careers. There is also a new addition to the Bernabéu’s entertainment calendar. Mourinho discusses his Madrid return and the Vinícius–Prestianni controversy José Mourinho has given an extensive interview to Corriere dello Sport, reflecting on his return to Real Madrid, his relationship with Roma and his handling of the incident involving Vinícius Júnior and Gianluca Prestianni during last season’s Champions League. “The buzz started when there was no contact at all” Mourinho said the speculation about his second spell at Madrid began before the club had approached him. At that stage, he maintained, his expectation was to continue at Benfica. “Normally, there’s initial contact, and then the buzz starts when something’s actually happening. Here, it was exactly the opposite: the buzz started when there was no contact at all. I was at Benfica, happy. It’s a special club for me, just ten minutes from home, something that hadn’t happened for twenty years. It was a club that needed a radical change. I thought I’d stay there with my three-year contract,” he said. “When the rumors started, I thought: ‘This can’t be true.’ I was at Benfica, focused on Benfica, focused on Benfica’s future. I never thought it was true.” Mourinho revisits his handling of the Prestianni incident Asked about the controversy involving Prestianni and Vinícius, Mourinho described the episode as particularly difficult to manage while he was Benfica coach. “It was a very delicate and difficult point for us, because in the end, Prestianni was disqualified not because of racism. I was a victim of public opinion, mainly of many opportunists, due to a completely uncontrollable situation,” Mourinho said. “What I really like about the end of this story is that, on one hand, there was a fantastic guy, and on the other, a perfect guy. It was a problem, but in the end, I got to know both of them.” UEFA’s disciplinary decision on April 24 sanctioned Prestianni for homophobic discriminatory conduct. It imposed a six-match suspension, with three matches suspended for a two-year probationary period. That is the disciplinary outcome behind Mourinho’s distinction regarding the basis of the punishment. Referees, Manchester City and football’s changing structures Mourinho also returned to his relationship with referees, linking his experiences in different countries to the controversies surrounding those competitions. “I don’t think the problem is me. The problem is the bad luck I have when I arrive at a particular club. I experienced Negreira’s important period here at Real Madrid. Nobody knew it, but we lived through it. It happened. It happened. I left afterwards, now everyone knows,” he said. On Manchester City’s case, he joked about the length of the process and the prospect of further appeals. “I prefer to laugh a little, because I think we’ll have an ending. We will have an ending. But the two of us, who are nearing 60, should be lucky enough to be here when the final verdict is delivered. Because now the sentence will come, and after a year, there will be an appeal.” Mourinho was similarly sceptical about the idea that football continually reinvents itself, describing tactical developments as cyclical. He also questioned the growth of clubs’ travelling staff, contrasting a page of players’ hotel rooms with a much longer list for analysts, media personnel and other employees. “There is no evolution. It’s a cycle. It comes and goes, they say. Because you always come back,” he said. Ancelotti’s photographs and an emotional return to Rome There was a lighter exchange about Carlo Ancelotti, with Mourinho recalling the Brazil coach’s interest in the fitness and development of Madrid’s Brazilian players. He joked about how frequently he encounters reminders of his predecessor around the training complex. “Carlo, I’m fed up with you, because every day I walk down the corridor: pictures of Carlo here, pictures of Carlo there. I’m fed up with you!” Mourinho’s discussion of Roma was more reflective. Ahead of Madrid’s Champions League visit on October 14, he said his departure had not diminished his affection for the club. “The farewell broke my heart. There isn’t, and never will be, a single word from me against Roma or its ownership: when I leave, I leave with clean hands and with the feeling that it will be my home forever. The day I arrived, there were thousands of people to welcome me, and I hadn’t even done anything yet. I don’t deserve this, but that’s Roma.” On returning as an opponent, he added: “I have to prepare because it’s the first time I’m going without the support of the Giallorossi fans. I don’t expect chants or banners, just a lot of respect.” As for his longer-term future, Mourinho’s answer was straightforward: “As long as I have my health, I will continue training.” Why Carvajal’s agreed salary does not settle his Getafe registration Dani Carvajal’s potential move to Getafe remains complicated by LaLiga’s financial-control assessment, even after the player and club reached an economic understanding. Getafe president Ángel Torres has said the former Madrid defender passed his medical, but registration is a separate obstacle. According to DAZN journalist Pablo Pinto, the figure being assigned to Carvajal for squad-cost purposes is €2.6 million annually—higher than the salary reportedly negotiated between the parties. The distinction is important: that figure is not a transfer fee and does not necessarily represent what Carvajal would receive in wages. It is the amount Getafe would need to accommodate for financial-control purposes. LaLiga’s assessment considers more than the amount written into a new contract. The criteria described in the reporting include age, injury history, recent appearances, international experience, honours, contract duration and market conditions. Consequently, accepting a lower salary does not automatically make a player eligible for registration within a club’s available limit. There is also a contractual point still under discussion. Roberto Gómez reported on Radio MARCA that Carvajal wants an exit clause allowing him to leave during the winter window if another opportunity arises. “What Carvajal wants is a clause that would allow him to leave if he receives an offer from another team during the winter transfer window,” Gómez said. Pinto has also reported that request. Between the registration valuation and the proposed January exit mechanism, the move remains unresolved rather than a completed signing. Roma’s Wesley reportedly contacts Endrick as Milan remain interested Endrick continues to attract interest from Italy, with Corriere dello Sport reporting that Roma wing-back Wesley has contacted his Brazil teammate about the possibility of joining him in January. According to the account, Wesley told Endrick how pleased he would be to welcome him to Rome and share a dressing room. The contact is described as an exchange between friends, rather than a formal club-to-club agreement. Roma and AC Milan are both being linked with the Madrid forward as his search for more playing time draws attention ahead of the winter window. The same reporting identifies the structure of any potential move as an issue still to be resolved: Madrid’s preference is described as a loan, while Roma would like an arrangement including a purchase option and a buy-back mechanism. There is no completed agreement in that account. The immediate meeting between the clubs will take place on the pitch, with Madrid visiting the Stadio Olimpico in the Champions League on October 14. Tchouaméni: “I took risks… but I don’t regret anything” Aurélien Tchouaméni has acknowledged that he played through pain at the World Cup, explaining that the tournament’s importance influenced decisions he might not have made under different circumstances. Speaking to France 24, the midfielder said those choices subsequently affected him physically. “From the third or fourth match onwards, and even a little before, I was in pain. Obviously, it’s a World Cup, so we try to do everything possible to be as prepared as possible and perform at our best on the pitch. I took risks that I might not have taken at another time, but I don’t regret anything. The players understand that sometimes there are circumstances that demand you give your all. And that’s what I did. I paid the price afterward, but it’s part of my story and I have no regrets about it.” Asked about his performance in France’s defeat to Spain, Tchouaméni accepted that he had not been able to show his usual level. “No, obviously, I wasn’t the real Aurélien Tchouaméni. But it’s not the first time it’s happened, and it won’t be the last. There are many moments during a competition when we talk with the medical and coaching staff; you have to do what’s necessary to be on the pitch, and that’s what I did.” Looking ahead, he expressed his determination to return to the national team under Zinedine Zidane. “There’s a new manager here who’s doing a very good job, and any ambitious player aspires to play for the French national team. It’s like everything in life: if you perform well, it will happen.” He declined to choose between the French Ballon d’Or candidates, offering only: “Obviously, it has to be a Frenchman.” Villarreal lose Buchanan but plan to press Madrid Villarreal will be without Tajon Buchanan for Saturday’s match after the winger returned from international duty with a muscle injury. Coach Iñigo Pérez confirmed the absence while reporting better news on Juan Foyth and Santi Comesaña. “Buchanan will not be available. He has a minor muscle injury. We don’t know how long he will be out. He is committed and will work to return as soon as possible. Comesaña and Foyth have trained well these past few weeks and are available,” Iñigo said. Nathan Saliba, Tani Oluwaseyi and Alex Freeman had not rejoined Thursday’s session following their international commitments, while Santi Mouriño was back with the group. The late arrivals leave Villarreal with limited time to prepare collectively, but Iñigo said he would not use the schedule as an excuse. “You’ll never hear me complain about these things. I don’t waste energy on something that’s predetermined. We focus on how, in a single day, we’re going to implement the things we want to see at the Bernabéu.” Iñigo wants aggression rather than a retreat The Villarreal coach described the Bernabéu as an opportunity to demonstrate his team’s level, while acknowledging the need to withstand periods of Madrid pressure. His preferred approach, however, is to make the visitors active participants rather than allow the game to be played entirely on Madrid’s terms. “I envision a match where we can press high, knowing they’ll look to attack the space behind us. With the ball, I imagine we’ll dominate, and they’ll wait for a mistake, a slip-up, to attack and hurt us. The players repeat patterns, their behavior is clear, because they’re usually successful, so we know what’s going to happen in each situation. The key is how we approach the match so they don’t hurt us. I hope we’re clinical in both penalty areas.” Iñigo also stressed that the approach requires conviction from the coaching staff as well as the players. “There is a key emotional component; the coach has to be convinced. He has to convince them that their energy will be spent going forward, not backward.” Despite a Champions League meeting with Napoli following the Madrid fixture, he said his immediate focus remained Saturday’s game rather than potential rotations. Cardona: “You have to play a brave game” Sergi Cardona expressed a similar view in an interview with AS, arguing that Villarreal must be willing to challenge Madrid rather than simply try to contain them. “We always see Real Madrid for what they are: one of the best teams you can face. We’re aware that it’s always difficult there, but I think the team is capable of winning on that pitch. I sincerely believe it’s a great opportunity for us after everything we’ve been through. The idea is to go there and be brave. If you want to beat Real Madrid, you have to play a brave game, going toe-to-toe with them.” The full-back said that allowing Madrid to choose when to accelerate would create its own problems. “The footballer always prefers to attack and go after his opponent, and I also think they wouldn’t prefer a team that goes after them and makes things difficult for them. They prefer a match where they control the game, where they can accelerate when they want. If you allow them to dictate the pace and attack when they want, controlling the game and the ball, the match will feel very long. If you push forward, you can win back possession and feel strong enough to hurt them; all of that adds energy.” Kroos reportedly expresses interest in coaching course Toni Kroos has informed the RFEF that he is interested in joining a coaching course for former professional players during the 2027–28 season, according to AS. The report describes a gradual exploration of coaching rather than an imminent appointment. Madrid had previously discussed bringing Kroos into the club’s structure, with José Ángel Sánchez speaking to him about a possible role. However, the account says the two sides did not identify the right timing or position, leaving the possibility open rather than completing an agreement. Kroos continues his work with the academy he established in Boadilla. The reported interest in further training should also be distinguished from qualification to coach at every professional level. UEFA A and UEFA Pro are separate licences, with the Pro pathway providing the preparation for professional head-coaching roles. An interest in enrolling does not establish that Kroos has completed the required qualifications or accepted a job at Madrid. Arsuaga recalls the Madrid generations at his father’s funeral Paleoanthropologist Juan Luis Arsuaga has described the moment that made him understand Real Madrid as a lasting community rather than simply a football team. Speaking to AS at the FLEM literary festival in Magaluf, he recalled the funeral of his father, former Madrid player Pedro María Arsuaga. “My father played for Real Madrid for many years, from 1946 to 1953. But he studied Economics, and when he retired from football, he worked as an economist. So, my father was a very well-educated man. He knew many languages because he loved them. And when he took early retirement, he studied Semitic Philology and was studying Hebrew and Arabic,” he said. Asked why his father’s death changed his understanding of the club, Arsuaga pointed to the people who came to pay their respects. “Because when my father died, all generations of footballers came to his funeral. Di Stéfano was there too, even though he already had a lot of trouble walking; he could barely walk anymore. He was younger than my father, not by much, but somewhat. But Pirri and Butragueño came too… All generations came, from those playing now to Di Stéfano.” “What is a club? Well, it’s a tribe. Sometimes you’re born into that tribe, and sometimes it’s by choice. My father could have chosen another one, but once he joined this one, he became part of it. And he was until the day he died.” Bernabéu Skywalk to open with Cirque du Soleil experience The Bernabéu’s Skywalk will open to the public on November 13 with an experience created alongside Cirque du Soleil and Fever. Inspired by Kurios — Cabinet of Curiosities, the attraction will operate until January 10, 2027. The approximately 45-minute route follows the stadium’s south and west walkways on level 10, combining panoramic views of Madrid with themed spaces including the Accordion Tunnel, the Clouds and the Electric Forest. It ends at the Sky Bar, temporarily transformed into “The Train Station,” where visitors will see a short live performance. The experience is separate from the full Kurios production. Opening hours are scheduled for 5–11 p.m. on weekdays and noon–11 p.m. on weekends, with last admission at 10 p.m. December 24 and 31 will have special hours. Tickets will be available through Fever, with a 24-hour presale for those on the waiting list. Prices start at €27 for general admission and €20 for children under 14, varying according to the selected date and time. Video: Huijsen responds to a question about Mbappé Dean Huijsen was filmed answering a question about Kylian Mbappé as he arrived at Valdebebas. His brief response directed the question back to the forward, with the exchange subsequently circulating on social media. ⚪️🇪🇸 Huijsen se para a atender aficionados a la salida de Valdebebas. – ¿Cómo está Mbappé? – Pregúntale a él. 📹 @kikeortizzz pic.twitter.com/CjrAsubiq3 — El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) October 8, 2026 Video: Rodrygo shows his touch during recovery Rodrygo has shared a training clip showcasing his technique as he continues working toward a return. Madrid’s official update on Thursday still listed the Brazilian among the players continuing their recovery programs, alongside Asencio and Mendy. The clip therefore should not be taken as confirmation of a return to unrestricted team training or match availability. 🚨 RODRYGO GOES está muy cerca de VOLVER. 😍🔜🤍 pic.twitter.com/cIMBsZbM5j — (fan) REAL MADRID FANS 🤍 (@AdriRM33) October 7, 2026
- Managing Madrid·1d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Daily Thread: 08 October 2026
The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to d all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Felipejack. Arda is the best player of the month 🗣️ Arda Güler: “I feel a great sense of importance, and I am very happy and proud of this award. I want to thank everyone and hope that we can win the titles this year and that I can contribute to that. We are working to win all the matches that await us.” pic.twitter.com/fha9NwIz5d — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) October 8, 2026 La Liga is blocking Dani’s signing 🚨💣 BREAKING: La Liga is currently BLOCKING Getafe from signing Dani Carvajal. La Liga have concerns over Carvajal agreeing to a salary of €400K at Getafe, having previously earned €10M at Real Madrid. Getafe’s lack of salary cap space is also an issue. @carrusel ❌ pic.twitter.com/Ldy6OW9F8v — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) October 8, 2026 More comments by Davide The AS journalist asked other interesting questions related to Real Madrid. Q: How can a team can survive from Kroos departure. DA: It survives, but it loses something that it will never recover. Kroos was the best player in his position. So, you can’t say “I need another Kroos”, because there isn’t one. He was the owner of the match, he owned the rhythm of the match. The game flowed in the way he wanted. If he wanted the ball to go like this [horizontally], it went like this. If he wanted the ball to go like that [vertically], it went like that. He decided and so he was fundamental. And he ran, he was player who ran 11 km per game. And he defended, he knew to defend, he had tactical sense. I loved when he played as 6. It’s true he didn’t like the second balls and duels, so he preferred to play like an 8 and let the dirty game to the 6, which was Camavinga or Casemiro. But to Real Madrid losing Tony Kroos was difficult, because you lose many things. Apart from the things you lose in daily basis. He is very intelligent, he challenges you, he makes you think, because he always has an interesting point of view. He was a player who improved you as coach. Q: Is Vini a difficult player to coach? DA: It’s a player that every teammate loves. He is a generous person, he doesn’t miss a single training session. He is always there to the team and other players know. When he is doing well in the pitch, he is very decisive. But if you have to know you have a player like him, because he influences the collective play, as he is a very direct, vertical player. He has so much confidence on his skills, that he always takes his man on. Therefore, you need to have a structure behind him that allows you to play with him. If you doesn’t have this structure, the game gets out of control, because Vini always go for the decisive play. Vini won’t change. You can change the structure, so he is valued. And when he is in a good moment, he decides the matches and he did many times in Madrid. Now, I think he is going through a difficult time like all players have had. Q: What do you think when Vini was substituted by Xabi Alonso in El Clasico? DA: First, I felt sorry for Xabi, because I have a good relationship with him. It’s not right, I think Vini knows he made a mistake. These are things you shouldn’t be doing it, out respect for your coach, club, teammates and the fans. It’s on the past now, but how do you manage it? What you can’t manage is the reaction from other people. You can’t control that. The decision coach makes are to win the game at that moment. There is nothing personal. Xabi Alonso made a change he thought was appropriate to win the game. The players in Madrid are professional and they never disrespected us. They don’t want to leave the pitch? Like Vini did, others have done it too, like Kroos a thousand times saying “what are you doing? why are you taking me off?”, Modric has done on his natural language. But that doesn’t mean the players are in charge. In Madrid, the coach is in charge and these are things from the outside.
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- Managing Madrid·2d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Daily Thread: 06 October 2026
The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to d all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Felipejack. Camavinga under Zidane 🚨 Zidane fully SUPPORTS Camavinga. Zidane sees Camavinga as a RARE type of midfielder for France. His physicality and ball circulation make him a major asset. Against Belgium in Brussels, Cama had a 94% pass success, 41/42 passes in opp half, 5 recoveries and 6 duels.… pic.twitter.com/qlHeemqTNF — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) October 7, 2026 The club's way of handling situations with players when they are in a bad form is horrible. Camavinga was not inc in Mou's plans, struggling with injuries etc..but the min he got out of RM's environment & found someone to give him confidence (ZZ) he thrived. Be that as it may. — Mohamed✆ (@BlancoInsight) October 6, 2026 Davide comments Yesterday, I posted the interesting interview AS made with Davided Ancelotti. Here are some of parts: The results during the season are important to build confidence. In a season with Madrid, there are steps: the derby, El Clasico, in between there are two or three Champions League games and then the Super Cup. If you reaches the Super Cup and you’re clearly superior, you think “this year I will win something”. So, I think there are thermometers in the Real Madrid season. The derby test is very important so you can change something for what comes next. And we always went into the derby with problems. This happened in 23/24 season. When that season started, we wanted to play with a diamond in the midfield, because Bellingham arrived that season, but we changed it afterwards. They have a coach who preps the matches very well, especially big matches. They played a lot from the wings in that game and exposed the difficulties we had. Therefore, after the derby, we decided it was better to defend in a 4-4-2. So defenisvely we put Jude in the left side. He had the mental and physical capacity to this position — with the ball, to play as 10, getting into the box, but to play as winger defensively, in which you have to end on your goal line, so it’s not easy. Uber Eats is the new sponsor 🚨 BREAKING: Uber Eats is new sponsor of Real Madrid. ✍️ pic.twitter.com/cPiIWidNgH — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) October 7, 2026 From the official statement: “Real Madrid and Uber Eats announce an agreement under which the platform becomes the official delivery partner of our club in Spain for the next three seasons, until June 2029. The alliance will enable both brands to develop campaigns, content, and experiences aimed at fans. Additionally, it includes Uber Eats’ presence at Bernabéu matches and joint actions on digital channels”. Carvajal and Getafe Carvajal and Getafe had agreed on terms and they were about to have a deal, but La Liga hasn’t approved it yet. The last rumour suggests the has broken down.
- Football España·3d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Arda Güler’s Real Madrid renewal has one key detail unresolved
Arda Güler contract reports point to a Real Madrid renewal, but the midfielder’s new expiry date remains unclear without official terms. The post Arda Güler’s Real Madrid renewal has one key detail unresolved appeared first on Football España.
- Managing Madrid·3d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Did Zidane invigorate Camavinga?
Paris, France - October 5: Eduardo Camavinga of France looks on during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 Group A1 MD4 match between France and Belgium at Stade de France on October 5, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Alex Gottschalk/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty Images) | DeFodi Images via Getty Images These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. I don’t normally like international breaks, but when the club you support is playing poorly — and has been doing so for over two years — and you get a chance to decompress for three weeks while watching your team’s superstars dominate with their national teams, it’s, uh, not that terrible. Jude Bellingham and Arda Güler have been lights out all international break. It’s nice to see Carlos Espi beat up poor San Marino with five goals. There are other things, some good, some bad: Brahim Diaz continues to produce for Morocco, Yan Diomande looks good, Denzel Dumfries under Xavi so far has looked solid; and, Vinicius has been replaced by an alien (this is a half joke). The headlines, though, are definitely that Bellingham and Güler are both incredible and it would be a shame we didn’t capitalize with the right players and scheme around them: I saved one of the best for last: Zinedine Zidane is back, and France are fun again, and football is better with Zidane around. I had three takeaways watching the France vs Belgium game today: It wasn’t the same without Zidane these past few years. Remember when Michael Jordan played basketball and he was the coolest human alive? Then he retired and basketball wasn’t the same. And then he came back to play with the Washington Wizards and he was the coolest man alive again? And then he left, and basketball isn’t the same without him. And whenever he makes a cameo somewhere once every 10 years, you just wish he was always around, because he’s that cool. Zidane is the football version of that. He has aura (as the kids say) and his presence is magnetic. He is instantly the coolest person in any room he walks in. Evidently the Real Madrid player who needed this international break the most was Eduardo Camavinga. He looks like he’s benefitted greatly from have Zidane whispering confidence in his ear while sprinkling gold dust in his boots. Camavinga looked really good tonight as France’s anchor. Camavinga is among the list of Real Madrid midfielders that don’t look good in a double pivot — so why does Jose Mourinho insist on it? The third point has been on my mind this entire international break. Neither of these three players work in a double pivot together in any combination against elite teams: Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde. If you plug in Toni Kroos with one of them, fine. But we all know Kroos is gone, and that drum has been beaten to death. It might work if you stick Güler or Bellingham deeper as an 8, but Mourinho has shown us zero inclination that that’s a possibility. The only other potential piece that could make it tick is Bernardo Silva, who hasn’t featured much, yet. There is another solution, and I’m not sure how likely it is: Mourinho can change his scheme and try an entirely different formation. Watching Camavinga play is just a reminder (and this is a general analysis not just about this particular France game): None of these Real Madrid midfielders are suited for a double pivot as the squad is currently constructed. — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) October 5, 2026 There is something inherently frustrating for Madridistas to see so many of their players look good with their national teams, and yet, when they all return to Real Madrid, the puzzle pieces just don’t fit properly. This is where Mourinho needs to be less rigid with how he deploys the team and needs to start getting more creative with his solutions after the international break ends. There is a caveat in Camavinga’s performance against Belgium tonight in that the Belgians sat deep for the majority of this game, which gave Camavinga a ton of room to operate. The way to make Camavinga uncomfortable is to put pressure on him and test his mental resilience in deep positions. I state this as a word of caution in case Madridistas get carried away with what they saw tonight. Having said that, Camavinga put in a very solid cameo. His distribution — short and long — was on point, he took up really good positions in between the lines, and had a nasty signature Cobra Slide Tackle just before half-time on Morreira in a dangerous position. He read passing lanes well, and racked up the most interceptions (four) of anyone on the field. Zidane-ball can be extremely fun, as everyone on this website already knows. Zidane likes to pump the ball out to line-breaking wingers as quickly as possible, and if the pass is not on, then — and only then — does the ball go central until they can swing it around to the other side and try again. It’s a lot of positive chaos, and France were so relentless, it was only a matter of time the dam broke. As soon as Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise came on, they turned this game on its head and overwhelmed Belgium. Whether or not Camavinga will return to Madrid at his best, only time will tell. But having him work under Zidane doesn’t seem to be doing him any harm, that much is certain.
- Managing Madrid·4d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Güler, Real Madrid reach agreement to extend contract until 2031 -report
Real Madrid and midfielder Arda Güler have reached an agreement to extend the player’s contract until 2031, according to a report published today on AS. Güler has also received a significant salary raise and while the club have not announced this extension the agreement is all but done. Güler has become one of the team’s most crucial players and the club felt like he deserved this extension and raise. He signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 and he found a way to earn a relevant role, fulfilling the potential the club saw in him when they decided to sign him away from Fenerbahce. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is next in line to sign an extension, according to that same report. This time, it will be a one-year deal.
- Managing Madrid·4d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Milan joins Roma in race to sign Endrick on loan -report
AC Milan are interested in signing Endrick on a loan deal this upcoming winter and have joined Roma in the race to land the Brazilian attacker should he become available, according to a report published on MARCA. The writing seems to be on the wall for Endrick. He has only played a handful of minutes this season and it looks like he won’t be playing relevant minutes on a consistent basis for Real Madrid, even if the coaching staff wanted to keep him around this past summer. Knowing that, the Brazilian player will almost certainly want to leave on another loan deal so that he can find the minutes he needs to keep improving his game, something he needs to earn himself more minutes for Madrid.
- Guardian Football·5d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Let’s stop doubting Thomas Tuchel: England are impressive and Euro 2028 is the target
Coming third in the World Cup was really not a disaster, and Saturday’s rout of Croatia and building the team around Jude Bellingham are good signs Move fast and fix things. It has been a fine week so far for Thomas Tuchel as he attempts the cyclical task of soldering together not just an England team, but a way of looking like one, all the while being battered by the to-and-fro conflicting winds of England managerdom. There is nothing new here. This is a job that involves not just picking the right players and making high-stakes calculations over your second-half substitutions, but carrying out these basic duties while wrestling with aggrieved members of the Thuggee cult on a collapsing rope bridge outside the Temple of Doom, and simultaneously having your heart ripped out. Continue reading...
- BBC Sport·5d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid join race for Scott - Monday's gossip
Bournemouth's Alex Scott at the centre of a transfer tussle, Arsenal show interest in Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz, Real Betis rebuff speculation linking Troy Parrott with a move away, plus more.
- Managing Madrid·5d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
A night to forget for Vinicius in India
KOLKATA, INDIA - OCTOBER 3: Vinicius Jr. of Brazil in action during FIFA International Friendly match against India at Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Stadium on October 3, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo by Samir Jana/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) | Hindustan Times via Getty Images Brazil defeated India 0-4 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium in Kolkata behind 1st half goals from Chelsea right winger Estevao and Flamengo centre-forward Pedro and a double in the 2nd half from Flamengo left winger Samuel Lino. Brazil dominated play, attempting 20 shots on the evening compared to only 9 from their South Asian rivals. Vinicius had a night to forget, completing only 7 of 13 passes, distributing zero key passes and attempting zero dribbles while also missing a big scoring chance. The Real Madrid winger, who appears to be playing with little confidence, will need to show significant improvement to justify his place in the starting 11 for club and country alike going forward. Vinicius produced only 1 goal (via penalty) and zero assists for Brazil in 3 matches during this international break, looking like a shell of the player we witnessed just 3 months ago at the World Cup. Endrick also had a quiet 29 minutes, failing to create a scoring chance and attempting only 7 passes. The Real Madrid forward also saw none of his 3 shot attempts be on target. The Brazilian internationals now head back to their club teams, the Seleção’s next opponent being Japan on November 14th at the Singapore National Stadium as part of the Mizuho Blue Challenge four-team tournament. View this post on Instagram
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- Managing Madrid·5d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Roma interested in Endrick loan deal -report
Real Madrid striker Endrick might be forced to consider yet another loan deal out of the club this upcoming winter and Roma appear to have serious interest in that kind of move, according to a report published today on MARCA. Endrick has only played four minutes for Real Madrid this season and appears to be buried in José Mourinho’s depth chart. In that context, he knows that he needs minutes to keep improving and developing as a player, so a loan deal makes sense for all parts involved. Furthermore, Endrick already agreed to a loan move last winter and ended up scoring eight goals and delivering five assists on 21 matches played for Olympique Lyon, so he has seen first hand how helpful these moves can be.
- Guardian Football·6d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Bellingham stands out for high-grade England but Uefa sends out wrong message on racism | Barney Ronay
Allowing children in after a ban on adult fans was wrong in the extreme but on the pitch England showed genuine class So … can we play another World Cup, then? Can we just undo and rewind? Forget whatever it was you thought you saw in Atlanta. We’re actually ready now. Although not, repeat not, if any part of this involves playing football in front of 6,000 excitable children, the combined effect of which was to create an atmosphere in Rijeka the adult human ear is simply not designed to process. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·7d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Obrador about leaving Real Madrid for Benfica: “I didn’t think twice about it”
Former Real Madrid player Rafa Obrador has talked to AS about his move to Benfica in the summer of 2025. “When Benfica called me, I didn’t think twice. It was a great opportunity. Every player’s dream is to play in the Champions League, and Benfica always competes in Europe. It’s a giant club,” he said. Obrador is now playing for Sassuolo on a loan deal. “Serie A has a very important history, and I think I can adapt well here. Italian football is very physical and intense, but I really like the idea Sassuolo proposes: having possession, playing calmly, and finding spaces. As a full-back, they also ask me to play a bit more centrally, not just as the typical full-back glued to the wing. They want us to be versatile and able to offer various options to the team,” he explained. Obrador was a quality player for Castilla but was never considered the kind of prospect that could play for Real Madrid in the long term. He will try to earn a spot in Benfica’s 2027-28 team by completing good performances in the Serie A.
- Managing Madrid·8d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Open Thread: October 1, 2026
The Open Thread/Daily Merengue is a place where you can discuss anything and everything related to football. Feel free to discuss the topics presented here, or start your very own discussions! The Open thread will be posted every day by one of the mods you’d totally do a sushi night with: Valyrian Steel, Felipejack, Kung_Fu_Zizou (AKA KFZ), Juninho, Ezek and, of course… yours truly. Always Happy to See a Star Trying Trent did have a good game the other night. And I’m glad to see it, cause we’ve seen the man struggle, recently, for the club, while also being left out of his national team. There’s real quality in him, with obvious strengths and weaknesses. He can definitely contribute in moving the ball about and creation. 🚨 Trent does NOT give up. Trent had 7 recoveries, 1 assist, 3 key passes, and dribbled past only once vs Czechia. He wants to rediscover his Premier League performances and become Real Madrid's STARTING RB. @diarioas pic.twitter.com/uSBQqhQEhb — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) October 1, 2026 Curious to See How this One Plays Out 🚨 BREAKING: Endrick could LEAVE Real Madrid on loan in January if he doesn't get enough playing time in the next 3 months. The player will make a decision in January. Many clubs are interested in him, including some of the biggest clubs in Europe. @diarioas pic.twitter.com/waqwFGyrdF — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) September 30, 2026 🚨 JUST IN: Endrick will reassess his situation in January, a loan deal similar to Lyon’s is POSSIBLE. Roma had AGREED a deal to sign him on loan in the summer, but a conversation with José Mourinho stopped the transfer. The Italian club REMAIN interested. Real Madrid FULLY… pic.twitter.com/13d54JFYum — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 30, 2026 Okay… Not that I don’t like Olise, but this would require somewhat of a shakeup. Perhaps Yan moving to the left and VIni departing. Also, not sure how we could accommodate Arda. 🚨 BREAKING: Michael Olise wants a RELEASE CLAUSE if he renews with Bayern. Real Madrid remain on the LOOKOUT. @BILD 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/93qQBo6Ned — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 29, 2026
- Sky Sports·9d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
How Man City's 'disguised funding scheme' changed the football landscape
When Sheikh Mansour completed his takeover in September 2008, marking the start of his ownership with the sensational and then-record signing of Robinho from Real Madrid, Manchester City were a club with two top-flight titles in their 114-year history.
- Football España·9d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
January Could Open Real Madrid Door for Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk could join Real Madrid for free in 2027, but age, wages and Liverpool’s contract stance remain key factors in any deal. The post January Could Open Real Madrid Door for Virgil van Dijk appeared first on Football España.
- Managing Madrid·10d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Rodrygo closing in on total recovery from ACL tear
Real Madrid striker Rodrygo Goes reached a milestone in his recovery from the ACL tear he suffered in early 2026, as he completed some touches with the football during Monday’s training session with the group. The Brazilian forward won’t be expected to be cleared to play at least until January, according to reports published on the Spanish press. Even then, Rodrygo will need significant time to improve his conditioning and even his confidence before he can actually contribute for Real Madrid. Los Blancos have depth in the attacking line, so expecting Rodrygo to be a major contributor this season might not be entirely realistic. This is good news for Real Madrid, as Eder Militao also rejoined the squad in training this Monday. Rodrygo, Militao and Mendy remain the three long-term injured players on the squad.
- Sky Sports·11d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Papers: Real Madrid defender rejected interest from Chelsea and Liverpool
The top stories and transfer rumours from Tuesday's newspapers...
- Guardian Football·11d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Defensive flux gives Tuchel headache but Alexander-Arnold could be remedy | Jacob Steinberg
Chopping and changing the back four has been a big feature for England this year and the Real Madrid man could be a solution England ended 2025 protected by a shield of deceptive strength. They went through qualifying for the World Cup without conceding a goal and secured a shutout during a routine friendly win against Wales. However, clean sheets have been harder to come by this year. England have kept four in 13 games in 2026, meaning it may not be long before Thomas Tuchel rethinks his suggestion that the way to deal with his side’s lack of control is to embrace chaos. There is, of course, an irony to telling Tuchel to sort out his defence. Isn’t this what we wanted? England were limp and passive when they lost their World Cup semi-final against Argentina. At least the mindset was positive when Tuchel’s side opened their Nations League campaign with a sprightly but flawed 3-2 defeat against Spain last Saturday. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·11d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Camavinga: “I need to focus on the field and not make mistakes”
Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga talked to the press during France’s training camp and answered some relevant questions about his current role in the Spanish capital but also with the national team. When asked about what he needs to do in order to get a more prominent role, Camavinga was self-aware. “I need to be consistent. I think right now what makes things happen is consistency. The most important thing is to concentrate on the field and not make mistakes. That gives you consistency,” he said. He was also asked about his best roles and positions as a player. “We have quite a few left backs, I won’t say left back. I have the opportunity to play as an ‘8’ and ‘6’ right now. The coach knows it. I think you guys know what my preferred position is,” he added. Camavinga also shared his feelings about missing the World Cup. “The fact that I didn’t get to play in the World Cup really got to me, because every player dreams of competing in it. Rome wasn’t built in a day. These kinds of disappointments hadn’t come my way in my career. It’s something I need to deal with,” he explained.
- Managing Madrid·11d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Endrick: “Being a football player is not hard, waking up at 5 AM is”
Real Madrid striker Endrick talked to Ge and shared some thoughts about his career and his last few months as a football player. “There can be moments of a lot of pressure, but you have to be grateful for what football gives you. It’s not hard to be a football player. What’s hard is getting up at five in the morning and working on a Sunday. I just play football, which is what I love most,” said Endrick about the reality of being a professional football player. Endrick went back and shared some memories about Brazil’s shocking loss to Norway in the FIFA World Cup. “It was a very difficult moment. It’s a wound that still remains, and that we have to try to heal as quickly as possible,” he added. Endrick hasn’t made his season debut for Real Madrid yet and some rumors suggest that he could be considering another loan deal during the winter transfer window so that he can get consistent minutes to polish and develop his game.
- Football España·12d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Kylian Mbappe’s Knee Injury Leaves Return Date Unclear
Mbappe injury remains under review after Real Madrid confirm a left-knee hyperextension, with no recovery timetable announced for the France international. The post Kylian Mbappe’s Knee Injury Leaves Return Date Unclear appeared first on Football España.
- Managing Madrid·13d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
OPEN THREAD | SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
Welcome to The Daily Merengue! THESE ARE YOUR MODS: Ezek XI, Valyrian Steel, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho HOW SOON IS TOO SOON? Should young players make the switch to top clubs at 18? or wait till 21/22 before making the move? Personally, i think we shouldn’t sign any youngster unless they’re really exceptional. And most youngsters under 21 shouldn’t make any big switches till they’re 21/22. Maybe i’m pragmatic and looking for the exceptional. But my criteria are as follows: The age range for all these categories are 18-22 FOR FORWARDS: The player needs to have played 2-3 full seasons as a regular starter with 30-40 games or more under their belt. And no less than double digit goals in each season. minimum, 14-15/season. FOR MIDFIELDERS: Likewise, they need 4-5 years of starting football under their belt, an extra year because midfielders require time and setting to bloom and hone their craft. FOR DEFENDERS: 3 seasons tops, of first team football. Young defenders need to work on their mentality & maturity twice as much as their other abilities. because consistent concentration is more important for them than anything. FOR GOALIES: 2 Seasons of first team football with consistent individual progress. Goalies take much longer to mature than most other positions. What do you think? We’re in a world where everything is rushed, so they give these kids 1 season tops. which is why you tend to see alot of “wonder kids” turned average, pretty quickly.
- Managing Madrid·16d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Analysis: How Real Madrid’s Passivity Allows Opponents To Thrive
Passiveness has cost Real Madrid a lot. The team’s out of possession woes have been exposed. Passivitiy gives opponents the opportunity to return in the game when the score is tight, enabling them to steal points from Real Madrid. Passivity is clearly apparent in how Real Madrid acts through different game states: When Real Madrid are ahead: Possession drops from 58% to 49.8%. It is intentional, and at the same time, the opponents find themselves in a situation where they have to try to get back into the scoreline. xG, crosses, and shots are the same when winning and drawing; however, accuracy improves because the team is already in a positive game state, which means players aren’t under as much stress when taking shots. The number of counterattacks is nearly double in the neutral game state because Real Madrid gives up possession, sits deeper, and relies more on the pace of players like Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior to hit large spaces. The number of possession losses increases as well, because the players tend to be more adventurous and less risk-averse. There is an increase in long passes (19.4) compared to when the team is level (15.43). Real Madrid clips long passes 5.91% of the time when drawing. However, the number jumps to 6.5% when the team is ahead. It’s worth noting that neither Real Madrid has a target striker nor is there a plan to hunt second balls, which increases the possession loss rate. The PPDA (Passes per defensive action measures how many passes the team has allowed the opponent before making a defensive action in the advanced 60% of the pitch) is already low throughout different game states and is at its lowest point when winning (18.5). Atlético Madrid was a real test for Real Madrid and José Mourinho. The Metropolitano has been a tough nut to crack, and with the display the team showcased, it has become a curse for Los Blancos. The strategy José Mourinho adopted was no different from the one Real Madrid relied on against Inter: trying to get into a positive game state quickly enough and defend the lead by sitting deeper in order to force Atlético Madrid to play under less favourable circumstances. However, Diego Simeone’s side didn’t give their rivals in Madrid what they aspired to. Not only that, but Real Madrid spent most of the time in a neutral game state and were forced to deal with a trailing position while being one player down. This is how Real Madrid’s possession numbers looked throughout the game: First of all, Real Madrid’s possession was below 50% throughout the game. Moreover, half an hour in, the possession rates kept plummeting. According to Wyscout, Real Madrid generated nothing from counterattacks in the Madrid derby. Additionally, the white team created close to nothing from open play (0.17 xG) and failed to exert any sort of territorial dominance, as highlighted in the field tilt graph: In the piece Real Madrid’s Problems Vs Real Betis, In Detail, we highlighted that: “Surrendering possession and resorting to defending deep over certain periods gave the opposition team the opportunity to look for different routes to generate threat and return in the score, especially when Real Madrid doesn’t display compactness and coordination during these phases. In fact, it becomes riskier in neutral game states, as the team concedes play near the penalty box, which means it becomes susceptible to giving up more crosses, shots, set pieces, etc and as a consequence, the probability of conceding goals increases.” In the Derby, Real Madrid experienced playing in a neutral game state for a long period and defending in a passive way. On the other side, Atlético Madrid was comfortable, didn’t find themselves pinned in their final third, and kept the ball for the majority of the time in the attacking half. As a consequence, Simeone’s side controlled the game more efficiently and exploited Real Madrid’s defensive frailties to exacerbate José Mourinho’s side’s situation and force the visitors to chase the game with a player down. The red card was rock bottom for Real Madrid and was a culmination of the team’s approach to the game. The incident leading to the red card painted the picture of what Real Madrid is curently is. The lack of intensity and urgency paved the road for Atlético to escape the traffic on their right side easily and switch the play to the underloaded side, where David Hancko found an island in front of him to scamper forward, noticing Giuliano Simeone’s channel run beyond Dean Huijsen. The latter behaved in a reckless way, holding the Argentinian winger by the arms for the referee to send him off: Five minutes after Grimaldo’s goal, Real Madrid paid the price for their passive approach for the second time. Atlético Madrid enticed Mourinho’s side to step up from the 4-4-1 medium block. Mbappé and Valverde jumped onto the center-backs; Diomandé ran from in-to-out toward Llorente. Tchouaméni and Bellingham marked Koke and Cardoso. David, Baena, and Kang-In pinned Konaté, Rudiger, and Cucurella. Hence, Romero picked out Simeone free on the right flank. Kang-In pulled off wide, opening up the diagonal lane between Simeone and Baena. The trio broke down Real Madrid’s midfield via a third-man combination. Neither Diomandé nor Cucurella reacted intensely against Kang-In and Simeone. The latter comfortably crossed the ball for Jonathan David to tap it in between Dumfries and Konaté: There is a famous quote from Pep Guardiola, shedding light on the purpose of ball possession: “We do not pass to move the ball. We pass to move the opposition.” When Real Madrid surrenders possession, the players need to run, chase, press, step up intensely, retreat quickly, etc., which increases the rate of physical fatigue compared to when the team opts for a proactive approach. European Journal of Sport Science published a study about “The influence of ball in/out of play and possession in elite soccer” and found that: “Ball possession markedly effected physical intensity, with the rates of distance covered running (+31%), at high-speed (+30%) and in total (+7%) greater out than in possession.” So, not only does giving up the ball and defending in a loose shape increase the probability of defeat, but it also contributes to more fatigue and physical load compared to when the team dominates possession.
- Managing Madrid·16d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
11-12 IN SPAIN | OPEN THREAD | SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
Welcome to The Daily Merengue! THESE ARE YOUR MODS: Ezek XI, Valyrian Steel, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho ENOUGH OF “MR NICE GUY” Over the past 2+ years, we’ve lost to much on the pitch that now, when i see our players looking as nonchalant as possible. It irritates me more than their inability to follow coaching tactics. Enough of the dapping ups and constant jersey swaps with our enemies, that hate us, after every game. We lose and instead of a deep reflection with a plot for a vigorous comeback, our players just go on shaking hands with each other and the enemy that cost them valuable points. Or when we win in the usual unconvincing fashion, where we manage to convert only 2 out of the 100 chances we had to put the game away early, or we struggled to string 5 passes together before the 1st goal. Then the players carry on like it means nothing. I don’t want to see anybody’s signature celebration after a goal, until we’ve gone 6+ months on the trot, playing very serious ball. MAKE REAL MADRID HATE AGAIN Every perennial and defending champion, must have a bit of hatred in them for losing, for stagnation and for delay. We can’t be taken serious when we win in unconvincing fashion and visibly look okay with it, or when we lose and still look okay with it. Outside of Arda, alot of our players are no longer evolving in their football. Maybe because everything has come to them fast and early. So they see no need to get better and remain stagnated in their individual development. In a time when glory is severely lacking, A perennial winner must make a promise to himself, first, and then to those he represents. Vowing to do everything in their power to bring back joy, glory and honor once again to his domain. These lot can’t promise you anything other than some aura farming IG highlight reel. YAAWWNNN!! there’s a psychology behind it. We’re just too nice and soft. The defiant hatred that used to affect the national team, needs to come back. Especially now that LDF is, IMO, compromised against us and has been moving weird with his national team selections. THE PERFECT BALL IS 100 POINTS Look at the 2011-12 team, they won the most perfect La Liga in our club’s history and were the first in the league to do it. 100 points. No other team/manager in our club’s history has ever been able to do that before or after. Since the refereeing in Spain is pure BS and they only seem to acknowledge errors after the match is finished. I don’t think people understand that we have no choice but to play THE PERFECT BALL. The perfect pass, the perfectly timed run and the perfect tackle. Our legend defender, Pepe, once went 2 whole years without getting a single card. It’s the only way to overcome the damaged/ing football system in Spain. Mbappe can no longer afford anymore off-sides canceling out some of his best goals for us, and he’s had quite a few of them. VAR is very strict with the percentage of the body that is allowed to be ahead of the last defender. Sloppy passing and clueless attacking/defending and static midfield have to go, we can’t afford a third year of these same patterns playing out. FRIENDS FC HAS TO DIE Bring professionalism back to our club again. These young guys still don’t fully understand that they’re “PRO-Athletes”. And the “Pro” stands for Professional. Meaning that there is a certain standard that is required of you once that contract is signed. This is not Tennis and You’re already in a team, so no one is an island and you don’t have to worry about everyone being “together”. It’s called a sports team for a reason. So that settles that. Now, this buddy-buddy cartel that has proven to be a terrorist to order, respect and in game tactics execution. Needs to be entirely brought down with departures, regardless of if we win a trophy/s or not. Friends FC is partially but not entirely responsible for the 2+ years without a trophy and in the process, a disastrous managerial merry go round. Friends FC mustn’t die a natural death, it must receive the second death. The one the bible speaks of. Professionalism must come back to our club, where players take the job serious enough to ensure that no one has their names in their mouth for any reason other than a good one. Lastly, and i know this may never happen, but let people that know football run football. We don’t need anyone from corporate on the 9th floor, deciding things that happen on the pitch. It’s possible to win with the kind of board that we have, but it’s not possible to have sustained success with them. There will always be gaps.
- Managing Madrid·16d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Bellingham set to sign contract extension with Real Madrid -report
Real Madrid and Jude Bellingham are exploring a contract extension which would keep the English midfielder in the club until 2031, according to a report published on MARCA. Bellingham would get a significant salary raise when this extension is agreed upon, per that same report. The English star signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2023 and his current deal expires in 2029. At 23 years old, Bellingham already is one of the world’s best players, although he also has room for improvement. That’s why Real Madrid want to avoid interest from other clubs and sign him to a longer contract. Bellingham has been one of Real Madrid’s most valuable players this season after José Mourinho decided to deploy him as a pure number 10 behind the striker.
- Guardian Football·16d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football Daily | Madrid, Mourinho and the fight for neutrality in row with Javier Tebas
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! While football managers moaning about referees to deflect from their own teams’ shortcomings is nothing new, few do performative, wounded, righteous indignation with quite the same brooding intensity and petulance as José Mourinho. It’s been more than two decades since his moaning preceded a pile-on from angry fans whose threats forced the Swedish referee Anders Frisk into early retirement and in the interim, a steady stream of red cards, touchline bans and mournful post-match monologues have rendered his rap-sheet for badgering officialdom longer than a roll of Andrex toilet paper. On Sunday, Mourinho was at it again, following his 10-man Real Madrid side’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of their bitter city rivals Atlético. He arrived at his post-match presser armed with a sheet of A4 featuring screen-grabs of two tackles made by Atlético players that he felt should have resulted in red cards. “We can save ourselves the bother of the press conference because the story is right here,” he harrumphed, waving his piece of paper in front of assembled hacks before embarking on a paranoid tirade about Spanish match officials continuing to have it in for the put-upon, plucky underdogs of Real Madrid. OK, I’m putting my head above the parapet here, but I disagree with the prevailing view that Thomas Tuchel’s tactics and substitutions led to England’s defeat to Argentina in the Geopolitics World Cup (yesterday’s Football Daily). I believe it was individual errors and an obsession with Lionel Messi that caused the two goals conceded. Goal one: Djed Spence and Harry Kane were doubling up on Messi but Elliot Anderson was unnecessarily drawn over to Messi, which made space for Enzo Fernández to score. Poor defending. Goal two: when marking Messi, Spence and Nico O’Reilly were in parallel with each other rather than being diagonal. This was also poor defending and enabled Messi to cross” – Mike Harrison. Of course, like all right-minded people, I only get my football news from Big Website, but I did chance upon this piece from the wonderfully named Argentinian outlet, Diario Olé. Apparently, the Argentinian FA (which once held an election between two candidates with its 75 members that ended in a 38-38 tie) has announced yet another new trophy, the Recopa de Campeones, a round-robin competition between the winner of the Copa Argentina, SuperCopa Argentina and SuperCopa Internacional, which means Argentinian football looks like this. The late, great Maurits Cornelis Escher would be proud” – Noble Francis. This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·17d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Madrid Daily: Mbappé’s Ballon d’Or case, Pitarch’s return and Espí’s Madrid education
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 20: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid CF looks on during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on September 20, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images) | Getty Images Real Madrid’s international break brings different priorities across the squad, with 15 players heading away on national-team duty and others remaining at Valdebebas for recovery and fitness work. Thiago Pitarch is expected to regain competitive minutes with Castilla, while Kylian Mbappé and Carlos Espí have discussed their ambitions, their relationships with José Mourinho, and the experiences that brought them to Madrid. Elsewhere, the fallout from the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup continues, and there is another postponement in the prosecution of a supporter accused of racially abusing Vinícius Júnior. Castilla minutes planned for Thiago Pitarch Thiago Pitarch is expected to use the international break to rebuild his match fitness with Castilla after returning from the knee injury that disrupted his summer. According to MARCA, as reported by Tribuna, Mourinho has approved a plan for the midfielder to play with the reserves, beginning with Wednesday’s rescheduled fixture against Sant Andreu. Pitarch returned to the first-team squad two weeks ago but did not feature against Inter, Rayo Vallecano, Elche or Atlético Madrid. With the senior side not playing again until October 10, Castilla’s three league fixtures during that period offer an opportunity to accumulate minutes rather than continue waiting for an opening from the first-team bench. Although Mourinho considers him part of his senior group, Pitarch remains registered with Castilla. The arrangement therefore allows him to play for the reserves without representing a permanent change to the coach’s plans for him. A possible Spain Under-20 appearance against Mexico on September 30 could provide another opportunity, although that fixture remains tentative. Pitarch’s last competitive appearance came in Spain’s Under-19 European Championship final on July 11, before he suffered his injury after returning to Valdebebas. Mbappé discusses the Ballon d’Or, Mourinho and choosing Madrid Kylian Mbappé has spoken at length to RFI and The Athletic about his Ballon d’Or ambitions, his career decisions and his expectations at Real Madrid. The Frenchman maintained that winning the individual award matters to him without defining his outlook. “I think it’s a goal for any player, but I don’t think it’s an obsession. I’ve had a good year, a great year on an individual level; I know that’s the most important criterion for the Ballon d’Or. I was the top scorer in the most important competitions and I think it can be a good year for me; I have a good feeling,” he told RFI. Mbappé argued that individual performance should carry particular weight when assessing the candidates. “I don’t think they’re going to announce a team when they open the envelope. They’re going to announce a player, so I think it’s an individual award. And I think that’s what should prevail. Of course, the other factors shouldn’t be disregarded, but I think the ability to perform at a high individual level and leave everyone speechless is what really makes the difference for a trophy like the Ballon d’Or.” He also discussed his connection to Africa and the significance that winning the trophy would have for people who have supported him there. “I have never severed ties with my roots and my origins. I have always had an upbringing steeped in African culture. Every time I go to Africa, I feel the love of the people and I am always very well received. I hope to return with the Ballon d’Or and, in one way or another, dedicate it to them as well.” Mourinho and the responsibility to win Speaking to The Athletic, Mbappé described the squad’s determination to compete for trophies and his curiosity about working with Mourinho. “Everyone expects something from us. We’re hungry and can’t wait to fight for every title,” he said, adding that having Mourinho back at the club was “a privilege.” He explained that the Portuguese coach’s standing in the game had made him eager to experience his methods firsthand. Mbappé also reflected on the scale of his World Cup achievements, admitting that becoming the competition’s all-time leading scorer had arrived earlier than he imagined. “I always wanted to break records and for people to remember my name. But I have to be honest: I didn’t expect to be the all-time top scorer in World Cup history at 27. The World Cup is the competition for the biggest stars, for the greatest players in the history of football.” The Liverpool opportunity—and why he chose Paris One of the interview’s most detailed recollections concerned Liverpool’s attempts to sign him while he was at Monaco. Mbappé said his mother had been particularly enthusiastic about the possibility of him playing at Anfield under Jürgen Klopp, but his own preference was to establish himself in Paris. “It was when I was playing for Monaco. I had to make a decision. And yes, I was close to Liverpool. My mother loved Jürgen Klopp and her favourite destination was Liverpool. She wanted me to go there. I didn’t listen to her because I wanted to play in my city, Paris. I didn’t want to leave my country before I had become someone.” The discussions included a meeting with Klopp aboard a plane, which Mbappé recalled circling while the manager outlined his project. “I remember we were on the plane, circling and circling in the air while he explained his project to me. I told him, ‘You don’t need to convince me. You’re Jürgen Klopp, it’s Liverpool, a great club, so of course, if I’m here it’s because I have a certain interest. But I have other things, other projects, which are also good.’” Asked about watching PSG win the Champions League after his departure, Mbappé said their subsequent success had not changed his view of his decision to leave. “When I made the decision to leave PSG, my time there was over. I did everything I could for them, and I think I did very well. But I wanted to fulfil my dream of playing for Real Madrid, and at 25, it was the perfect time. For me, it was the best decision.” On, personal values and Cristiano Ronaldo Mbappé also explained his decision to end his association with Nike and join On, describing it as an opportunity to help shape something from its beginning. “I had an incredible history with Nike. I can only thank Nike because they signed me when I was eight years old. With Nike, I realised many of my dreams, from being a child to becoming a global superstar. But I wanted something different because I had changed as a person, as a man, and I had different goals and visions. For them, it’s something new, entering the world of football, and I wanted to be a part of it from the beginning and build a legacy.” On his willingness to speak publicly about matters beyond football, Mbappé said he accepted that expressing his views would not produce universal agreement. “Everyone has their own values and their own mindset. I’m a person who isn’t afraid to speak out. When I believe I’m on the right track and that it’s the right thing to do, I step forward. Of course, I think beforehand about how to say it and how to structure what I’m going to say, but I want to do it. I have no problem with that.” The interview also touched on the relationship between childhood inspiration and his present-day life. Asked about guests for an imaginary dinner, Mbappé named Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Rihanna and Cristiano Ronaldo, whose role in his life has evolved. “Cristiano, who used to be my idol, is now my friend, and I love spending time with him. He gives me advice, he supports me, and he knows I’ll always support him.” Carlos Espí: “Mourinho me pide que ayude a Mbappé” Carlos Espí has discussed his rapid transition from Levante to Real Madrid, his first Spain Under-21 call-up and the demands of contributing from the bench. Speaking to AS, the striker said the international recognition had added to his motivation. “I knew I had a chance, and the Under-21 call-up has really motivated me. I’m very, very eager to support and help the team in any way I can.” Espí recalled the difficulty of keeping his Madrid move confidential while friends repeatedly asked where he would be playing. “It was incredibly difficult,” he said. “Imagine not being able to say you were going to sign for Real Madrid! It was a tough few days, because you want to say it, but you have to do what they ask. They told us it would be done soon, that we shouldn’t say anything. But all I wanted was to tell my friends. You wouldn’t believe how many times they asked me if I was going to one team or another. But I couldn’t say anything! Anyway, I’m very happy. And they’re very happy for me.” There was little hesitation when Madrid’s interest became concrete. “As soon as Real Madrid was mentioned, we knew it was a big step in my career, a chance to grow, to improve every day. You do that in every training session, you learn new things. Every minute I play for Real Madrid is extra motivation.” Mourinho’s instructions and learning alongside Mbappé Espí credited Mourinho with helping him feel comfortable while maintaining demanding expectations. “Given Mourinho’s track record, for him to welcome me the way he did from day one, to be so demanding of me… It makes me feel more comfortable, more secure, more confident. It’s a privilege that Mourinho treats me this way.” Asked what the coach tells him before introducing him into difficult match situations, Espí outlined a straightforward brief. “First of all, he always tells me to give my all. Whether it’s five, 10, or 15 minutes. To give everything. And to help Kylian, who’s next to me, so we complement each other up front.” The striker said moving from a prominent role at Levante to competing for limited minutes at Madrid had not changed his immediate priorities. “I’m here to seize every opportunity. I want to improve, I want to grow. Training with people like Kylian, Jude… with everyone. It’s incredible to see how competitive and demanding they are. I’m learning and improving a lot. Every time I step onto the pitch, I want to give my all and help out.” He also acknowledged the comparisons with Joselu without treating them as a blueprint he must follow. “He’s him, and I’m me. He made the most of his opportunities, and every time I play, I try to make the most of them. I do what the manager says: work my hardest for Real Madrid. He’s also a target man; we’re similar. But I focus on myself, on how I can help the team.” Responding to the derby defeat Espí stressed the importance of unity after Sunday’s defeat at Atlético Madrid and suggested that the break offered an opportunity to regroup. “Everyone wants to win, especially a derby at Atleti’s ground. It’s tough, of course, but there are still many games to play. We have to stick together, not give up, I think we’ll pull through. This break is good for us to recharge and look ahead.” He spoke positively about reuniting with Gonzalo García in the Under-21 squad, saying the two could complement each other but that selection remained the coach’s decision. Asked for three wishes, Espí named winning trophies with Madrid, reaching Spain’s senior team and enjoying a productive international window. His Ballon d’Or choice required no deliberation: “Mbappé.” Figo expects Madrid to respond Luís Figo has backed Real Madrid to remain competitive over the course of the season, arguing that their response to difficult periods will matter more than any single result. “I’m sure Madrid will compete until the end,” Figo told Radio MARCA. “This is a competition that needs to be consistent until May. There will be ups and downs throughout the season. When there are lows, you have to have the maturity and also the quality to overcome them and move forward.” Asked about Mourinho’s reaction after the derby, Figo declined to assess the coach’s conduct. “Mourinho did what he thought he would do at that moment. I have no reason to comment on his reaction after the derby. I believe they are personal actions, and if he did it, it’s because that’s how he felt.” He also praised Mbappé’s consistency. “He’s always at a very high level. He’s made us accustomed to him being one of the best in the world, to scoring goals.” Fifteen players leave for international duty Real Madrid have confirmed that 15 players will represent their national teams during the September–October window. Ten will participate in the Nations League, while Brahim Díaz and Yan Diomande have Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and friendlies. Vinícius and Endrick join Brazil for three friendlies, and Carlos Espí heads to Spain’s Under-21 squad for European Championship qualifying. Two early fixtures will put Madrid teammates on opposite sides: Arda Güler’s Turkey host the France contingent of Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté and Eduardo Camavinga on September 25, before Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jude Bellingham’s England face Dean Huijsen and Marc Cucurella’s Spain at Wembley the following evening. The club’s published schedule is below. All kick-off times are Madrid time. Recovery work at Valdebebas AS reports that 11 players will remain under the club’s supervision during the break: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Antonio Rüdiger, Raúl Asencio, Álvaro Carreras, Fede Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Pitarch, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo. Their programs will differ according to fitness and availability, with Pitarch’s schedule expected to include Castilla matches. Valverde’s priority is recovery. Madrid confirmed on Tuesday that tests revealed a grade-three sprain in his left ankle, without specifying a return date. Tchouaméni will have an opportunity to improve his conditioning, while Militão, Mendy and Rodrygo continue their rehabilitation. Wanderers coach criticises pre-final stadium visit Santiago Wanderers coach Felipe Salinas has criticised aspects of his team’s preparations for Saturday’s Under-20 Intercontinental Cup final, which Madrid won 3–1. In comments to Chilean media, Salinas questioned the length of the Bernabéu tour his players undertook the day before the match, arguing that it added unnecessary physical demands to an already challenging trip. Salinas said the visit involved extensive walking and repeated trips up and down stairs, prompting him to ask the accompanying guide when it would finish. He also pointed to the journey from Chile and the physical requirements of facing Madrid as factors his team had needed to manage. Communication with referee Damian Sylwestrzak was another complaint raised by members of the Wanderers group. Goalkeeper Fabiano Avello told Radio ADN that the language barrier had made discussions with the officials difficult. “We had zero communication with the referee. The Real Madrid players spoke fluent English, so they were talking to the referee, and we couldn’t get past two words.” Avello described that as a disadvantage, saying his teammates struggled to understand the referee. The comments represent the coach’s and goalkeeper’s accounts of the experience; the reporting cited here does not establish that Wanderers have lodged a formal complaint against Madrid. Video: Diomande’s TikTok references his transfer fee Yan Diomande has attracted attention with a TikTok video in which he sings along to Migbo (Remix) by Sethlo and L’Oiseau Rare. The excerpt references a €140 million figure and continuing to progress despite criticism: 💰 “140 MILLONES”. 👀 “Siempre van a venir a criticarnos… Solo seguimos subiendo”. 💥 DIOMANDE se REIVINDICA en redes sociales. ¡Nos vemos a las 12 de la noche en Energy! pic.twitter.com/PI1ifXpfGh — El Chiringuito TV (@elchiringuitotv) September 21, 2026 L’Équipe graphic renews discussion of Madrid’s attacking positions A graphic published by L’Équipe has circulated widely following the derby, highlighting the overlap between Mbappé’s and Vinícius’ positions on the left side of Madrid’s attack. The French publication used the first-half positioning to question how the forwards were sharing space before Huijsen’s dismissal changed the match. Vous ne voyez pas Vinicius sur la carte ? C'est normal Kylian Mbappé l'efface quasiment ➡️ https://t.co/nL6yVJP6MD Avant même d'être réduit à dix puis d'encaisser deux buts, le Real Madrid a affiché un triste visage sur la pelouse de l'Atlético de Madrid, dimanche après-midi… pic.twitter.com/K5kjMoNgtz — L'Équipe (@lequipe) September 20, 2026 Trial over alleged racist abuse of Vinícius postponed again The trial of a Sevilla supporter accused of racially abusing Vinícius during Madrid’s visit to the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán on October 21, 2023 has been postponed for a second time. The hearing, scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, will now take place on May 13, 2027, according to Europa Press. The case had initially been scheduled for April 2026 before being moved to September. The latest postponement followed a request from one of the parties. According to the prosecution’s provisional account, the accused repeatedly directed racist insults and gestures at Vinícius from the North Goal stand between the 83rd and 86th minutes. Prosecutors allege that the conduct included imitating a primate and shouting racist abuse, causing humiliation and undermining the player’s dignity. The prosecution is seeking one year and nine months in prison for an alleged offence against moral integrity. That is the sentence being requested, not a punishment already imposed; the allegations remain to be determined at trial
- Managing Madrid·18d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Five Bullet Points From Real Madrid’s Loss To Atletico Madrid
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 20: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid reacts after Alex Grimaldo of Atletico Madrid (not pictured) scores his team’s first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on September 20, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images) | Getty Images These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game. Also, check out the post-game podcast where Lucas, Mehedi and I break down the loss (and more) for one hour and 34 minutes: Jose Mourinho (and I want to preface any Mourinho criticism with the truth that the main issue here is the way this squad is built as well as the ensuing politics that come with it). There are losses that are mostly out of Jose Mourinho’s control, and losses where he deserves more criticism. There’s not much he can do against Real Betis if the team creates multiple big chances and misses them; but there are losses like last night where he got the line-up and tactics wrong. Look: After Dean Huijsen’s red card, his hands were tied, and there’s only so much he could’ve done at that point. And, to be fair, there is also the very obvious fact that Atletico Madrid should’ve been down to 10 men in the first half. That out of the way, I don’t think Real Madrid’s transition attack and ability to escape pressure is good enough to sit back and invite pressure against any good team, let alone a ravenous Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano in what is arguably the most difficult place to play for Real Madrid in modern history. There is no one solution to fixing this mess, but there are are some obvious low-hanging fruits. One of them: Bernardo Silva can help with experience, control, and level-headedness, and it was no coincidence that Real Madrid’s only semi-respectable minutes in the second half were when he entered the field to help Yan Diomande — the latter dribbling well and winning free-kicks, and Bernardo slinging them in while helping the team control the ball for the first time since the first half: A team that definitely doesn't need any more hugs. pic.twitter.com/3BAETYYDCH — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) September 21, 2026 Remember: Mourinho said after the game that “I don’t blame my players for today. They gave everything, I’m proud of them. I want to hug them. They showed hunger, determination, and competed until the final whistle. I feel very good about their performance.” I actually don’t have any issue with that quote and the way he took the blame off his players, and my bigger concern is about how he deals with it internally; but the reality is that the players were horrendous too in addition to Mourinho setting up the team to fail. Mourinho’s approach was too passive. Long gone are the days you can rely on BBC in transition while Casemiro wins the ball and Kroos and Modric advance the ball quickly with one or two passes to murderous forwards. Vinicius and Mbappe are not built that way when they play together, and Valverde and Tchouameni cannot do what their predecessors did. Jose Mourinho (part two). Two things happened at half-time: 1) Real Madrid came out of the tunnel half asleep without any adjustments; 2) Diego Simeone introduced Koke for Marc Pubill, which gave them an overload and further advantage in midfield — a problem compounded by Dean Huijsen’s red card. Look, I am very sympathetic to Mourinho. It’s very clear he’s dealing with the same problems Alvaro Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, and Carlo Ancelotti all faced. Having said that, isn’t the whole point of Jose Mourinho in the year 2026 to challenge the status quo and defy the political hierarchy? Or maybe that’s the problem: It’s 2026, and that Mourinho is long gone. Send the bat signal. We need him back. We need the man who is ruthless and has zero tolerance for mediocrity. There was a time for gentle parenting, but that time is not now. Every single solution — every single way out of this mess — has to start with separating Vinicius and Mbappe from each other. If only one of them has to play, the tactical possibilities that open up are endless. You can put Yan Diomande on the left, or you could stick Mbappe on the left and throw in Carlos Espi. Heck, you could even put Mbappe on the left and throw Jude into the false 9 role, enabling Arda Güler to get his 10 spot back. Both Vinicius and Mbappe would thrive with a striker ahead of them. But together, they are redundant and become a collective net negative. I am honestly not sure if Mbappe on the left wing would work because of his defensive issues and the fact he hasn’t played there in a long time, but at least I’m open to it (and Zinedine Zidane seems to want to try that with France). But the whole point is something else: Mourinho, and any coach, is tactically handcuffed until that big decision is made. Mourinho, we’re begging you — make the big decision. I thought the Marc Cucurella crucifixion was harsh. I’m not here to say he was Paolo Maldini by any means, but the reality is that he had zero help defensively — not from Aurelien Tchouameni, not from Vinicius Jr, not from Fede Valverde, not from anybody. Cucurella had to virtually mark Kang-in Lee and Giuliano Simeone by himself. I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to do that at the Metropolitano. Please go and look at Vinicius Jr walking around and staring at Cucurella treading water in the following sequences: 2oth minute, 21st minute, 29th minute, 48th minute. And then Huijsen — his only defensive aid in the first half — was sent off, and his task was virtually impossible. The other low-hanging fruit I didn’t mention is to give Trent Alexander-Arnold a run. And I mean a run — a long run of games to find rhythm. If Denzel Dumfries is there for defensive purposes, he’s somehow not defending any better than Trent. If you’re going to rely on Valverde and Tchouameni as your double pivot, then you desperately need Trent’s ball progression. In any normal season, losing at the Metropolitano is not a huge deal. It’s a hell hole for us. Even in that incredible 2023 – 2024 season, this was the only game on the calendar the team lost all season. But this is not a normal season, and is surrounded by a two-year tornado of failures and disasters. Last year, the loss at the Metropolitano was a huge reality check. This year, it’s another one. Now we look to Mourinho to fix this — because if the belief is that the only reason Real Madrid lost was because of the referee, we’re in big trouble.
- Managing Madrid·18d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Mbappé: “The referee is human and makes mistakes, there were mistakes”
Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé talked to Diario AS during an event in which he signed an agreement with his new sportswear brand, Swiss company On. Mbappé reviewed the Madrid Derbi and discussed what happened on the field. “It was very difficult. We wanted to win and we knew what kind of game we were going to have. But the team gave everything and we move forward because there is still so much of the season left and we have to stay on the right path,” he said. Mbappé was also asked about the referee’s performance during the Derbi. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a player who talks much about the referee. I’m not going to start now. I have my thoughts, but I keep them to myself. I’ve never been that kind of player and I’m not going to start now. The referee is human and makes mistakes, and there were mistakes, but I don’t want to get into that,” he added. The Frenchman also shared his thoughts on what Real Madrid need to turn things around. “We have to work and do more. Other people can talk, but we have to do more and work to bring the excitement back to Real Madrid and bring the trophies back,” he concluded.
- Managing Madrid·19d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Player Ratings: Atlético Madrid 2–1 Real Madrid
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 20: Marcos Llorente (R) of Atletico Madrid and Vinicius Junior (C) of Real Madrid in action during the La Liga week 7 match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid at Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain, on September 20, 2026. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images Real Madrid fell 2–1 to Atlético Madrid in a derby marked by poor defensive support, a lack of midfield control, and a costly red card for Dean Huijsen. Thibaut Courtois kept the scoreline respectable, while several substitutes offered more than the players they replaced. Thibaut Courtois: 8.5. Made five saves and was the main reason this did not become a more damaging scoreline. Real Madrid repeatedly needed him to rescue them. Denzel Dumfries: 4. Struggled to defend the far post throughout the match, and his passing was equally poor. Offered little security in or out of possession. Ibrahima Konaté: 7. Made two enormous goal-line clearances. Much of Real Madrid’s defensive structure had already broken down before Atlético’s attacks reached him, leaving him to deal with problems that originated further up the pitch. Dean Huijsen: 5. A really good performance undone by a reckless decision as the last defender. His intervention conceded a penalty and earned him a red card, fundamentally changing the match. The good work before that moment cannot outweigh the cost of it. Marc Cucurella: 6. Struggled at times, but the circumstances matter. He was frequently left to deal with multiple players, including Kang-in Lee and Simeone, with little help from his teammates. Led the match in tackles and had far too much defending to do on his own. Fede Valverde: 5. An anonymous performance in a match that demanded considerably more from him. His defensive awareness was poor, and he did little to help Real Madrid establish control. Aurélien Tchouaméni: 4. Neither protected the defence adequately nor brought composure to the base of midfield. Struggled badly to impose any control on the game. Arda Güler: 5. Uncharacteristically sloppy. Alex Baena appeared to get under his skin, though that was only part of the problem. His passing lacked its usual precision, he looked nervous, and he lost possession 13 times. Jude Bellingham: 6.5. One of the few players who consistently competed. Won the ball back well in midfield and led the team in key passes, but too often found himself without the support needed to connect midfield and attack. The effort was there; the collective structure around him was not. Vinícius Júnior: 4. Left Cucurella exposed with several lazy defensive sequences and provided no end product at the other end. His lack of attacking output continues to be a concern this season, and his work without the ball made an already difficult assignment harder for his left-back. Kylian Mbappé: 5. Produced a couple of promising bursts with the ball, but little came of them. He was also frequently isolated when possession reached him, and Real Madrid spent so little time in Atlético’s half after the break that his opportunities to influence the match became scarce. Substitutes Antonio Rüdiger: 7. Entered during a chaotic stretch with Real Madrid down to 10 men. Helped navigate difficult circumstances and scored the late goal that gave Madrid a lifeline. Yan Diomande: 7. Completed four dribbles off the bench and won dangerous free kicks, giving Real Madrid some much-needed attacking impetus. Performances like this will force Mourinho into a serious decision about his role relative to Vinícius. Eduardo Camavinga: 6.5. A solid contribution off the bench. Made good challenges and moved the ball well, bringing some stability to a midfield that had struggled throughout. Bernardo Silva: 7. Introduced far too late. Brought much-needed composure and quality in possession, delivered good set pieces, and registered an assist. Madrid could have used his maturity much earlier.
- Managing Madrid·20d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Run From It.. | 19th Sept, 2026
The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Felipejack, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Kung_Fu_Zizou Real Madrid have managed to paper over the cracks so far this season. The bright side is that neither the players or the manager are under any illusions about this. C.R.E.A.M 🚨 JUST IN: Kylian Mbappé REJECTED around €20M per year from NIKE to sign with ON. @lequipe pic.twitter.com/cHdn9tlUN1 — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 19, 2026 Could Zizou Save Real Madrid Again? 🚨 Zinedine Zidane: “Kylian Mbappé is capable of playing in all 3 positions in attack. Personally, I really like him as a LEFT-WINGER.” pic.twitter.com/TiPQnmuffc — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 18, 2026 Zidane seems likely to try Kylian Mbappé on the left for Les Blues. This could have a domino effect if done successfully. Mourinho would have a reason to try Kylian on the LW and perhaps give the attack a different if not more efficient look. 🗣️ Zidane on Tchouaméni's absence from France squad: “He was out for two months. It was better for him to stay in Madrid for his recovery.” pic.twitter.com/awZKy3HO36 — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 18, 2026 Tchouaméni given extra rest by new France national team coach, Zinedine Zidane. Zizou citing that Aurelien has only recently returned from injury and would be better served staying in Madrid and recovering his full fitness.
- Guardian Football·21d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Kylian Mbappé leaves Nike after 20 years to sign boot deal with Swiss brand On
France captain also becomes a shareholder in company ‘We have a shared dream, and this is only the beginning’ Kylian Mbappé has ended a 20-year association with Nike to sign a boot deal with the Swiss challenger company On. The sports and leisure brand, which has previously focused on running and tennis, is planning a major move into football next year and has also appointed Thierry Henry as its football director. Continue reading...
- Guardian Football·21d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football Daily | Spying some tasty match-ups, from Wrexham v Saints to desperation derbies
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Before an engorged international break we have a gala weekend of derby games. Some of them are familiar, others rather longer in the waiting, others spurious in their definition but shoehorned in for tea-timely email purposes. Thursday night’s Bigger Vase defeat by Ferencvaros was not a great result for angry Martin O’Neill’s Celtic, coming three days before the Old Firm/Glasgow derby (delete as applicable according to adherence to Scottish company law), and four days after losing to Rangers in the Old Firm/Glasgow derby. In Spain, Atlético v Real Madrid will see Diego Simeone and José Mourinho bring the morbo ruckus to the sidelines. A football match might actually break out, though that cannot be guaranteed when considering the managers involved. I also met Ludek Miklosko (yesterday’s Football Daily letters), but in a way that now seems rather surreal. When I was a kid, my junior Sunday league team trained at West Ham’s Chadwell Heath training ground every Friday night in their sports hall. In them days, anyone could drive into the car park and walk through the gym to the hall – and on one particular night my dad dropped me and a teammate off and told us he’d be back in an hour. When we walked into the hall we were more than surprised to find that our team had cancelled training, with nobody else turning up, and half of the West Ham first team were in there doing drills instead. With nowhere to go (and no mobile phones) they invited us to join in. As an Arsenal fan, I didn’t really care much for West Ham players, but their goalkeeper was a lovely man and spent most of the hour playing with us and encouraging shots. I never forgot Ludo after that night” – Nicholas Larkin. I was struck by the sentiment of Christopher D’Cruz that it is not possible to dig yourself out of a hole (yesterday’s letters). OK, I know it is not exactly the same, but it is still a similar principle … they have clearly never heard of Baron Munchhausen pulling himself out of a swamp with his own hair” – Andriy Zavgorodniy. Christopher has clearly never had to dig a trench, moat, ditch, etc. Sure, there has to be some downward digging to start, but then most of the work is going sideways. Similarly, if you’re stuck at the bottom of a steep-sided hole with nothing but a shovel then the move to get oneself out is digging a gentler slope back to ground-level. Or, to quote the intellectual leviathan, Homer J Simpson: dig up, stupid!” – James Humphries (and 1,056 others). Continue reading...
- BBC Sport·22d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid keen on Man Utd forward Gabriel, 15
Real Madrid have a strong interest in signing 15-year-old Manchester United forward JJ Gabriel.
- Managing Madrid·23d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Five Bullet Points From Real Madrid’s Win Over Elche
ELCHE, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 15: Yan Diomande of Real Madrid reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Elche CF and Real Madrid at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on September 15, 2026 in Elche, Spain. (Photo by Omar Arnau/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) | Getty Images These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game. Also, check out the post-game podcast where Mehedi and I break down the win (and more) for 51 minutes: Last night I took more notes on Yan Diomande than I think I’ve ever taken on a single player. I was fascinated, even riveted, about his performance. It wasn’t necessarily because it was the best performance I’ve ever seen — far from it — but he was so useful, so good, and displayed so much potential in his cameo that it was worth noticing. In other words, Diomande’s performance was extremely eventful and 90% of it was really good. The 10% that was bad: He he has knack of lunging in when opposing wingers take him on when he should be more steadfast in keeping those wingers in front of him and holding his position. If that habit is taken out of his game, he’ll get burned less. There was also some naivety on his part on Elche’s second goal. While Marc Cucurella was the one who initially gave the ball away, Diomande could’ve helped the team better by tracking Josan Ferrandez. But then there was the other 90% which is what I’d like to focus on: That dude runs himself into the earth for Jose Mourinho, is a two-way freak on the wing, and can break lines. He is equally good on both wings, You really saw him come alive when Vinicius Jr was taken out and Diomande shifted to the left. You may have noticed that you didn’t notice Brahim Diaz at all last night on the right, and that’s because all the play was funnelled through Diomande on the opposite side. My lazy hypothesis: Diomande came into a new team that had four established attacking stars that have seniority. The more comfortable he gets with his teammates and the more he puffs his chest out, the more we’ll see him dust wing-backs and produce goals. Within one minute of this game kicking off, Trent Alexander-Arnold slung a ball down the wing to Arda Güler, which led to Kylian Mbappe nearly scoring. I bring this up because over and over again, Denzel Dumfries has been in that exact position but can’t execute that pass. Trent does it blindfolded. There are a lot of things Trent is not good at, and they’ve virtually all on the defensive end. But that pass? That’s his money-maker. I thought he took up excellent positions in the first half, in the right half space, where his dribbling and passing opened up space for Kylian Mbappe and Diomande. I think Dumfries will start against Atletico Madrid. I understand the concerns with Trent’s defense. I stand by what I’ve said in the previous few weeks: Trent needs continuity as a starter. If not, don’t expect him to get to his best. How many x-rated sounds do you make when Arda Güler dribbles out of pressure or picks apart the defense with a visionary pass? Yes. Güler comfortably leads Europe in chances created, and the only two reasons he might not lead the entire continent in assists by the end of the campaign is because: 1) His teammates won’t finish chances; and / or 2) Mourinho won’t start him every game. I wrote about the second half issues after the Rayo Vallecano game: I will add some more thoughts to that, because the Elche game deserves a fresh take on this. I think everything I said above was true, but will add that last night, it wasn’t merely a fatigue issue. Mourinho did make all five of his subs, but three of them were almost too late, and there is some luck that Carlos Espi scored despite him coming in with just three minutes to go. How many times are we going to expect Espi to bail us out with only a few minutes to prove himself? And why would we risk that, and… Why wouldn’t we expect him to score more goals if we simply increased his minutes and pumped balls into him? He’s currently at one goal per 13 minutes. Yes, that’s insane, and yes, that’s not sustainable, but yes — he clearly has the ability to fuck shit up in the most complimentary way possible. With that out of the way, I chalk up the second half issues to mental struggles rather than mere physical struggles. The press was good against Elche in the first half, but not balls-to-the-walls enough to suffer a physical break down. The bigger concern is that the players subconsciously fall into a trap that the game is dusted and they can coast. ‘2-0 up against Elche? 3-0 up against Rayo? Let’s just sit back and end this game 10-0 by hitting them with counter attacks with their defense open’. These approaches only work if you’re truly ready to put your foot on the opponents’ neck. Passivity will lead to complacency and invite pressure. Vinicius Jr. This has been discussed to death ad nauseam. Vinicius is a shell of himself. Let’s analyze what he is at this stage of his career (even if it might, hopefully, only be temporary): He is a player who works really hard but can’t dribble past anyone and has zero confidence in front of goal. Prime Vinicius would undress the best right-backs in the world. Current Vinicius gets locked up by Hector Bellerin, Buba Sangaré, and Dejan Ljubičić. Last night, he didn’t complete a single dribble. Our friends over at La Pausa had an interesting observation: Random observation from watching Real Madrid and seeing their coverage: the appraisal for even the most minimal defensive work rate/intensity by attackers. It's like the bar is now so low that any time someone closes down or makes a recovery run, it needs to be heralded. — La Pausa (@lapausa_fc) September 16, 2026 I love Vinicius’s defensive effort. I also think the bar is low if we’re leaning on such basic things (that are very important, don’t get me wrong). Jose Mourinho is in a really tough situation. On one hand he is desperately trying to bring the best version of Vinicius back; on the other hand time is ticking on how much he can wait when there are other hungry attackers who are producing offensively who also work hard defensively.
- Guardian Football·23d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football Daily | Madrid endure an awkward night after T-shirt trouble and Elche scare
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! Anxious to sample some traditional Spanish culture while taking in a La Liga match years ago, Football Daily and some friends decamped to Gran Alicant. As we prepared to leave a quaint bodega (the Dick Turpin), where we’d been sampling the local hooch (Guinness), to travel to the nearby stadium, an elderly local resident with an unmistakable mackem accent informed us that the Elche home game to which we were heading was not being played until the following evening. It had fallen victim to Spanish TV’s infuriating habit of rescheduling random top-flight matches with little or no notice or consideration for Johnny-come-latelys who might have travelled from afar to watch them. We never did get to see Elche play in the flesh but did get to watch the current La Liga basement-dwellers give José Mourinho an almighty fright on TV on Tuesday night, as they went this close to snatching a point from Real Madrid. I almost wish I was a West Ham fan. As an eternally suffering Spurs supporter, I find myself looking enviously towards the London Stadium these days. The Hammers are top of the table, banging in goal after goal (already 20 more than Spurs’ tally in the league). They score even when they lose and seem to have bought a proper No 9. My Spurs, meanwhile, continue the tradition of the last two years in style, sitting comfortably in 17th with 1,047 wingers on contract, and getting knocked out of one of the competitions they could ‘conceivably’ have won, the only competition they seem to be able to score goals in as well. In hindsight, West Ham made the right choice to go down. Hammers fans, you are welcome!” – Yannick Woudstra (and no others). Hugh Fordham’s idea [Tuesday’s Football Daily letters] has some merit. But it reminded me of a pithy comment by Bill Nicholson. ‘Do you think he was interfering with play?’, he was asked. Nicholson responded: “If he’s not interfering with play, what’s he doing on the pitch?!’” – Harry McDonald. In support of Hugh Fordham’s suggestion, I remember discussing the idea of interfering with play while on a training course for referees back in the 1960s. We were told that unless someone was ‘lying injured near the corner flag’ any player should be treated as being involved in play. Not a lot of room for subjectivity in those days. And obviously no thought of stopping play for the hypothetical injured player!” – Trevor Field. This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·23d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Positives and negatives from Real Madrid’s narrow 2-3 win against Elche
The Positives Arda Güler continues to be Real Madrid’s Most Valuable Player so far this season. There’s no reason for him to be dropped. He has reached “undisputed starter” status, no matter his reputation or the fact that Real Madrid “only” needed to spend €28 million to sign him. He’s truly magnificent. Diomandé has arrived. First truly game-changing performance from him, both on the right and the left flank. A significant weight was lifted off his shoulders after that great assist to Mbappé on Real Madrid’s second goal. Made his case to compete with Vinicius for a spot in the lineup, even if that’s unlikely. Another win. Yes, it was a struggle. Yes, Madrid need to be better. At the end of the day, Bellingham’s individual play, Mbappé‘s run and assist and Espí’s second goal of the season allowed Mourinho’s team to walk away with the three points. They avoided a total disaster. The Negatives Elche dominated the second half and that cannot happen. Real Madrid keep getting away with it just like they did against Espanyol and Inter, but this trend will cost them significant points this season if they can’t find the proper solution. Vinicius is about to put Mourinho at a crossroads. At some point, Real Madrid will be chasing a result and Mourinho will need to make a decision about Vinicius, if he keeps playing at this level. Do you take him out of the game and play either Espí or Diomandé or do you keep giving him a role he doesn’t deserve? With the Derbi just a few days away and several rotations, Mourinho had an excuse to take him out last night, but that will not always be the case.
- Managing Madrid·23d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Thibaut Courtois: “I still want to play five or six more years”
ELCHE, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 15: Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid celebrates after the third goal of his team scored by Carlos Espi of Real Madrid (not in frame) during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Elche CF and Real Madrid at Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero on September 15, 2026 in Elche, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images) | Getty Images Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois’ current contract expires in the summer of 2027, but he has no plans to consider retirement anytime soon as the 34-year-old spoke about life beyond football, including his business ventures. Speaking to Managing Madrid’s Sam Leveridge on the sidelines of the World Football Summit in Madrid, the Real Madrid goalkeeper revealed “I still want to play five or six more years”. On his retirement plans, he confessed that despite holding UEFA A and B licenses, “I’m not sure I would want to be a coach of a first team, you would get old really fast with all the players”. Instead, he sees himself establishing an elite goalkeeping pipeline at Real Madrid. “Maybe working in the goalkeeping department at Real Madrid, developing a Courtois instead of buying one. They’re doing a very good job with it already, but maybe I can help them to grow.” Courtois was at the World Football Summit to speak about his business ventures with investment group NXTPLAY, and credited coaches he has worked with for teaching him many of his skills. “Leadership is something important, the way to delegate and surround yourself with people who understand,” he said. “Learning from people like Ancelotti and Mourinho, who are very different but very good leaders and know how to build a team.” The showstopper still has one match he wants before he retires, and it’s one he’s waited his whole career for: facing his boyhood club, KRC Genk, who he is now a part owner of through the investment group NXTPLAY. “My dream was always to play against Genk. It’s never happened,” he said. A chance arose back in 2012, when Courtois was on loan at Atlético Madrid and the Europa League draw threatened to pair the two sides, but the pot system kept them apart. “It couldn’t be, and they had to go into a different pot to us, so I was a bit sad.” He has not given up on it happening before he stops playing. “Let’s see, maybe we can help Genk to grow. A Genk versus Real Madrid Champions League match would be a dream way for me to finish my career.”
- Managing Madrid·24d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Immediate Reaction: Elche 2-3 Real Madrid
Elche 2-3 Real Madrid (OG, Mbappé & Espí). A new saviour… Here is my reaction to the late drama. Be sure to catch: Player ratings, quotes from the presser and a podcast. Real Madrid were starting to generate some excitement after a strong start to the season, and a trip the a weaker Elche, in comparison to last year, would have fans licking their lips. Yan Diomande earns another go at starting, this time being joined by Trent Alexander-Arnold on his side. The rest of the team was as predicted, with the likes of Endrick and Thiago Pitarch continuing to take a space up on the bench. Fede Valverde is the Real Madrid captain. 📋✅ Our starting XI! 🆚 @Elchecf_en pic.twitter.com/4hkMCb4nfM — Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 15, 2026 Elche had the first chance of the game, before Dean Huijsen headed just off target. The hosts then had another try, before Vinícius Júnior would respond with a miss of his own. An own goal gave Los Blancos a lead, which was quickly doubled by the ever-present Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé had another goal chalked off for offside, and Madrid should have scored a couple more before half-time. Nonetheless, 2-0 at the interval. It's clear what's happening in these 2nd halves. They exert most of their energy pressing in the first half, ideally build a lead by half-time, then rely on deeper defending + transitions in the 2nd half. That's the reasoning. But the execution is clunky and it looks too passive — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) September 15, 2026 The second-half proved to be a very different story. Chances were far and few until Vinícius Júnior struck a ball just past the post. Elche managed to pull one back via a header, before sinking Real Madrid with the equaliser inside the final ten minutes. It looked pretty gloomy, but Carlos Espí was determined to become a super-sub specialist. It was an easy finish after being set up by Kylian Mbappé, but vital for Real Madrid who salvaged the win inside added time. 2-3 at full-time. What did you think about all of the drama?
- Managing Madrid·25d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Five Bullet Points From Real Madrid’s Win Over Rayo Vallecano
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 12: Yan Diomande of Real Madrid gestures during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 12, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) | Getty Images These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game. Also, check out the post-game podcast where Mehedi and I break down the win (and more) for 50 minutes. What do we know about Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid so far? I would say by the end of November, we’ll have a better idea of how good this team is — but even then, it’s still too early. Last season, by the end of October, we thought we were well on our way, and then November hit, and everything was a long cruel nightmare. But: By the end of November, we’ll have 19 games of data to go off of, and we’ll be just past the three-month mark that Jose Mourinho spoke about in today’s presser. Having said that, we can discuss some of the things we’ve seen so far with regards to rotation: Mourinho has leaned very heavily on a few players, and one of those names is surprising: Thibaut Courtois, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Fede Valverde, Vinicius Jr, and….. Denzel Dumfries. Interesting. Even Marc Cucurella has been rotating with Alvaro Carreras. The media hasn’t asked Mourinho about Trent Alexander-Arnold much, if at all, and it’s clear that Mourinho really values Dumfries’s defensive effort over Trent’s progressive passing ability, so far. Dumfries even started with Yan Diomande on the right wing vs Rayo Vallecano, and I always thought Trent’s omission had more to do with Mourinho not wanting to pair Trent with Arda Güler on the right wing — but he stuck with Dumfries even with a pure winger who defends like a maniac. Will this be a permanent theme? Those of you who’ve followed my work this season know that I like Dumfries’s effort and runs more than his actual execution. There are plenty of times where Dumfries can’t pull off the pass down the wing to break the defensive line the way Trent can. Dumfries can also do things that Trent can’t. I’d like to see Trent more, in part because he is one of those players who desperately needs a string of games to get rhythm and I think he raises the team’s offensive ceiling greatly. But, to be fair, this team hasn’t lacked any offensive creation, and, if anything, it does need more defensive security. Yan Diomande will slowly win over the Bernabeu, and I am willing to be patient with this entire process. I liked his first half vs Rayo. He is a no-nonsense player who is vertical and takes minimal touches to get past his man and get the ball up the field. There is no questioning his defensive effort, at all — he tracks and presses aggressively and runs himself into the ground. He turned Pedrosa inside-out on one occasion, and on another, blitzed past two defenders like they didn’t exist. Of course, his final end product hasn’t been there, yet. He is such a different look to Arda Güler from a profile standpoint, but does have his place here, and the Bernabeu applauded several of his efforts. What happened at half-time? Yes, Fede Valverde (excellent in the first half) left for Eduardo Camavinga — but I’m not sure it’s as simple as that one simple swap. In fact, I think it has a lot to do with a bizarre mentality shift (chalked up, possibly, to complacency with a comfortable half-time lead) coupled with fatigue. Mourinho said after the game that “I knew the team didn’t have the physical or mental intensity to keep playing the second half like the first. We were motivated to start strong and finish the game off early, we did that.” This reasoning makes sense in theory, but sometimes the execution of it looks clunky. What happened against Rayo is what should’ve happened against Real Betis and what will be the plan in every game: Be aggressive in the first half, score two or three goals, and then conserve energy in a deeper block in the second half and kill the game off in transition. But I do think you need to rotate and sub more if you already know players are gassed in the second half. Mourinho didn’t use all five of his subs despite having a deep bench, and one of the hardest working player this season, Vinicius Jr, didn’t come off until the 89th minute. Arda Güler masterclass, edition 900. He’s too good. Real Madrid looked dead in the second half. Güler arrived from the sky with a lightning bolt and struck thunder into his teammates. What a breath of fresh air. His touches: sublime. His final ball: devastating. How do you play 18 minutes and lead every single player in key passes? Baller. Real Madrid after Güler entered the field pic.twitter.com/Z8jQyJLki2 — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) September 12, 2026 We’re seeing the fruits of competition: Antonio Rüdiger slotted in for Dean Huijsen and had 12 clearances. Alvaro Carreras started over Marc Cucurella and won a penalty before scoring a goal. Seeing two players who struggled last season play well in smaller roles is another reason why I wish we could see more minutes for players like Trent and Carlos Espi.
- Managing Madrid·25d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jose Mourinho: “Arda Guler is a player with fantastic potential”
VALDEBEBAS, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 14: Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid, attends his press conference during the training day of Real Madrid ahead the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match against Elche CF at Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid on September 14, 2026, in Valdebebas, Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Jose Mourinho spoke to the media ahead of Real Madrid’s trip to Elche on Tuesday, where he was asked about Arda Güler’s development. He replied: “There are people more qualified than me to talk about his development, people who have been here since he arrived, about how he’s transformed physically. But for me, his quality of play is incredible: his vision, his decision-making, his playmaking, the stability he brings to the team, his creativity… For me, he’s a player with fantastic potential who already has some very impressive stats. Obviously, we do deeper analyses than just the assist and goal tallies. He’s a player with a huge influence. Like you said, maybe I don’t want to go so far as to say “top, top, top” three times, but we’re certainly already close to that level.” Mourinho on the game vs Elche “I’d like to win. I’d like to play well and win. That’s all.” Mourinho on Vinicius Jr “The best version of him is scoring goals. Obviously, assisting is important, working for the team is very important. Commitment, solidarity, and teamwork are very important… The day-to-day work is also very important, and he does it very well, but there’s another Vinicius. There’s the Vinicius who arrived in Lisbon last season, and in close matches, especially in the two knockout rounds, he gets one chance, scores a goal, and that’s it. He’s lacking that top-level performance lately, but I’m happy with him.” Mourinho on slowly improving the team “If I ask for three months, others ask for ten years… Maybe I didn’t make myself clear or communicated poorly. What I mean is that in three months I hope to be better than I am today, but I don’t have any magic formula to say that in three months we’ll be at an incredible level. I don’t have that ability. What I do have is that in every match and every training session, the goal is to improve. When we play a match and analyze it and work on the good things and the not-so-good things, I think that the longer a team is together and the longer they’ve been with a coach, the stronger they become.” Mourinho on pressing “It’s complicated to explain, because we’re going to be here for a long time, and at the same time, I’m going to tell you things I don’t want to reveal publicly. But I don’t think it’s possible to press high for 90 minutes. I don’t think so. It’s not our style, and not many teams in the world have it. What we have to know how to do when we’re pressing high is behave accordingly; when we’re pressing lower, we also have to work differently. To be a more complete team defensively, we have to know how to do both. I don’t like the low block, but there are types of players and teams better suited to it, and what I don’t want are contradictions between what I prefer and the qualities of my players. I try to find something that defines us as a team, and for me, it’s that ability to press high, that ability to win the ball back high, and that ability to finish off attacks in three or four seconds of transition, which we’ve already done in several matches. But then, when the opponent has quality and the ability to develop their game—and so far I’ve seen that all the teams have this ability—when we’re playing in a low block, we don’t passively accept it, in the sense of saying, “Okay, we’re good on the counter-attack, we have players up front who can kill on the counter, and we’re fine playing in a low block.” I don’t want that kind of mentality, but I also don’t want to suffer too much, in the sense that when we’re playing deep, the opponent puts in two or three shots that force the goalkeeper to make spectacular saves, or we suffer a bit with four or five corner kicks… I don’t want that. We have to find this balance.” Mourinho on injuries “I know the numbers from the past, but I don’t know the process. Here, we’re involved in a comprehensive, standard, professional plan, which involves excellent interaction between everyone: the players, the technical staff with sports scientists who have the capacity for prevention, reinforcement, and individual training for minor issues that can be detected before problems arise, and a medical department deeply involved in this overall approach, with a lot of behind-the-scenes work. The fact that the players arrive earlier isn’t a whim of mine; it’s not about saying you have to be here at midnight. No, it’s about work. And that work is done in the gym before training or at the start of training on the field. When you see them on the field, they’ve already put in 35 minutes of work, whether in the gym or with the medical staff. We’re working well, and so far, we’re seeing positive results. Common sense and trust in the players are also important. For example, the other day when Valverde came off at halftime, it was as a precaution because he had a minor issue. At 0-0, he would have continued. We’re pushing the limits of risk, but at 3-0, we’re going to protect the player. You also need a bit of luck, especially with traumatic injuries. Sometimes you’re playing really well and then you have bad luck with your knees or other traumatic injuries, and that’s beyond your control.” Mourinho on Aurelien Tchouameni being chosen for France NT “I don’t know what the French national team coach, Zidane, has planned for the international break, and we have to respect his decision. I also don’t know what would be best for him: staying here working with four or five players and Castilla, or going with the national team and getting playing time. Probably the best option is to go with the national team, where he’ll have controlled minutes, allowing him to progress without accumulating too many minutes, too much effort, or aggravating the muscle problems he’s carrying over from the World Cup, especially in an area where they could worsen. I haven’t spoken with Zidane, but I think he’s also a man with common sense and will know what’s best for him. If he goes with the national team, it should be to help the team without jeopardizing the player’s future. Even without speaking to him, I have a lot of confidence that Zidane will know how to handle things right.” Mourinho on rotation “We’re working on a general level; with Cucurella and Carreras, with Trent and Dumfries, with the center-backs, none of whom have played every game… The way we’re working is to try to keep the whole squad engaged, so everyone feels useful, that they’re going to play and get minutes. This is important to me because it impacts motivation and the day-to-day work. It doesn’t always have to be a 2+1 in midfield; it can be a 1+2. Instead of playing Jude as practically a number 10 , we can play with a number 6 and two number 8s . We’re prepared for this, we do it, we know how to do it. Regardless of each player, there are balances, movements, and dynamics that don’t change much in terms of our playing style. It might change depending on the players with different profiles: Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bernardo, Valverde, Jude… We always try to find balance without ever losing our identity, but also thinking about the problems our opponents can create for us.” Mourinho on Yan Diomande “He’s got everything he needs. If instead of being at Real Madrid with this squad, he were at a team with fewer high-potential players, he’d surely be a starter for the full 90 minutes of every match. Diego, this applies to Diomande and all the others. The squad is strong and has many options. The coach doesn’t just focus on ten players and forget about the others. Throughout the season, the engine loses steam, as does motivation and internal competition. We’re talking about Diomande, but we could also talk about Vinicius, Arda, Brahim, and in January, Rodrygo. Being an undisputed starter, as you all seem to like that word, is difficult.” Mourinho on having three games in one week “How am I dealing with it? Six press conferences in one week. I talk to them [the Real Madrid Press Department] and tell them that in other countries they’d let me skip one, they’d let me, for example, not be here today or not be here tomorrow after the match. But six press conferences in one week… I’m tired of you all, you’re tired of me, I always say the same thing, you don’t have any more questions for me… But here we are, because it’s our job, mine and yours. And here we are six times a week. The players are the same: tired, less tired, more motivated, less motivated… We have to do it and we have to go for it. Elche and Atlético de Madrid are in the same situation. Atlético then has one less day to rest and the Osasuna match on Sunday. Elche also played on Saturday, like us. We’re getting there. If you tell me next week, we’ll save one out of six, I’ll bring something to snack on and we’ll have some fun (laughter in the room).” Mourinho on rotating the forwards “I have a lot of faith in the player’s self-awareness. Today is an important day. We only have two days between matches, and it’s important to understand how I feel, listen to the medical staff, review the training session data, and decide between today and tomorrow. But if I can and there’s nothing abnormal, I’ll play with them again tomorrow. (…) No questions about penalties? No, no? (He gets up.) Strange, isn’t it?”
- Managing Madrid·25d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid, Courtois closing in on contract extension -report
Real Madrid and star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois are closing in on extension talks and the Belgian goalkeeper could sign a new one-year contract very soon, according to a report published on AS. Courtois’ current deal expires next summer but an agreement seems all but done and the Belgian keeper will stay in the Spanish capital one more year, per that same report. Courtois is 34 years old and that is the main reason why Real Madrid are offering one-year extensions. However, he is playing at a very high level and the club want to show their trust by securing this new contract before the last third of the 2026-2027 season. His performance against Inter Milan last week proves that Courtois is still one of the world’s best goalkeepers, so extending his contract makes sense for Real Madrid.
- Managing Madrid·27d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Player Ratings: Real Madrid 4–1 Rayo Vallecano
Kylian Mbappe centre-forward of Real Madrid and France celebrates after scoring his sides second goal during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 12, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4–1 at the Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé delivering two goals and an assist, Álvaro Carreras making an electric start, and Arda Güler producing a spectacular cameo off the bench. The scoreline was convincing, though Rayo’s second-half improvement ensured Thibaut Courtois still had plenty of work to do. Thibaut Courtois — 8 Made six important saves as Rayo grew into the game in the second half. Madrid’s attacking output will get most of the attention, but Courtois was still required to intervene regularly and delivered when called upon. Denzel Dumfries — 7 Defended well on the wing and finished with three tackles. Nearly added a goal with a towering header from an Arda Güler set piece. A solid contribution at both ends. Ibrahima Konaté — 7 Strong in his duels and handled his defensive responsibilities well, though he did not have a particularly heavy workload, especially in the first half. Antonio Rüdiger — 8 A monster in the air. Finished with a whopping 12 clearances and was consistently on hand to deal with deliveries into the box. Álvaro Carreras — 8.5 An electric start: won the penalty for Madrid’s opener, then combined with Kylian Mbappé to score the team’s second goal. His attacking contributions were the headline, but he also won five of his seven ground duels. An excellent performance. Fede Valverde — 7.5 Stepped up to press effectively and got himself into good attacking positions. Mourinho withdrew him at half-time as an injury precaution rather than for anything related to his performance. His absence was felt after the break. Bernardo Silva — 7.5 Very tidy with his progression and distribution. Helped Madrid move the ball forward cleanly and initiated the move for the third goal from deep. Not the flashiest contribution of the evening, but an important one. Yan Diomande — 7.5 Dazzled the Bernabéu with his dribbling on his first start and won the crowd over with his defensive work rate. Finished with two key passes and one wayward shot. Plenty of encouragement, even with room to sharpen the end product. Baby steps. Jude Bellingham — 8.5 Unstoppable ball-carrying, a brilliant goal, and the usual relentless defensive hustle. Bellingham brought both attacking quality and a willingness to do the less glamorous work. Vinícius Júnior — 8 Docked half a point for the mistake that led to Rayo’s goal, but his first-half performance was excellent. Pressed aggressively in the build-up to Madrid’s opener and provided the assist for the third goal. A major attacking influence, despite the costly error. Kylian Mbappé — 9 Two goals, an assist, and only the crossbar standing between him and a hat-trick. Clinical in front of goal, while also turning provider for Carreras on Madrid’s second. An outstanding attacking performance. Substitutes Eduardo Camavinga — 6.5 Madrid suffered after he replaced Valverde in midfield, though that was not solely his responsibility. Distributed the ball well and won a couple of important ground duels, but the team did not maintain the same control after the change. Aurélien Tchouaméni — 7 Helped close out the game with his defensive presence and distribution. A useful contribution to settle things down. Arda Güler — 9 An absolute fireball off the bench. Completely changed the game and produced five key passes—the most of anyone on the pitch—in just 18 minutes. Also finished with an assist. An extraordinary amount of creativity packed into a brief appearance. Marc Cucurella — N/A
- Managing Madrid·27d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Mastantuono shines with hat-trick in Fiorentina’s first win of the season
Real Madrid attacker Franco Mastantuono redeemed himself after a difficult start to his loan spell in Fiorentina by scoring a hat-trick against Venezia in what was the first win of the season for La Viola. Fiorentina’s former coach Fabio Grosso was sacked after the first three losses and Paolo Vanoli replaced him and decided to keep Mastantuono in the starting lineup. The Argentinian player delivered by being the undisputed Man of the Match, scoring twice in less than two minutes to bounce back from Venezia’s opening goal. Mastantuono completed his hat-trick in the 84th minute. Real Madrid have high hopes for Mastantuono and it will be important for the Argentinian player to keep getting consistent minutes, which should polish his game.
- Managing Madrid·28d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Mourinho: “Right now we have a Vinícius Júnior who is working harder than ever”
VALDEBEBAS, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 03: Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid, attends his press conference during the training day of Real Madrid ahead the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match against Real Betis Balompie at Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid on September 03, 2026, in Valdebebas, Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Real Madrid coach José Mourinho gave a passionate defence of his star man Vinícius Júnior in his pre-match press conference before taking on Rayo Vallecano as he said: “In Spanish, the word proverb is used. In Portugal there’s a proverb, I don’t know if there’s an identical or similar one in Spain: you only throw stones at trees that have fruit; you don’t throw stones at a tree that has nothing on it. And Vinícius Júnior has a lot of fruit. What has he done here over the last few years? How many Champions Leagues has he won? How many goals has he scored? How many knockout ties has he won? What has Vinícius Júnior done here over the last five or six years that he’s been here? Maybe even more. He’s a tree with a lot of fruit, and people throw stones because they want the fruit. What is the best version of Vinícius Júnior? The best is still going to come. The Vinícius Júnior who, in the past, against Benfica, had the Santiago Bernabéu worried and then finished the tie almost by himself, that Vinícius Júnior is going to arrive. But at this moment, he hasn’t been that player yet. The Vinícius Júnior who used to win matches on his own, right now we have a Vinícius Júnior who is working harder than ever. And in an era of data, the data is very objective. He is very close to his maximum speed, very close. He has surpassed his records for high-intensity running this season. Number of balls recovered: record. Number of balls recovered in the defensive third: record. He’s going to arrive. He’s going to arrive.” Mourinho on the team and Rayo “We’re happy, united, and working well. Obviously, working well also means recovering well, and today we did our tactical training. Obviously, it wasn’t very intense and it was for a short period of time, but we have a lot of respect for our opponent. As you say, they’re coming off a win, and in other matches, even when they haven’t won, they’ve shown their quality and demonstrated why we need to be very focused for tomorrow’s match. I’ll take the opportunity from your question to thank Beñat San José, because he said some very kind things about me that I probably didn’t deserve that much, but obviously I want to thank him publicly, and tomorrow I’ll have the opportunity to give him a hug.” Mourinho on the 2030 World Cup final “One thing is where it should be, and another is where I would like it to be, forgive me. I would like the final to be in Lisbon, but I’m already happy that a country like ours will have some World Cup matches. And my answer isn’t because I’m Real Madrid’s coach today. My answer, and I think you know me a little by now, is that if you can play in a legendary stadium, a historic stadium, a stadium where some of the greatest players in history have played, the stadium of the most important club in the history of football, then I think it should be here. And I’m telling you that independently of the fact that I’m Real Madrid’s coach. If I were Benfica’s coach, I would tell you exactly the same thing.” Mourinho on the committee’s defence of the decision with the penalty against Betis “It doesn’t surprise me because one of the things I admire enormously about referees is that there is always a great deal of solidarity between them. There is always tremendous protection of the institutions. It’s something I genuinely admire a lot about the refereeing profession, and I’m not saying that only in Spain. In every country where I’ve been, I’ve found exactly the same situation. It’s very, very, very rare, it’s very, very, very difficult, for them to come out and criticise a refereeing decision. They are very united, and unity is strength.” Mourinho on rotations against Rayo “I’m not going to answer the question directly because I don’t want to say who is playing and who isn’t. I don’t want to tell you whether Yan Diomande is going to play or not, because if I tell you who is playing, you’ll know who is playing; if I tell you who isn’t playing, I’m not going to answer you. I’m not thinking about the three matches. I’m thinking about tomorrow’s match. It’s a match we want to win, that we have to win, and that we have to approach strongly. But within that idea of going strongly, obviously there is some room. Maybe ‘rotation’ isn’t the word I like very much, but there will be room for fresh energy, for legs with plenty of fuel. Obviously, we worked extremely hard on Tuesday’s match. At this point, when we have a squad with so many options, if we look at the last match, we recovered Eduardo Camavinga, Bernardo Silva and Arda Güler. Imagine that we already have a group strong enough to give opportunities to players with plenty of energy to play, while giving others a little rest, which is also important. And you’re right, it’s three matches in nine days, with Elche coming in three days, but the focus is tomorrow’s match: how to win it, how we can win it. And within that question of how we can win it, we think it’s important that two or three players who didn’t play in the last match can play and give the team a little more energy.” Mourinho on the boos for Vinícius Júnior “OK, let’s start with what you’ve already said. I don’t want to give an opinion. It’s not about criticising or giving an opinion. I’m a coach, nothing more. I’m nobody to even give an opinion. I’m sad because I’m very demanding of my players. I’m very demanding. For example, the other day I read a statement from Dean Huijsen where he said I’m very demanding, that I’m always on his back — and it’s a little bit true. I’m very demanding of my players, but the demand is: you have to give everything you have to give, and someone who gives everything cannot be expected to give more. In that sense, I have enormous respect for a player who makes a mistake, a player who hasn’t had an extraordinary match, but who has given everything, who wanted to play, wanted to help, played for the team, showed empathy with his teammates, played with respect for the badge and fought extremely hard for a result. That type of player will always have me by his side. Always. It doesn’t mean he will always play, obviously not. But it means he will always have me by his side. When our stadium boos a player, obviously I’m very sad for my player. But, as I said before, I don’t want to judge or criticise it. But from my experience, not just at Real Madrid, but my experience as a coach, when there is unity between the team and the stadium, I don’t want to say ‘unbeatable’, because that’s a very strong word, but you are almost unbeatable. And I can say that because I still think I have the Guinness World Record for home matches in the five major European leagues. I went seven years without losing at home — or six years, I don’t know. When there is unity between a team that works as a team and its stadium, you are unbeatable. I can say that. But obviously, every stadium has the right at a particular moment to react and behave however it wants.” Mourinho on the criticism of Kylian Mbappé “I’m not talking about the people who criticise. I’ll use the same proverb I used before about Vinícius Júnior. He’s a tree with an enormous amount of fruit. I can comment on Kylian Mbappé’s statements: he’s right. A player who scores 40 goals is never a problem for a team. And when you manage to create empathy, friendship, commitment and respect, just imagine. And then there are things that I see and value enormously as a coach. There are people who don’t understand, which is normal. There are lots of people who love football but don’t know football in depth. Then there are other people who understand football in depth, but it suits them not to talk about the good things. I saw a team play, and not just for five minutes or ten minutes, but for the full 90, two minutes with ten men. And I saw Kylian Mbappé playing on the left, defending with ten men, in front of Marc Cucurella, who was already dead on his feet. I also saw Kylian Mbappé exhausted for two minutes, defending against an animal down that left side, with a very demanding coach who wouldn’t stop shouting and wouldn’t stop motivating him. I saw that, and as a coach I value that in an absolutely incredible way. For me, it’s a joy to see that kind of behaviour. There are people who know as much about football as I do, who also saw it, but they don’t say it. They don’t say it. Instead, they say we didn’t defend well and that we could have conceded three or four goals. They also don’t say that we could have scored eight. There are matches that are very boring, and maybe we’ll have one of those at some point. Champions League matches are often boring games where the teams are afraid of each other, defend a lot and take no risks. It ends 0-0 and people go home with a bad taste in their mouths. Sometimes you win 1-0 with a counterattack goal in the 90th minute and suddenly everyone is happy. In this match, they could have scored four against us, yes, yes, but we could have scored eight. But once again, there are people who understand football as well as I do, and they don’t say it. Why don’t they say it? They’re not happy because we won. That’s the reason. We’re continuing on our path. Me, the players and the staff, we all feel this unity within Valdebebas. We lost together against Betis, we suffered together against Betis, and life continued for us. And the commitment we have to each other, which is to work for Real Madrid, not simply be at Real Madrid, that commitment is going to continue. And we’re going to do everything possible to make people happy.” Mourinho on Courtois’ future “The club isn’t worried. The club isn’t worried. There’s a great deal of empathy. The club knows that the club wants him, and the club also knows that the club wants him. The goalkeeper is young and has also decided not to be with his national team during this Nations League season, which allows him to be even more focused on Madrid and have his rest periods during international breaks. He’s here. Great game.” Mourinho on the relationship between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde “Look, I’ve done nothing. They’ve done everything. Me? Nothing. The empathy that exists in the group today, the friendship that exists in the group today, working together, winning together, losing together, going to the bench angry because nobody wants to go to the bench, but supporting the teammates who are on the pitch. And when someone comes on in the final minute, and nobody likes coming on in the final minute, they go on to help close out the match. Without answering specifically about the Aurélien Tchouaméni–Federico Valverde situation, but generally speaking, the group is fantastic. More specifically, regarding Tchouaméni and Valverde: if I know nothing, rather than pretending to know everything, if I know nothing and arrive in the dressing room knowing nothing, they seem to me like two great friends. Obviously, when I arrived, and when Aurélien Tchouaméni came back from the World Cup, I was paying attention because I needed to understand whether I had to intervene in some way and act as the Minister of Peace. I did nothing. I did nothing. All the credit, all the merit, goes to the players. They have built a group that I really like.” Mourinho on the Madrid Grand Prix and his ticket “Well, normally I leave when Valdebebas isn’t sleeping. I leave at 7:15; today I left at 6:30. I lost 45 minutes of sleep. Some of the players did the same, while others live very close by, so nothing changed for them. Training we didn’t change anything because you weren’t there. We spent the first 15 minutes doing nothing, and then we worked well for 45–50 minutes. We worked well, at low intensity, but we did the tactical things we needed to do. Tomorrow we’ve given two options: one is to go directly to Valdebebas; the other is to come here to the stadium, leave the cars here, take the bus to Valdebebas and then have a normal day. I’m very good friends with, and I’m very proud to be friends, with Stefano Domenicali from my early years in Italy. And yes, I have a ticket. But I’m that kind of creature who, if I don’t win, there is no life. If I don’t win, there is no life. Which means that if I’m happy, maybe I’ll go.” Mourinho on Real Madrid and the Formula 1 teams “I have to be very careful because they’re all very nice to me, very nice to me. They all invite me here and there. Obviously, the global impact of a club or a Formula 1 team, which are more than just a club or more than just a team, is enormous. Obviously, the reds will always be the reds. What this kid is doing with Mercedes is incredible, absolutely incredible, even without having a car capable of winning and practically without having a car capable of scoring points. I’m also friends with Fernando. I really like Fernando’s personality. I really like that he’s someone who is one of the best, always, even when they give him a car that isn’t good. But I really like sport as sport.” Mourinho on what he reads about the criticism “I don’t read anything, but these people are very persistent. I’m telling you, I don’t see anything — newspapers, television, social media. I don’t see anything. But these people are very persistent and, when they prepare me, so to speak, to come here, they give me the Bible containing everything you’ve all been talking about over the last few days. They’re very persistent.” Mourinho on whether he considers the criticism unfair “Unfair? No, I don’t want to go down that road, because then I’m getting back into what they say, what they write, what I talk about. I don’t want to go down that road. I’m focused on my work and the players are too. I’m absolutely certain that neither criticism nor boos are going to change the state of mind of this team. I don’t think anyone is going to change the state of mind of this team. Obviously, obviously, obviously, unity is a plus, empathy is a plus, and it’s a very important plus. But we’re continuing with what we’re doing. Thank you very much. Thanks.”
- Guardian Football·28d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Chelsea hand Pedro Neto new deal in wake of his rejecting Manchester City
Winger shining after summer pursuit by several clubs Chelsea felt selling Fernández to City was right move Chelsea have rewarded Pedro Neto’s strong start to the season and commitment to the club by handing the winger a new contract. The Portugal international had summer interest from several Premier League clubs including Manchester City, but indicated a desire to stay and play for Xabi Alonso. He has signed a five-year deal with the option of an extra year and is to receive a pay rise. Alonso has used Neto as an attacking wingback and the 26-year-old has scored twice in five appearances. Neto, who has registered 40 goal involvements since joining from Wolves for £54m in 2024, follows other leading players at Chelsea in signing new deals. João Pedro, Reece James and Moisés Caicedo have received improved terms this year, and Cole Palmer signed a new deal in 2024 and committed his future to the club in an interview with the Guardian last season. Continue reading...
- Football España·28d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Courtois reportedly set to stay at Real Madrid through 2028
Courtois contract extension would keep Real Madrid's starting goalkeeper at the Bernabéu through summer 2028, according to a report citing Fabrizio Romano. The post Courtois reportedly set to stay at Real Madrid through 2028 appeared first on Football España.
- Managing Madrid·28d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid looking to extend Arda Güler’s contract -report
Real Madrid have noticed Arda Güler’s progress and want to reward that with a contract extension which would come with a significant salary raise for the Turkish player, according to a report published on AS today. Güler’s current deal expires in 2029 but he’s still earning the same salary he was making when he signed his first contract with the club, which doesn’t reflect his current role within the team but also his reputation in world football. Güler has established himself as an undisputed starter for Real Madrid, and while it’s true that there are some questions about his role, mainly after the club decided to spend €130 million on Yan Diomande, it’s very clear that Los Blancos need Güler on the field to be at their best. It makes a lot of sense for Real Madrid to extend Güler’s contract now rather than waiting some more time, as that would give the club total control over the player’s future.
- Managing Madrid·28d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
DAILY THREAD | Sep 11, 2026
SEVILLE, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 04: Carlos Espi of Real Madrid celebrates scoring a goal which was later disallowed for offside during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja on September 04, 2026 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, Ezek Ix and yours truly, Valyrian Steel. Not just Espi. Should Carlos Espi play more? 🗣️: @kiyanso pic.twitter.com/yTHdzd9xHb — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) September 10, 2026 Looks like 6 more years of Arda Guler. 🚨⚪️ BREAKING: Arda Güler has agreed to sign new deal at Real Madrid! 🔐🇹🇷 The agreement is done and set to be announced soon — understand it will be valid until June 2032, six years. Arda already said yes — first call on talks @diarioas. All conditions have been accepted. pic.twitter.com/gG9bDvPJcT — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 10, 2026 Nico Paz ladies and gentlemen. Como are up and running in the UCL. 🇦🇷 Nico Paz became the youngest Argentinean player to provide 2 assists in a UEFA Champions League game since Lionel Messi in 2008. 💫 pic.twitter.com/0mCdhvOlQ4 — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) September 10, 2026
- Guardian Football·30d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football Daily | Troy Parrott enjoys a big week after taking the scenic route to success
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! There are, you suspect, quite a few folk with links to the London postcode of N17 who would be thoroughly grateful if Troy Parrott could stop popping up to score winning goals for a bit. The Republic of Ireland striker has barely unpacked his bags at Real Betis, yet he’s already ruined the afternoon of his former manager at Tottenham, pouncing to sink José Mourinho’s Real Madrid. Four days later? He made headlines again on his Bigger Cup debut at Lille. Two games, two goals, two match-winners. Not entirely shabby for a lad who was once given the classic Mourinho treatment and declared “not ready”. Mourinho, as ever, remains a central character in this particular soap opera. It was the Special One who handed a teenage Parrott his Premier League debut in December 2019, throwing him on during a 5-0 win over Burnley. It was also Mourinho who promptly decided the youngster needed a fair bit longer in the oven. Re: Ken Muir’s letter (yesterday’s Football Daily letters) and mention of Arbroath’s famous 36-0 victory over Bon Accord in 1885. On the same day, in the same competition and just 18 miles away, Dundee Harp defeated Aberdeen Rovers 35-0. Arbroath and Harp were rivals and after the final whistle, officials from Harp sent a telegram to Arbroath simply containing the result of their match and then retired to a pub to celebrate their world record. Later that evening, a reply was received which read ‘Arbroath 36-0 Bon Accord’. Both sides thought the other was winding them up. The results were not a surprise. Rovers and Bon Accord were both playing only their third official fixtures. Bon Accord arrived for their match with nine players and no goalkeeper, so played an outfield player in goal and two spectators made up their XI. The Aberdeen Weekly News reported that Arbroath’s keeper ‘neither touched the ball with hand or foot … but remained under the friendly shelter of an umbrella the whole time’. Arbroath also had seven goals disallowed. Unsurprisingly, the qualification rules for the Scottish Cup were changed for the following season” – Jamie Gaukroger. Call me one of those bluffers and chancers with ‘fantastic theories and philosophies’ if you will but, after sitting through the chaotic mess that was Real Madrid v Inter in Bigger Cup, two things spring to mind. Firstly, if Madrid has had an obvious gap of no central midfielder who can control the momentum and flow of the game for over two seasons, since Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, why ignore it yet again but spend £115m on yet another left-sided attacker? Secondly, even if you don’t have one, never mind two of those types of players, once you go 2-0 up in the 23rd minute against a team at home, can’t you just kick the ball five-10 yards to a teammate consistently, keep possession and tire the opposition out? As the late, great Johan Cruyff used to say: ‘As long as we’ve got the ball, they’re never going to score’” – Noble Francis. OK, Mike Wilner (Monday’s letters), I’ll bite. ‘What isn’t what it is?’ Football Daily is not a humorous teatime newsletter. ‘What has a club not won what it won?’ Senegal did not win Afcon. ‘When does a team not lose what it’s lost?’ USA USA USA ... did not lose Folarin Balogun against Belgium in the GWC. Is there a plausible weeklong riff here? Oh, yes. Yes there is. There most certainly is” – Chi. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·30d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
DAILY THREAD | Sep 9, 2026
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 08: Thibaut Courtois of Real Madrid CF celebrates during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid C.F. and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 08, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, Ezek Ix and yours truly, Valyrian Steel. Smash and Grab. Not great but 3 points to begin the UCL campaign. Once again thank god for Courtois even though Fede Valverde was named MOTM. Managing Madrid Podcast: Real Madrid 2 – 1 Inter Milan, Post-game Reaction, Champions League 2026 – 2027 Hosted by @KiyanSo & @CastillaStats for Members. On Patreon: https://t.co/l5slkbCTcC & YouTube: https://t.co/FGS0j1N7RV — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) September 8, 2026 Player Ratings: Real Madrid 2–1 Inter Milan https://t.co/pg5sqzWIjx — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) September 9, 2026 The set-pieces: Real Madrid 2-1 Inter Madrid won the first contact from two of their seven deliveries and generated four shots, three of them in the second phase Analysis by @MHassanFootball :https://t.co/Aeiw1rIotV — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) September 9, 2026 6 stats from Real Madrid 2-1 Inter Milan Vini equalled a record set in 2008 Article by @samleveridge : https://t.co/DT8mp5gXUe — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) September 9, 2026 Top 10 players: Real Madrid 2-1 Inter Inter led in a significant number of metrics Analysis by @MHassanFootball :https://t.co/66VPnIOros — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) September 9, 2026 Balon D’or Nominee List is out. OUR 2026 MEN'S BALLON D'OR NOMINEES! #ballondor pic.twitter.com/GQFsH5u5lO — Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) September 8, 2026 🚨🗣️ Thierry Henry: “Ballon d’Or? Kylian for me deserves it. He was the BEST individually. He was the top goal scorer in the UCL, La Liga and World Cup.” pic.twitter.com/ua3GxwXMrE — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 9, 2026 🚨🗣️ Thierry Henry: “People can say Kylian went trophyless, but it has already HAPPENED in history. People need to do their research. The Ballon d’Or has been WON without any trophies.” pic.twitter.com/VOCL9Xp7ky — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 9, 2026
- Managing Madrid·31d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Player Ratings: Real Madrid 2–1 Inter Milan
Inter Milan's Argentine forward #10 Lautaro Martinez (L) gestures to Real Madrid's Spanish defender #04 Dean Huijsen during the UEFA Champions League first round day 1 football match between Real Madrid and Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on September 8, 2026. (Photo by Pierre-Philippe MARCOU / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Thibaut Courtois: 8.5. Seven saves — and that doesn’t include those wiped out by Inter offsides. Both Mourinho and Valverde said afterwards that Courtois deserved to be Man of the Match. They’re right. Denzel Dumfries: 6. Struggled at both ends. To be fair, he received little defensive support beyond Konaté and was consistently isolated against Carlos Augusto. Ibrahima Konaté: 7. Put in a strong defensive shift, commanding the right half-space despite Real Madrid’s broader defensive problems. His coverage was particularly important given how often Dumfries was left exposed. Dean Huijsen: 8.5. Finished with 12 clearances and repeatedly timed his interventions perfectly when stepping out of the defensive line. An excellent performance on a night when Madrid’s centre-backs had plenty to deal with. Marc Cucurella: 7. Initially struggled with Diouf’s dribbling and Inter’s fluid movement around him, but was excellent with the ball at his feet. Grew into the game in the second half and won the Bernabéu over with his challenges. Trent Alexander-Arnold: 5. Being deployed in midfield wasn’t his decision, and the role did him few favours. Nevertheless, he looked lost defensively and had little influence in possession. Fede Valverde: 7.5. Frequently came across to help Cucurella, though his tracking was inconsistent: sometimes he followed the wrong runner or reacted late; other times, he read the danger perfectly. His pressing on the goal he scored was excellent. A good performance overall. Brahim Díaz: 8.5. Excellent. Madrid’s best creator in Arda Güler’s absence, finishing with four key passes and a vital assist for Mbappé. With better finishing around him, he could easily have walked away with a hat-trick of assists. Jude Bellingham: 7. Quiet in possession during the first half, but active defensively. Came alive after the break and exerted more influence in the final third, though two missed sitters took some shine off his performance. Vinícius Júnior: 7. A night to forget with the ball at his feet. Completed two of his five attempted dribbles and lost possession 12 times. His work without the ball, however, deserves recognition: he made nine recoveries, which, according to Opta Jose, was the most by a Real Madrid player in a Champions League match since Gonzalo Higuaín’s 12 in 2008. There was no questioning his work ethic. Kylian Mbappé: 7.5. Scored the vital opener, but could have done better with a couple of other big chances. An important contribution, with room for greater ruthlessness in front of goal. Substitutes Yan Diomande: 6.5. A relatively quiet cameo. Failed to beat Bastoni in one notable duel despite having fresh legs, but did produce some nice touches on the right side of the box. Aurélien Tchouaméni: 6.5. Little to assess. Sat deep to help protect the lead and finished with just four touches. Álvaro Carreras: N/A. Carlos Espí: N/A.
- Managing Madrid·31d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jose Mourinho on Vinicius Jr: “If he works for the team, he always has my support”
MADRID, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 8: Vinicius Junior left winger of Real Madrid and Brazil is replaced and talks with Jose Mourinho head coach of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid C.F. and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 8, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images Jose Mourinho spoke to the media after Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Inter on Tuesday. He was asked about Vinicius Jr’s performance and why he showed affection to the Brazilian, to which he said: “If he works for the team, he always has my support. This means he should always start, or play 90 minutes… no, but he’ll always have my respect and affection if he’s played for the team. Against a team with three center-backs and wing-backs, it’s very difficult for wingers. Brahim has done very well centrally, very good for the team. Obviously, he could… in some of those plays… Vini, when he’s at his best, kills games. Like he did to me at Benfica, when he finished the game off with a counter-attack at 1-1. Someone who gives their all isn’t obligated to give more. And he has.” Mourinho on the match “The bottom line is that it could have ended 6-6 or something like that. We had chances to score more. The game was crazy, a kind of madness I don’t like. I prefer to score five, six, or seven points, but to have complete control and not need an absolutely incredible goalkeeper. It’s difficult to play with Trent, whose work I appreciate, but his characteristics aren’t ideal for that position. I would have liked to make changes earlier, but if you look at the goals we conceded, it was due to lapses in defensive intensity. But when we were compact, we were very good. Valverde interpreted the structure well. And I can’t separate my words from the context that we played against a great team, with a thousand options. It was a very tough match, and these are three very important points. We need three less to qualify, and I’m sure we’ll do it. But getting these three, in the first round, is important.” Mourinho on Vinicius Jr being booed “I’m not criticizing the fans, I’m speaking as a coach. He has my utmost respect. He’s not at his peak. It’s something we all see. But he knows it, he’s the first to know it. And he’s working to become the Vinicius who decides matches. But because he’s not at his peak, he’s working harder than ever. The few times he hasn’t been able to gel, it’s been due to fatigue. I have a lot of respect for this Vinicius, and the one who wins us games will come.” Mourinho on Mbappe being booed “I don’t comment on audience reactions. I’m not doing it today, and I won’t until the very last moment I’m here. When he left, I gave him a kiss, and for me, that signifies respect for the work with the team.” Mourinho on Trent in midfield “He played very well, tactically understanding what he needed to do. Curtis Jones and Barella’s positions… they worked at that level. He had a few turnovers, because it’s not the same playing with the ball up front as in midfield. But mainly it’s the intensity. The specific demands of that position, in terms of intensity, are very different. It’s a different kind of drive. But he gave his all. And I’m grateful to Tchouameni, who, without having trained with the team at all… because his last touch of the ball was at the World Cup. What you saw yesterday was just a deception. And I appreciate his effort.” Mourinho on boos from the fans “I’m not going to comment on the stadium. The other day we thrashed Betis, they suffered, but there were 60,000 more of them. It’s a great club, but Madrid is something else, people want a different kind of challenge. You guys like these kinds of questions. I’m not angry with anyone. We’ll get there.” Mourinho on Inter “They’re clearly the best team in Italy. I only see Roma as having the legs to be close to them and maybe even do something extraordinary. Chivu hasn’t been here long, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do great things. I haven’t been here long either. This is just the beginning of my job; there’s still a long way to go.”
- Guardian Football·31d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football Daily | Forget the hype machine – it’s the minnows who offer European interest
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! ♫ ♪ The champions ♫ ♪ ! Bigger Cup is back, baby! Red-hot action from the world’s premier club competition across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Bigger Vase and Tin Pot clubs must wait for their slice of European action until after an international break almost as long as the Geopolitics World Cup itself. Rather like Gianni Infantino’s North American investment roadshow, Bigger Cup, with its revolving Swiss system, 36 teams reduced to 24 following 114 matches, has become baggier than MC Hammer’s trousers [now there’s a reference for the young readers – Football Daily Ed]. Back in Clive Tyldesley’s ITV pomp, ties such as Liverpool v Atlético, Napoli v Arsenal, and Real Madrid v Inter moved the dial, filling boozers and column inches. Should Mauricio Pochettino play Russell Crowe in his biopic or should it be the other way around?” – Krishna Moorthy. Following up on the very entertaining game between Arsenal and Chelsea, there was one piece of tactical brilliance by Xabi Alonso that didn’t get the credit it deserved. Everyone knows how dangerous Arsenal have been at corners causing chaos by saturating numbers in the opposition penalty area but Chelsea’s plan of keeping their four front men in Arsenal’s half removed a lot of the threat. Why hasn’t someone done this before and why didn’t Chelsea continue with this excellent plan?” – Nigel Sanders. Three weeks ago Hearts Women won 5-0 away against Motherwell. Two weeks ago they won 6-0 at home against Aberdeen. At the weekend they won 7-0 away at Montrose. NOW That’s What I Call Goal Difference! I’m just trying to work out when, if this sequence continues, they might set a new record football match score in the UK, beating the Arbroath 36–0 Bon Accord, which took place on 12 September 1885. A goal every two and-a-half minutes! The Mike Dean of that match probably didn’t have had to leave the centre circle for the entire game” – Ken Muir. Let me be the first of 1,057 USA USA USA-based readers to congratulate Jamie Carragher on his honesty. It is patently clear he doesn’t give a monkeys. The b@nter-filled, social media-chasing CBS Bigger Cup coverage is an absolute trainwreck. They should leave the comedy to actual comedians. As a Spurs fan I’d rather watch Arsenal win another league title than suffer through another CBS half-time production. And if you don’t believe me just ask anyone in the States … it makes you wish for the wit and wisdom of Alexi Lalas!” – Chris Brown. José Mourinho’s blathering about ‘we won what we won and lost what we lost’ (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition) is just meaningless jibber-jabber. It’s right up there with the mindless ‘it is what it is’. I challenge the Football Daily pedant community: what isn’t what it is? What has a club not won what it won? When does a team not lose what it’s lost? Is there a plausible weeklong riff here? Or is that not what it is?” – Mike Wilner. Continue reading...
- Guardian Football·31d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Alexis Mac Allister ‘very sad’ Liverpool did not offer him a new contract
Midfielder rejected chance to leave the club in summer ‘ I will give 100% until my last day’ says 27-year-old Alexis Mac Allister has said he feels “very sad” after Liverpool declined to offer him a new contract and admitted he rejected the chance to leave this summer. Mac Allister revealed unhappiness over his contract situation before Liverpool’s Champions League opener against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday. The Argentina midfielder has two years remaining on his deal and believes he is effectively playing for a new contract having been informed no extension is on the table. Mac Allister confirmed he had offers to leave – Real Madrid and Manchester City were among those linked – but chose to stay because Liverpool can accomplish “something special” this season under Andoni Iraola. Continue reading...
- Football España·32d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Madrid seek response as Michael Oliver gets Inter assignment
Michael Oliver will referee Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan, with Madrid seeking a response after defeat to Real Betis. The post Madrid seek response as Michael Oliver gets Inter assignment appeared first on Football España.
- Guardian Football·32d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Arsenal beat Chelsea to maintain perfect start and late drama at Everton - Football Weekly
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Liew and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan as Arsenal maintain their perfect start with a win over Chelsea Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email. On the podcast today: Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium as Kai Havertz set up Martin Ødegaard with a beautiful dummy for the winner. They deserved it but early signs this season are that Chelsea under Xabi Alonso are a good side. Continue reading...
- Guardian Football·33d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Ødegaard fires winner as Arsenal complete comeback win over Chelsea
The first heavyweight encounter of the Premier League season was previewed in some quarters as the immovable object versus the irresistible force. Arsenal do not give an inch. Chelsea have been fun and free-scoring under Xabi Alonso. Yet that overlooked something pretty fundamental. The percussive force of Arsenal’s game when they have the ball and want to make something happen. Chelsea landed a significant blow after 77 seconds when Morgan Rogers put them in front with a nicely executed volley from the edge of the area. It was not only the first goal that Arsenal have conceded this season but one with rich narrative strands. Rogers was chased by Arsenal over the summer only to join Chelsea for £117m. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·33d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Mastantuono taken out of Fiorentina’s game at half-time
Franco Mastantuono’s loan spell at Fiorentina is off to a troubling start. The Argentinian was subbed off at halftime in a 2-1 loss at home to Torino, as Fiorentina remain winless and pointless in Serie A. Mastantuono has been starting for his new team, but head coach Fabio Grosso will be forced to make some changes after their tough start to the campaign. The Argentinian player hopes to keep getting relevant minutes on a consistent basis throughout the season, but he will need to improve and show his worth if he truly wants to compete for a role in Real Madrid’s first team next year. Fiorentina have only scored a single goal over their first three games and are currently last in the Serie A table.
- Guardian Football·34d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Arteta v Alonso, part one: a desire for control and the theory behind the chaos | Jonathan Wilson
Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso prepare for an intriguing tactical battle in the first Premier League meeting between old friends Control v chaos. On the one hand, the forces of order, regimented, playing in precise patterns and, on the other, something darker, more visceral, a method that acknowledges the imperfection of the human soul, the unknowability of football in all its randomness; better, that second way says, to attempt to ride the fury than to believe it might be harnessed. When it began, a decade ago, that’s how the Pep Guardiola v Jürgen Klopp rivalry appeared. Apollo v Dionysius. Two fundamentally opposed ways of seeing the world. But in time, the two crept towards each other. Klopp moved away from the heavy metal of his Borussia Dortmund years to something more conservative. Guardiola experimented in multiple directions, slowly abandoning the possession-oriented idealism of his past to something less radical but also less predictable. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·34d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Mourinho watches Castilla defeat Juventud Torremolinos as Sergio Martínez makes debut
Jose Mourinho head coach of Real Madrid during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Betis Balompie and Real Madrid at Estadio La Cartuja on September 6, 2026 in Seville, Spain. (Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images José Mourinho’s interest in Real Madrid’s academy continued Saturday morning as the Portuguese coach attended Castilla’s 2-0 victory over Juventud Torremolinos at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium. Mourinho was joined by several members of his first-team staff, including assistant coach João Tralhão, goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos, and Sammi Khedira. Their presence reflected the increasingly close connection between the senior team and Castilla during the opening weeks of the season. The Real Madrid coach leaned heavily on academy players throughout preseason, with Joan Martínez, Mario Rivas, Manuel Ángel Cestero, and Álvaro Ciria among those receiving opportunities. Several youngsters have since trained regularly with the senior squad and been included in matchday selections. Navarro, Rivas, Cestero, and Sergio Martínez all travelled to Seville for Friday’s defeat to Real Betis. Martínez’s inclusion was particularly notable: the midfielder had completed only two first-team training sessions after joining Madrid from Racing Santander in a deal reportedly worth €3 million. The circumstances of the match prevented Martínez from making his senior debut, but Mourinho did not have to wait long to watch the new signing play his first competitive minutes for the club. Martínez began Saturday’s Castilla match on the bench before replacing Cestero at halftime. Although he is registered with the reserve team and is expected to spend most of the season under Castilla coach Javi López de Lerma, his immediate involvement with Mourinho’s squad suggests that the first-team staff intends to monitor his development closely. By the time Martínez entered the match, Castilla were already ahead through Cestero. The opening goal arrived in the 25th minute when the midfielder collected a clearance near the edge of the penalty area and drove a powerful shot into the net. The assistant referee initially raised the flag for an offside against Rachad Fettal during the buildup, but the decision was reviewed using the Football Video Support system. The referee subsequently confirmed the goal. It was another timely contribution from Cestero, who has quickly emerged as one of the academy players closest to Mourinho’s first-team plans. Real Madrid will be without the suspended Bernardo Silva, Eduardo Camavinga, and Arda Güler for their upcoming Champions League match against Inter, while Aurélien Tchouaméni has yet to make his season debut. Those absences could create an opening in midfield, and Cestero’s removal at halftime may have been made with the European fixture in mind. Mourinho’s decision to attend the Castilla match offered another indication that the midfielder remains under serious consideration. Castilla controlled much of the first half, frequently attacking through the wide combinations of Yáñez and Leiva, with Rachad providing movement through the middle. Naasei also offered energy from right-back after previously featuring alongside Rivas in central defence during the season opener against Teruel. Juventud Torremolinos produced one of their best opportunities before the opening goal when Joan Martínez and Rivas misjudged a pass toward Loren Buch. Fran González Mestre reacted quickly, leaving his line to close down the attacker and preserve the clean sheet. The visitors settled into the game after halftime, although they rarely forced Mestre into difficult saves. López de Lerma refreshed Castilla’s attack by introducing Ciria and Mesonero on the hour mark, giving the hosts renewed energy on both wings. Mesonero twice came close to extending the lead, only for Petersson to block his attempts near the goal line. The second goal finally arrived in the 85th minute. Ciria created the opening before Pol Fortuny finished the move with a composed first-time strike on his left foot, securing Castilla’s first three points of the season. The result was valuable for López de Lerma’s side, but Mourinho’s presence was the larger first-team story. The Real Madrid coach has made it clear that the pathway between Castilla and the senior squad will remain open, with Cestero and Sergio Martínez now among the young players attempting to take advantage.
- Guardian Football·35d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Chelsea hit bullseye with Morgan Rogers as Arsenal rue what might have been
The Gunners will have a look at what they could have won when the former Villa man lines up against them, having made a flying start for Xabi Alonso’s team Chelsea thought they had little chance of signing Morgan Rogers at the start of the summer. Xabi Alonso and the club’s recruitment team had the England international as a priority target but a deal seemed unlikely. Chelsea had endured a disappointing season, missing out on European football after finishing 10th, and their expectation was that Rogers would leave Aston Villa for Arsenal. It was towards the end of the World Cup that Chelsea were made aware of a window of opportunity. Although Arsenal could claim to be London’s top dogs after winning the Premier League they dithered in talks with Villa, raising the prospect of another club stepping in. Continue reading...
- Guardian Football·35d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football Daily | What you won’t see in the Premier League this weekend
Sign up now! Sign up now! Sign up now? Sign up now! That icy wind rattling the rafters is the cold reality of what follows the closure of the transfer window, a hungover pall of regret. Despite £3.5bn shelled out in the men’s window, several things will not be happening in the Premier League when they might have been. When Arsenal host Chelsea for a most super of Sundays, Vinícius Júnior will not be playing in their attack, and neither will Gabriel Martinelli, whose lengthy social media disgrace farewells on his departure for Saudi Arabia pointedly made no mention of Mikel Arteta. Re: yesterday’s Football Daily. Perhaps Messrs Vardy and James thought they had booked Jasper Carrott to kick off their hilarious podcast party. And got the not-so-funny doppelganger Mike Dean instead?” – Jim Arrowsmith. With Premier League clubs now owned by a motley assortment of hedge funds, petrostates, billionaires and so on, perhaps the time is right to take a leaf out of pro cycling’s book and name the teams after their owners and sponsors. It will be a regular reminder to fans that the football entities they support are far removed from the community-based groups of like-minded individuals that the word ‘club’ denotes, and that they are instead cash-cow playthings of the mega-rich. As for me, I’ve been a fan of Fosun International Debet since they were known as Bhatti Brothers Manders Paints and Inks” – Neil Withers. As someone who likes watching football rather than wasting time on transfers, this week has been boring, to say the least. Not so dull that it’s been enough to pick up a book, mind, but still. However, the result was that, after finding out that West Ham have a midfielder called Engels, I was sent down an internet wormhole and discovered that there is also a Brazilian midfielder called Marx Lenin (his real name, not just a nickname). Now, if only we could get them to play together, we would have something. Revolutionary tactics, no one in the centre or on the right wing, everyone on the left (a bit like Arsenal circa Henry, Pires and Ashley Cole), etc” – Noble Francis. This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. Continue reading...
- Guardian Football·36d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
World Cup wishlists, early movers, big clearouts: 2026 summer transfer window trends
At the end of a busy transfer window which spanned the World Cup, here are some of the subplots of the summer The World Cup is always a good shop window. Yan Diomande was already a rising star at RB Leipzig but shining for Côte d’Ivoire in the US helped push up his price tag before a £115.7m move to Real Madrid. There were other breakout stars: Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi, whose signature Aston Villa pipped Newcastle to; Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Kerim Alajbegovic, who went to Juventus; and Ghana’s Caleb Yirenkyi, who is now in the Premier League with Coventry. Cape Verde’s cult hero Vozinha now keeps net for the Chilean giants Colo-Colo and Morocco’s attacking dynamo, Ismael Saibari, has rocked up at Bayern. Billy Munday Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·36d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid announce squad for La Liga match against Betis
Real Madrid have published their squad list for Friday’s match against Betis in La Liga. REAL MADRID SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, and Javi Navarro. Defenders: Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries, and Mario Rivas. Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Bernardo, Cestero, and Sergio Martínez. Forwards: Vini Jr., Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande. Sergio Martínez makes the list and will sit on Real Madrid’s bench just a few days after his transfer from Racing Santander. Tchouameni is still out. HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA Date: 09/04/2026 Time: 21:00 CEST, 03:00pm EST. Venue: La Cartuja, Sevilla, Spain. Available TV: DAZN La Liga (Spain), ESPN Deportes (USA). Available Streaming: ESPN+ (USA) Managing Madrid has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
- Guardian Football·36d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Arsenal bank on continuity after big names elude them late in transfer window
Could the vain pursuit of ‘dream’ signings such as Vinícius Júnior at the expense of all-round strengthening come to haunt the champions? When Mikel Arteta revealed before Arsenal’s win at Aston Villa that he had pleaded with the Premier League to introduce bigger matchday squads, the final 24 hours of the transfer window was not quite what he would have had in mind. A deadline day on which Manchester City matched the British record to sign Enzo Fernández from Chelsea for £125m came and went as Arsenal allowed Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri to leave without bringing in replacements. With Gabriel Martinelli expected to join Al-Hilal before Sunday’s deadline in Saudi Arabia for a fee that could rise to £60m, there are question marks about the depth of the champions’ squad, despite Arteta still having at least two options for each position. Eberechi Eze will provide competition on the left for the new boy Christos Tzolis, and the manager has a plethora of central midfielders at his disposal after the arrival of Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle, but there is not much room for manoeuvre should Arsenal experience injuries in attack like they have for the past two seasons. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·36d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Mourinho: “Asencio? We all make mistakes, but when they pile up, it’s a different story”
VALDEBEBAS, SPAIN - AUGUST 29: Jose Mourinho attends his press conference during the training day of Real Madrid ahead the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match against Malaga CF at Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid on August 29, 2026, in Valdebebas, Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Real Madrid coach José Mourinho spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of Friday night’s fixture against Real Betis and was asked about defender Raúl Asencio, who was convicted for drink driving, and he said, “I spoke with him when I arrived. I did so because of things that happened in the past. Since I arrived, I haven’t spoken to him anymore. I don’t discuss situations outside of Valdebebas anymore. Because inside, he’s a true professional. When he was healthy, no one trained harder or better than him. Now that he’s injured, he’s the first to arrive and the last to leave. Extreme dedication. But a Real Madrid player is a Real Madrid player 24 hours a day. What you do off the field can damage your reputation and that of the club. I’m not happy. But hey, we all make mistakes. But when they pile up, it’s a different story.” Mourinho on what he expects from his team against Betis “It has to be a great performance. Otherwise, they won’t win. Betis is a very good team, and given Real Madrid’s recent results there… it’s hard to win there. And to do so, you have to be at your absolute best. There’s no other way.” Mourinho on Messi leaving the Argentine national team “Talking about Messi is complicated! There isn’t much more to say. And there are no words that can describe his quality as a player. He came into this World Cup at 38 or 39 years old, and he’s been exactly what we’ve seen. He’s one of those players you’re going to miss. We’ll have to watch some MLS games, which isn’t something I do particularly often, to make the most of these final years. Because he’s one of those players who, as I said in a previous press conference, you’ll always miss. And he’s one of the greats of our generation.” Mourinho on La Fábrica players “Many of them train with me from time to time, but even those who don’t come in, we pay close attention to them. They’ve done a great job in recent years, and the result is that they’ve made it to the first team… Thiago… and the many millions that Real Madrid has earned from transfers that aren’t really transfers, because in the end, Real Madrid brings the players back whenever it wants to. As the season unfolds, with suspensions, injuries… opportunities will always arise. I’m getting to know them better and better, and we’re in daily contact with Manu and La Fábrica. And all the kids can… I’m not going to pick everyone, but they can look forward to making it to the first team.” Mourinho on Sergio Martínez “He’ll be on the bench tomorrow. And from that, you can already get a rough idea of what the plan is. He’s only trained with the first team for a few days, but the club signed him—even knowing he wouldn’t be a first-team player right away—because we’ve analyzed him and seen that he’s a young player with potential. He’s already had a bit of experience in the Segunda and Primera División. He has potential; he needs to work hard. The level of intensity here is different. But he’s here. Tomorrow he’ll be there, along with Rivas, Cestero… and we’ll see if he plays. But it’s already a step forward.” Mourinho on Julián Álvarez “That situation… no one knows it better than Simeone. And I don’t see myself having absolutely anything to say about it. What I usually say is that when a player isn’t satisfied, by September 1st he has to be on board or he won’t play. My feeling is that starting yesterday and at least until the end of the season, he’ll be an important player for his club.” Mourinho on rotations in midfield with the Champions League in mind “We’ll talk about that after the game. But until then, let me stay optimistic and happy. We’ll focus on Betis and put this whole thing behind us.” Mourinho on Asencio’s future “The club has opened an investigation, and as long as that investigation is ongoing, I still consider him a Real Madrid player. And he’ll remain one for a few more weeks. This helps me stay out of the problem you mentioned. He’s a Real Madrid player.” Mourinho on Dani Ceballos “We spoke for three minutes on the phone; I told him I wasn’t counting on him. And although players often cling to their contracts, in this case he understood the situation and said he’d rather become a free agent and decide his own future. We reached an agreement, terminated his contract, and Ceballos became a free agent to make his own decisions.” Mourinho on whether La Liga’s level has dropped with only two teams competing for the title “I think Atleti will be in the mix too, and even if they don’t say so publicly, they’ll feel they can do it. The way they’ve signed players conveys internal stability, keeping the coach, the organizational structure, the training methods… something that gives them more strength than if you change things every so often. For me, they’re contenders as well. Then there are the teams that will be in the Champions League zone, Betis, Villarreal… they’re strong teams. And tomorrow we’ll see just how strong Betis is. The Basque teams are incredibly tough. For me, this isn’t an easy league. But here there’s constant pressure to always win. In France or Germany, the contenders know they’re going to be champions every time. Not here. And that pressure carries a significant risk.” Mourinho on Manuel Pellegrini “I never hold anything against anyone, because we can’t turn back time. But in the past, obviously, there are things you say and in the end, you feel like an idiot. You feel like you were wrong. That’s why I don’t hold a grudge. But I’ve said some really stupid things to him. Later on… and he’ll probably laugh if he hears me say this, I paid dearly for it. Because the championship he won with Manchester City, I gave it to him. Because if, with two games left, Liverpool had tied with Chelsea, he would’ve been the champion. I’ve paid dearly for it. And later, he showed great class toward me during a Betis-Roma friendly where, because of a referee who deeply loved Betis, we were left with only seven players on the field. And he said: “We’re not going to run them over; let’s leave it as it is,” which was 3–1 or something like that. He could have scored eight against us. He’s a great coach, a role model as a person. I like him a lot. Tomorrow, a hug before the game, after… and off we go.” Mourinho on talking to former coaches about this team “Not with Xabi. With Álvaro, yes. But it wasn’t because of him, I’d already gotten the information. It’s not easy for a former coach to talk about your previous situation. But it wasn’t because of him…“ Mourinho on signing Luka Modric “We wanted him so badly… but it was almost impossible to negotiate with Levy. But we were keeping an eye on signing him while we were in the United States, and one day he was signed, the next he wasn’t, one day yes, the next no… Real Madrid was almost ready to say, “It’s impossible,” but the player wanted it. Because he could play as a six, an eight, or a ten. He was the perfect fit. You guys drove me crazy for a few months. But then… it all fell into place.“
- Managing Madrid·36d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid to make €11.5 million from Chema Andrés’ transfer to Brighton
La Fábrica product Chema Andrés is joining Brighton after the English club decided to spend €23 million on his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen. That means that Real Madrid will make €11.5 million from this deal although they will also lose the 50% of Andrés’ rights they still owned, which means that Los Blancos will not have the option to bring him back in the future. Andrés had a breakout season for Stuttgart last season and some rumors suggested that Real Madrid wanted to trigger the buyback clause. However, Los Blancos stayed put and Chema Andrés will now be playing in the Premier League after Brighton’s move. Real Madrid have been using their canteranos to fund most of their signings for the first team and Chema Andrés hasn’t been the exception. Players like Nico Paz, Gonzalo García or César Palacios also left the club this summer in deals that allowed Real Madrid to earn significant fees.
- Managing Madrid·37d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Champions League debutants will get special patch – report
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 13: Yan Diomande of Real Madrid poses during the official UEFA Champions League 2026/27 portrait session on August 13, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images UEFA will introduce “Debut patches” to the men’s Champions League for the first time in the 2026-27 season as part of its partnership with Fanatics, as reported by The Athletic’s David Ornstein. Fanatics has already used the concept across several sports. Originating in Major League Baseball, the program has expanded to the NFL, NBA, Bundesliga, Formula 1, MLS, UFC and WWE, and was also used at this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Champions League, UEFA’s premier club competition, features 36 teams and begins this season on September 8. The Debut patch initiative is also expected to be introduced in the Women’s Champions League from the 2027-28 season. Ornstein’s report specified that players making their first appearance in the competition will wear a small sleeve patch featuring the word “debut” incorporated into the Champions League’s starball logo. The initiative applies only when a player enters the pitch, meaning substitutes making their Champions League debut will receive the patch, while unused substitutes will have to wait until their first appearance. After the match, each patch will be removed, authenticated and transferred to Topps, the Fanatics-owned trading card company. It will then be incorporated into a unique trading card signed by the player before being placed into packs. UEFA and Fanatics are also expected to announce a six-year extension of their existing partnership through 2033, facilitated by Relevent Football Partners.
- Managing Madrid·37d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jose Juninho — Too Early Thoughts Pt.2 : 2 Sep. 2026
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid CF, gestures during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Real Madrid and Malaga CF at Bernabeu stadium on August 30, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Welcome to The Daily Merengue — a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the Mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, Ezek XI, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho. Writer’s Prelude. The second part of the 3 DT series of Jose Juninho’s Too Early Thoughts Jose Juninho — Defense Edition “You think two beautiful passes are enough. You think you’re so good that 50% is enough.” — Jose Mourinho during a HT row with Mesuit Ozil (extract from Ozil’s book) View Link Disclaimer. Similar to yesterday, I have a few early disclaimers. The first like yesterday is none of what I say / or you say / or even Kiyan says [let’s see if this leads to any comments!!] about this team matters as it’s Sept 2nd 2026. The real time to judge this team will be months from now so let’s all try to remain as patient as possible for this moment. The second disclaimer which I may ultimately delete but I’m saying now is that I’m going to separate Arda v. Jude from this section is I’m going to discuss Arda v Jude in their own section. Hopefully, characters permitting, we can take a better opportunity to really focus on the construction of our entire midfield rather than who should be our #10 but I understand that it’s hard to have a discussion about the middle of the pitch without the two. Anyway…let’s jump into this. A Quick Aside: Transfer Window. A super brief aside but somewhat symbolic of a midfield discussion, the transfer window has practically closed (hasn’t officially as of writing) and Real Madrid (a club that desperately needed new faces in the midfield) has signed Bernardo Silva…and that’s it…. And it isn’t because of a lack of available funds (*cough Diomande*) just in my opinion willingness, as well as a poor culture or prerogative towards sales. We are incredibly poor at selling players and it’s likely because of vastly bloated contracts but that’s another discussion. I can dive into this more fully later but I’ll give our Transfer Window a solid: 6.5-7/10 rating. We addressed our defensive concerns and plugged a few holes in our forward line with more depth BUT our greatest concern has barely been addressed. The Midfield. Let’s start my thoughts on a positive spin. Defensively, I actually feel pretty good about our midfield. Although it is supremely likely that I’ll feel a bit differently as our opposition gets trickier, especially against a well-coached side like Betis, I relatively don’t mind what I’ve seen from our midfield. Fede in a more defensive role has been resolute in transition using his athletic gifts from God to sweep up the majority of transition breaks. If there’s one thing Fede can do remarkably well it’s cover vast amounts of space in a short time and that has been evident throughout this current set-up. In instances where I’ll admit Tchouameni likely wouldn’t catch up, Fede is there and that will be a necessary facet for a team that plays quite direct and likely will lose possession. However, I’ll admit that I’m a bit concerned about Fede Valverde in settled possession stints. Possibly due to his pace, he sometimes feels positionally aloof (note: I have the same feeling about Camavinga but he loses focus much more frequently than Fede). If we turn back to the Espanyol goal, Fede simply doesn’t track his runner. He motions to Carreras but if Fede had properly scanned the situation, he should have recognized that Carreras wasn’t actually in a position to track said runner and Fede primarily was just defending uninhabited space. The trend is that Mourinho’s Madrid will defend deeper and structurally more rigid than before (with a less emphasis on possession) so this will need to be something resolved quite quickly. "I believe Fede Valverde will have to learn to adjust to this role and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as he figures this out, and, we can re-asses his performances in this new scheme a month or two from now. He’s still not comfortable being the primary ball… pic.twitter.com/paCIRVsu3C — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) August 29, 2026 Just to also get this other midfielder who’s made various cameos out of the way — Camavinga has put in some good performances overall but still happens to lose focus on not only passes but defensively. Similar to my plea to Fede, Cama will need to resolve this quickly if he wants to earn a place in our squad. But nevertheless, I actually feel good about this team’s overall defensive commitment and I only expect it to improve once Tchouameni is back in fold. From what I can tell, Bernardo Silva puts in a good 60 min shift so as long as his legs hold up we shouldn’t concede too many opportunities but of course this will take more than just the midfield (LOOKING AT YOU DIOMANDE / VINI / KYKY / JUDE) 🚨 José Mourinho: "A boy who is not very loved gave a GREAT performance today: EDUARDO CAMAVINGA. I really loved his performance." pic.twitter.com/LdO6R1dx8f — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) August 30, 2026 I’m still significantly concerned about our build-up play. More alarming, but really shouldn’t be at all because this is still the same cast of characters — my faith in our midfield to actually hold onto the ball under pressure is extremely low. The beginning of the Malaga game is by far the best example where the players simply couldn’t find proper passes to link the defense to the forward line forcing Rudiger and at times Tibo to play a speculative long ball to Vini / Kylian in hopes that Jude or someone won the loose ball on the bounce. Malaga (until Jude’s incredible individual goal) earnestly dominated a fair portion of the early game with their diamond press that we simply didn’t have enough midfield bodies nor off ball movement to break. Camavinga often received the ball but was too slow in his decision making to make a vertical pass. Fede his partner in crime often was static and to some extent just hid from the ball and passing lanes (something Tchou frequently does too). And then we can have a larger discussion about how our forwards didn’t necessarily drop to receive swift 1-2s. How important will Bernardo Silva be this season? 🗣️: @kiyanso pic.twitter.com/UX4LT1CELT — Managing Madrid (@managingmadrid) August 15, 2026 Idk MM — part of me wants to excuse this because yes the Malaga line-up was literally last year’s team + Cucurella. However, part of me also completely understands that this is likely what will occur throughout this season because Bernado Silva is like 33+ and Arda Guler is just not going to start every game especially once the political and financial pressure to play Diomande grows. This will likely be a reoccurring theme through the season so I’m not going to waste the entire character count here but it surely is something that we will need to fix ASAP. And sadly, I’m not entirely sure that there is a reasonable solution. Thiago Pitarch / Sergio Martinez could be introduced to assist Bernardo in that role but these are incredibly raw and young talents which we likely don’t have the time nor patience to develop. Transitioning Arda Guler to the pivot is a popular discussion point but it doesn’t appear to match with what Mourinho currently wants from Arda. Additionally, I think there are valuable questions regarding whether Arda is physically or mentally prepared to play a more defensive facing role. Personally, I think DLP Arda could work in a more possession focused team but I’m wary about him playing that role when we play this direct and vertically. Arda trying to cover space would be a sight to watch lol. Jude would be an easy answer but it looks like Mou + Jude have a pact to only play him as a 10 and at the moment Mourinho seems focused on ensuring the stars are happy and bought into what he’s trying to build. So yes — the storm is coming, it’ll be fascinating to see if or how we fix it. The 10. So for this portion, I’m not really going to join into the debate of who should be our 10. I don’t find it valuable because politically, financially, marketing wise, and by all accounts this has been decided — SPOILER it’s Jude Bellingham. If we want to discuss who would better serve the entire team in that role, yes you could make a case for Arda (and I may even lean there) but as of Sept 2026 you’d just be screaming into a void that doesn’t really care. Jude will be our 10 until further notice. Jude is a much better overall player than Arda. Jude is the 2nd face of the team. YES, JUDE IS THE SECOND FACE OF THE TEAM. (Note: Being the face of a team is a marketing term not some convoluted fan “omg you’re the 2nd best player” this is pure marketing mechanics. So look at the marketing materials and don’t just sleep on the EA FC 27 cover featuring both of our players in full Madrid kits). So that convo is over. 🚨 José Mourinho: “When we played against Real Madrid with Benfica, I noticed that Jude Bellingham was defending almost as another left-back. We really took advantage of that, at Benfica. I did not like it and I don't want to see it anymore.” pic.twitter.com/SgQhAzYeYw — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 30, 2026 Now knowing Jude is the 10, we will have to accept that he will score sometimes spectacular goals but he may hurt our build up. Jude positionally is a 10 but takes on the responsibilities of a second striker who occasionally is an 8. He is not a connecting piece in the midfield position and he doesn’t spark our offensive excursions through dedicated passing vision. His passing has improved or at least appears to early season so kudos there but it wasn’t lost on me that against Malaga when Silva and Arda were no where to be found, we often couldn’t string passes from our own third. This is just the cost of doing business at this point as England often went through a similar issue throughout the World Cup. The built this roof at the Bernabeu specifically so Jude Bellingham doesn't levitate out of the stadium — Kiyan Sobhani (@KiyanSo) August 30, 2026 Still, this is often a better issue to have than to not. We can again mechanically work against this by featuring Arda on the psuedo-RW/RM role where he has the freedom to do what he does best and interchange with Jude but then be prepared to see more Dumfries. Potentially Diomande could help facilitate these moments with his defensive workmate and his natural tendency in our own third to connect via quick passes BUT I’m not sure we’ve all collectively seen enough from Yan to depend on that. Regarding Arda, it’ll just be interesting to see how he evolves this season. Arda has very much made a stamp and impression on all fans / board / Mourinho but it’s unclear of how long this can be sustained next to a behemoth like Jude Bellingham. I’m extremely interested to see what happens next summer when Arda (especially if he isn’t afforded a true starting role) begins contract extension discussions with Real (Arda’s contract expires in 2029 alongside Jude). It’ll be additionally interesting as Real still do have a buyback clause (or at least 50% rights) to Nico Paz who also exists in a similar position to Arda. Honestly, I don’t really know what the solution is here. Arda at RW / RM is valuable and can work but a bit of me feels like it’s a long-term waste of his abilities and that he is better suited for a 10 role. Additionally, Arda gets pretty exhausted by the 55th min trying to defend the channels plus start build-up play plus create chances. Similar to complaints about Jude being asked to do too much in previous years, Arda to a different extent is also asked to do far too much. In a perfect world, Arda and Jude could be interchangeable 8s with a single pivot and wingers who actually defended their respective channels but I don’t see that future coming as long as both Kylian and Vini wear the Real Madrid kit so that’s that. Who knows? As far as the Arda v Jude debate…the early games likely has created more questions than answers. Both the hope would be that both can play together. Anyway tomorrow we’ll talk about the forwards. Cheers, J
- BBC Sport·38d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Brighton sign midfielder Chema Andres from Stuttgart
Brighton secure deadline day deal to sign former Real Madrid midfielder Chema Andres from Stuttgart for £15.5m
- Managing Madrid·38d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Rüdiger retires from German national team -report
Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger has decided to retire from the German national team to focus on his club, according to a report published on MARCA. The defender hasn’t published an announcement yet. Rüdiger leaves the Mannschaft after more than a decade as an international, with the 2017 Confederations Cup as his only title won with the team. Rüdiger is 33 years old and he would be prioritizing his ability to stay healthy and play for Real Madrid, even though his current contract expires next summer. He’s struggled with injuries in the last two seasons, so his decision to play fewer games and rest during the FIFA breaks seems to be the right choice if he wants to extend his career at the club.
- BBC Sport·38d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Fulham agree to sign midfielders Angel and Larsson
Fulham agree to sign midfielders Manuel Angel and Hugo Larsson from Real Madrid and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively.
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Arbeloa reveals why it wasn’t easy to sign Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios
VIGO, SPAIN - MARCH 06: Gonzalo Garcia (L) of Real Madrid CF talks with Cesar Palacios during the LaLiga EA Sports match between RC Celta de Vigo and Real Madrid CF at Estadio Abanca-Balaidos on March 06, 2026 in Vigo, Spain. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images) | Getty Images Álvaro Arbeloa has spoken about his reunion with Gonzalo García and César Palacios at Fulham, explaining how much it meant to him that the two former Real Madrid players chose to follow him to the Premier League. Arbeloa left Real Madrid for Fulham this summer, and his familiarity with Madrid’s academy quickly played a role in shaping his new squad. Gonzalo and Palacios both made the move from the Spanish capital to Craven Cottage, giving Arbeloa two young players whose development he had already followed closely. Speaking to DAZN, Arbeloa revealed that Fulham faced significant competition for both players. Gonzalo and Palacios had interest from major European clubs, including teams capable of offering European football, but ultimately opted for the opportunity to reunite with their former coach in London. Arbeloa said: “It hasn’t been easy (to sign Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios). They had many offers from very important teams in Europe, some of them playing in European competitions. The fact that they wanted to come to Fulham to work with me makes me feel very fortunate. I’m very proud to have them with me again,” The relationship between Arbeloa and the two players stretches back to their time at Real Madrid. Gonzalo worked under Arbeloa during his development in the academy before eventually establishing himself around the senior team, while Palacios also received opportunities under the Spanish coach. Arbeloa has previously described Gonzalo as possessing the qualities he wants from a striker and Palacios as the kind of technically gifted player supporters pay to watch. But it is not merely their technical ability that attracted Arbeloa. The Fulham coach emphasized the mentality and ambition of both players — qualities he sees as central to the squad he is attempting to build. “I know them well. They are two lads with immense talent, each with their own characteristics, but they have that personality, that ambition, that self-discipline, that talent that I want in young players like them and I am sure that they will bring us a lot of joy this year and, above all, in the future,”
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jeremy De León announces departure from Real Madrid
Castilla Graduate Jeremy De León has officially announced his departure from Real Madrid. He signed for Castilla in 2024 from Castellón. Jeremy announced the following on social media: “There are goodbyes you’re never truly prepared to write. Ever since it all began in Puerto Rico, I dreamed of wearing this jersey. It has always been the club of my heart, and being able to make it a reality was a privilege I will always be grateful for. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt. It hurts to close a chapter at the club I always dreamed of representing; it hurts to leave a place that meant so much to me. Even so, no one can take away the pride I feel in having defended this badge and in having been part of the best team in the world. That will stay with me for the rest of my life. And if there’s anything that makes me especially proud of this whole journey, it’s being able to look back and think that the kid from Puerto Rico who dreamed of getting here made it. I hope my story helps many kids on my island see that it is possible. That it doesn’t matter where you come from, how far away the dream seems, or how many times you’re told it’s impossible. Dream big. Believe in yourselves and never let anyone tell you how far you can go. You too can reach places you might not even imagine today. Some dreams are never forgotten. They just change course. I will always love you the same, no matter what. Hala Madrid, today and always!” Jeremy de León is joining the Catalan club UE Sant Andreu after leaving Real Madrid.
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Bigger tests coming for Real Madrid in September
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Jude Bellingham of Real Madridis helped back on his feet by teammate Kylian Mbappe during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Malaga CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 30, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) | Getty Images Three games, three wins and 10 goals. Jose Mourinho could hardly have asked for a better start to his return at Real Madrid. Now comes the first real test. Madrid travel to face Real Betis on Friday before hosting Inter Milan in their Champions League opener four days later. The month concludes with the biggest test yet, a trip across the city to face Atletico Madrid on September 20th. Betis away has become a difficult fixture for Madrid. They have not won any of their last four league visits against Betis, drawing 0-0 in 2022-23, 1-1 in 2023-24, losing 2-1 in 2024-25 and drawing 1-1 last season. Four days later comes Inter at the Bernabeu and the beginning of Madrid’s Champions League campaign. Then, after league matches against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, Mourinho takes his team to the Metropolitano. The early signs have been encouraging. Madrid look more intense, more committed defensively and considerably more dangerous going forward. But Malaga, Espanyol and Real Sociedad were the opening act. Betis, Inter and Atletico will tell us much more.
- Guardian Football·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Chelsea’s perfect yet unserious start to the Premier League season | Jonathan Wilson
Xabi Alonso’s side have scored seven and conceded five in two wins so far, a product of the squad’s constant churn Sign up for our free newsletter here Two Premier League games played for Chelsea under Xabi Alonso: two wins and seven goals scored. It’s the sort of start that would delight many new managers – only two other clubs can boast about a six-point start this Premier League season (albeit with Arsenal to play later on Monday). Points gained in this odd transitional phase, when almost nobody seems quite ready, could prove extremely valuable come the end of the season. And yet, for all the attacking potency, there must also be concerns about Chelsea’s openness and the five goals conceded. Context must also be considered, and it projects both ways. It’s early in the season. There has been, as ever, a lot of change at Chelsea. They will get better; they will achieve greater coherence. But equally there has to be a sense of realism about the nature of the teams they’ve played. Brighton may have thrashed a shambolic Aston Villa 4-0 last weekend, but they were missing seven frontline players at Stamford Bridge and still put three past Chelsea on Sunday. And while Fulham looked very lively as Chelsea won 3-2 on the opening weekend, they couldn’t muster a shot on target against Sunderland on Sunday. This is an extract from Soccer Desk, a newsletter from the Guardian US. Subscribe for free here. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Five Bullet Points From Real Madrid’s Win Over Malaga
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Eduardo Camavinga of Real Madrid CF (L) and Carlos Dotor of Malaga CF (R) during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Malaga CF at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on August 30, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Pablo Garcia Sacristan/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game. Where does Eduardo Camavinga rank among players with the biggest variance on the scale of ‘wow, this guy is special’ and ‘did someone just unplug his controller?’? We saw the good and bad against Malaga. The good: great reading of passing lanes, didn’t hide at all as an outlet, impeccable slide tacking, elite ball-carrying through the lines, tidy dribbling in tight spaces. The bad: beaten defensively too easily on one occasion, a head-scratching giveaway, and, one instance where he just stopped playing football after a nice progressive carry before getting dispossessed. Look: He was mostly very good against Malaga. Unfortunately (and unfairly) for him, he can have a great game and then his mistake gets clipped. Those mistakes are fine in a 4-0 win against Malaga (arguably the easiest game on the schedule all season). Against Bayern Munich? Nope. Which leads into this: Achraf Lamdarhri wrote a great piece for Managing Madrid on Saturday discussing Real Madrid’s out-of-possession issues. The press and defensive shape look a bit out of sync. The numbers hide that: Real Madrid have conceded just 2.24 xGA over these three games, and Thibaut Courtois has barely had anything to do. There has also been some terrific individual defensive sequences from nearly everyone all over the field. But the collective press and shape breaks down easily. Malaga played through with ease from one end to the other four times and at least one Real Madrid player was furious with his teammates each time. Again, Malaga are not going to be the team to punish you. These are more notes to bring forward. As Mourinho said after the game, “the problems will come, the defeats will come… But the negative period, a less successful phase, injuries… that’s going to happen. The problems will come. The criticism from the press, the negative reactions from the fans. We have to be very balanced and not let the negative impact affect the whole season. The team has to be united; that’s our salvation right now.” It is unacceptable that, after three consecutive wins after Real Madrid have outscored their opponents 10-2, I start with two negative(ish) talking points. So, let’s set that straight: Jude Bellingham looks unbelievable. Not knowing what other words to use, I’d say he just looks right. He looks like he’s recovered fully from that shoulder surgery, and, since the World Cup, he’s been unplayable. This is the 2023 – 2024 version of Bellingham. Mourinho has built the scheme around him, and, why not? He’s literally The Terminator. You know who else looks just right? Kylian Mbappe. Underrated: He single-handedly creates incredible offensive chaos just by breaking lines with his dribbling. Rewind the tape just before Bellingham’s goal: Mbappe opens up Malaga’s defense out of nowhere by cutting in from the wing. He has a unique art where everyone — the defenders, the fans, people watching from the couch — know that he’s going to do a left-footed stepover before crossing up his opponent with the right — and still, no one can stop it. Trent Alexander-Arnold raises the team’s offensive ceiling. Some of his long range passes, per usual, were outrageous. He hits balls only he can hit. He completed only four of his 12 crosses, but I think that’s partly because Carlos Espi didn’t appear in this game (and also crosses generally have a very low success rate). Still, it’s a marvel watching him pick teams apart with his long range bombs. The trade-off kind of sucks: Mourinho hasn’t yet paired him with Arda Güler yet, and it’s plausible that one of them will have to sit. Both Brahim Diaz and Yan Diomande are more defensive profiles that can help Trent on the wing. I’m not sure there’s a way around that, yet, unless Güler gets deployed in midfield.
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Daily Thread: 31 Aug. 2026
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid looks on before the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Malaga CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 30, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images Welcome to The Daily Merengue — a place where you can feel free to discuss all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the Mods who do a fantastic job, Valyrian Steel, Ezek XI, KungFuZizou, NeRObutBlanco, Felipejack, and Juninho. Writer’s Prelude. We’ll keep today short. Apologies for the delay there was some confusion on my end with the scheduling. Expect regular DT programming from me starting tomorrow. A Short Daily Thread Sergio Martinez. Another youth player has joined the ranks of Real Madrid / Real Madrid Castilla. I’ll be honest that I don’t know too much about Sergio besides that we initially were linked to him in around November – January. He seems like a budding great prospect but it’s unclear how or if he’ll ever make it to the 1st team. This very much feels like a market opportunity considering his release clause was only 3M. However, some reports state that the plan is to have him practice with the 1st team so maybe Mourinho will find some use for the youngster. Maybe we’ll look back at this transfer late season and unveil another hidden gem. 🚨 OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Racing Santander and Real Madrid CF have reached an agreement for the transfer of Sergio Martínez. The Madrid club has committed to paying, in a single installment, the full amount stipulated in the buyout clause of the contract that bound Real Racing Club… pic.twitter.com/aohkJyOzEI — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 31, 2026 A Midfield Dilemma. I’ll likely expound on this more tomorrow. But I still have major concerns for our midfield. We had a dominant performance against Malaga but for the opening 20 mins (or really until Jude’s goal which imo came a little against the run of play) Malaga was easily evading our press and having a rather easy time forcing Rudiger / Courtois to huff long passes towards…Vini (of all people). This issue will only get trickier in the CL with a reminder that Camavinga, Bernardo Silva, and Arda Guler will be suspended for the first match against Inter. 🚨 REMINDER: Arda Güler, Camavinga and Bernardo Silva got RED CARDS in their last UCL games last season. They’re all set to MISS the first UCL game vs Inter. pic.twitter.com/n9FD25Qzvi — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 31, 2026 Anyway…enjoy the day off MM. Tomorrow we work again. ❗️No training today. The players have a day off. pic.twitter.com/5Y3tUHXztn — Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) August 31, 2026 Cheers, J
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jude Bellingham is back to his devastating best for Real Madrid
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 30: Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Malaga CF at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 30, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) | Getty Images Jude Bellingham’s spectacular start to the season continued against Málaga, with the English midfielder at the heart of Real Madrid’s 4-0 victory. Bellingham opened the scoring with a brilliant individual goal before forcing the own goal that doubled Madrid’s advantage. Beyond those two decisive interventions, he was everywhere: winning possession in midfield, driving through Málaga’s defensive lines and repeatedly arriving around the penalty area with menace. His final numbers reflected a complete performance: one goal, five shots, one key pass, 94.7% passing accuracy, six progressive carries, five recoveries and six of seven ground duels won. He also completed four of his five attempted long balls, made two tackles and was fouled three times. His 0.174 open-play expected threat (xT) further underlined how consistently he advanced Madrid into dangerous positions. But the statistics only tell part of the story. Bellingham’s opening goal encapsulated much of what makes him such a difficult player to contain. Collecting possession roughly 35 metres from goal, he surged forward, eliminated three Málaga defenders and finished emphatically. Seven minutes later, his determination helped create Madrid’s second, with Bellingham refusing to abandon the play and ultimately forcing an own goal. Those sequences were remarkably similar to José Mourinho’s description of the midfielder before the match. “He is a unique and extremely important player for the team,” Mourinho said. “He is a player with diverse talents, from physical to mental and tactical. He also has the ability to win back possession and press, and the ability to score goals, his aerial game. He is an absolutely impressive player.” Against Málaga, virtually all of those qualities were on display. Bellingham flourishing in Mourinho’s system Three matches into the La Liga season, Bellingham has two goals and two assists. He has also directly created another goal and struck the post, emerging as one of the primary drivers behind Madrid’s perfect start. According to Opta, Bellingham’s four direct goal contributions are tied for the most in La Liga this season. He is also the first Real Madrid player to contribute to at least four goals through the opening three matches of a league campaign since Bellingham himself managed four goals and one assist upon arriving in Madrid in 2023. He has now contributed to a goal in four consecutive league appearances, his best sequence since a five-game run in December 2024. The difference this season appears to be not simply Bellingham’s physical condition, but the role Mourinho has designed for him. The Portuguese coach had already studied Bellingham closely while managing Benfica and believed Madrid had previously asked the midfielder to defend too deeply, particularly when covering the left side. “I agreed with him that I didn’t want to see Jude defending almost like a second left-back, which I’ve seen many times,” Mourinho explained. “In the league match I won with Benfica last year, we exploited that situation a lot, forcing him to drop back from the center to defend on the left. We’ve organized the team differently, where he knows exactly what he has to do and feels very comfortable. He likes everyone to do their part.” Mourinho has instead deployed Bellingham in an attacking midfield role within his 4-2-3-1, giving him the freedom to influence different areas without consistently dragging him away from the zones where he is most dangerous. Bellingham himself believes that freedom has been important. “Now I play with a bit more freedom, with the liberty to move further up or down the pitch, depending on our needs,” Bellingham told Real Madrid TV after the game. “I’m really enjoying it, that’s why I’m playing well.” There is still plenty of defensive responsibility. Bellingham recovered possession five times against Málaga and won six of his seven ground duels. But rather than spending prolonged stretches defending as an auxiliary full-back, his work without the ball is increasingly being used as a weapon higher up the pitch. That suits both his physical qualities and his mentality. “Bellingham is very demanding of himself and others,” Mourinho said after the match. “This is something I like very much.” The Bernabéu is singing again There are echoes of Bellingham’s extraordinary first months at Real Madrid, when he immediately became one of the defining players of the team. Injuries — particularly his long-running shoulder problem — complicated the following seasons and made it more difficult for Bellingham to consistently reproduce that early level. Now healthy and playing in a role seemingly tailored to his strengths, the 23-year-old looks liberated again. His influence extends well beyond goals and assists. Through three league games, Bellingham has been among Madrid’s leading players in recoveries, chance creation, successful passes in the opposition half and completed dribbles. He can help Madrid progress possession, break lines through carries, win duels, press, create and arrive in the box to finish moves. That versatility is precisely why Mourinho considers him such an important piece of the team. Three games represent only the beginning of a long season, but the early signs are difficult to ignore. Bellingham is healthy, influential and operating with freedom. Mourinho has found a structure that allows him to defend without shackling his attacking instincts, while the midfielder is once again turning relentless running and aggression into decisive moments around the opposition box. And as Bellingham continues to resemble the player who electrified Madrid upon his arrival in 2023, a familiar soundtrack has returned with him. “Hey Jude” is ringing around the Bernabéu again.
- Managing Madrid·39d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Racing Santander release official statement on Sergio Martinez’s transfer to Real Madrid
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 23: Real Racing Club Santander player Sergio Martinez reacts during the La Liga 2nd week match between Getafe and Real Racing Club Santander at Coliseum Alfonso Perez Stadium in Madrid, Spain on August 23, 2026. (Photo by Burak Akbulut/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images Real Madrid have officially completed the signing of midfielder Sergio Martinez from Racing Santander, the newly promoted club confirmed on Monday in a statement. Martinez will join Real Madrid after the club paid his release clause in a single instalment. Here is the official statement from Racing: “Racing Santander and Real Madrid CF have reached an agreement for the transfer of Sergio Martínez. The Madrid club has committed to paying, in a single instalment, the full amount stipulated in the buyout clause of the contract that bound Real Racing Club to the player. As a result, the player from Laredo leaves the Racing squad. From Racing Santander, the club Sergio has been with since the age of 10 and where he has risen through the ranks from the Under-12 B team to the first team (with which he has played 15 matches), we wish the player all the success he deserves in his future professional and personal endeavours. Good luck, Sergio! We are very proud of your progress at our club and how you have defended the badge all these years. The Campos de Sport de El Sardinero will always be your home.” Martinez, per reports, will initially join Castilla, with a view to eventually playing for the first team. It will be interesting to track his development over the course of the next couple of seasons.
- Guardian Football·40d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Chelsea hold off Brighton in 4-3 win but remain chaotic under Xabi Alonso
In the fullness of time Chelsea’s surrender against Brighton & Hove Albion last April may come to be seen as the turning point. The humiliation accelerated Liam Rosenior’s demise and forced the Stamford Bridge hierarchy into a reckoning which has led to the appointment of Xabi Alonso, a shift in the transfer strategy, the JP Morgan front three and the end of Robert Sánchez’s time as the No 1 goalkeeper. For now, though, the argument that Emiliano Martínez is the final piece in the jigsaw seems a touch premature. There are many enjoyable parts to Alonso’s rejigged Chelsea, especially when Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and João Pedro click in attack, but other problems remain and the early evidence suggests a title challenge will only be sustained if performances become less chaotic. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·41d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Daily Thread: 29 August 2026
The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to d all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Felipejack. Calendar for UCL league phase In about 10 days, Real Madrid debut in UCL this season at home against Inter Milan. As covered by Navarrete, here is the full calendar: Matchday 1: Real Madrid-Inter Milan (Tuesday, September 8; 9:00 pm CEST) Matchday 2: Roma-Real Madrid (Wednesday, October 14; 9:00 pm CEST) Matchday 3: Real Madrid-Leipzig (Wednesday, October 21; 9:00 pm CEST) Matchday 4: AEK Athens-Real Madrid (Wednesday, November 4; 6:45 pm CEST) Matchday 5: Real Madrid-PSV (Tuesday, November 24; 9:00 pm CEST) Matchday 6: Arsenal-Real Madrid (Wednesday, December 9; 9:00 pm CEST) Matchday 7: Real Madrid-LASK (Tuesday, January 19; 9:00 pm CEST) Matchday 8: Shakhtar Donetsk-Real Madrid (Wednesday, January 27; 9:00 pm CEST) Real Madrid signed young player. Per Romano, Real Madrid have agreed deal to sign 19-year-old Sergio Martínez from Racing Santander, here we go! Contract until June 2030 and deal worth €3m. There is confusion in reports starting he is CB, but he is a midfielder. Mourinho’s comments There was an interesting question on today press-conference. Mou was asked if he thinks offense needs to be trained/coached as much as defensive side or if offense is more about player individual creativity (something Ancelotti has mentioned more than once over the years). Mou replied: When you have players with incredible quality, they sometimes make the coach looks like a phenomenon. And many times the coach is not a phenomenon, it’s the players. We work both on offensive organization and defensive organization. Today, for instance, we dedicated 45 mins or work to offensive organization. Obviously that we worked on tactical formations, movements, ok, but when there is a moment of difficulty, often the players are the ones who win the games. So you have to give them space to their creativity, space so he can decide things, without losing a concept of organization, which I think we are growing a lot in that aspect. Another thing Mourinho emphasized is to properly wait for Tchouameni’s return so he does not relapse from his injury. Mourinho also praised Ancelotti, in the question if it’s more difficult to coach tactical aspects or to manage the locker room: Ancelotti is great in everything. I don’t feel anything as hard. Even the problems are natural. Until now, we don’t have any, but it will arrive. When it arrives, if it’s something tactical or from the management, you have to see and manage it with naturalness. In the last question, Mou talked about possible line-up leaks: I prefer if will go to the game tomorrow with the opponent not knowing our line-up. But if today leaks our line-up, it’s not that dramatic. What worries me is when you make many structural changes, for instance playing with 3 CBs, or we play with Espi and Kylian together. If we do something a bit outside that opponent’s coach can think about. But if it’s Cucurella or Carreras that starts is not dramatic to me.
- Managing Madrid·41d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid announce squad for La Liga match against Málaga
Real Madrid have published their squad list for Sunday’s home match against Málaga. REAL MADRID SQUAD: Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, and Javi Navarro. Defenders: Huijsen, Trent, Konaté, Cucurella, Á. Carreras, Rüdiger, Dumfries, and Mario Rivas. Midfielders: Bellingham, Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Bernardo, Cestero, and Alexis Ciria. Forwards: Vini Jr., Mbappé, C. Espí, Brahim, and Yan Diomande. No significant news on this list even though Mourinho will be expected to make some changes after the team’s first two games. Málaga should be manageable opposition at home and that’s why rotations could be on the way. HOW TO WATCH, STREAM LA LIGA Date: 08/30/2026 Time: 17:00 CEST, 11:00am EST. Venue: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain. Available TV: DAZN La Liga (Spain), ESPN Deportes (USA). Available Streaming: ESPN+ (USA) Managing Madrid has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence editorial content, though Vox Media may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
- Managing Madrid·41d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Jose Mourinho: “The Ballon d’Or has politics, and if politics gets involved, I don’t like it so much”
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid CF, speaks during a press conference ahead of the LaLiga EA Sports football match against Real Sociedad at Ciudad Real Madrid in Madrid, Spain, on August 25, 2026. (Photo by Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images Jose Mourinho sat in the media room to host the press conference ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Malaga on Sunday. He was asked the age-old question about the Ballon d’Or, to which he gave a very interesting answer. He said: “It’s very beautiful individually. You enter into the individual history of a particular player. This dozen players of a very, very high level, of whom we have three or four. It’s normal that this exists as an ambition. For me, the Ballon d’Or has to go to those players who, when they retire, we miss forever. I miss Maradona, Nazario, Messi, Zidane, Matthäus… You can’t give the Ballon d’Or just because they won the Champions League or the World Cup. If you want to reward the Champions League, give the Ballon d’Or to Luis Enrique. For Spain, De La Fuente certainly deserves it. This is the great tribute. Another thing is the best in the world; it doesn’t have to be from PSG or Spain. There are two, three, or four, and we know who they are. We know where they are — here. We know who has made history individually this summer. The Ballon d’Or has politics, and if politics gets involved, I don’t like it so much. We already know my concept of the Ballon d’Or. We’re not going to invent it in Spain or at PSG. There, it’s Luis Enrique or De La Fuente. The best player is someone else.” Mourinho on how the team is doing “There are players who, I keep saying, have had different preseason experiences. We have a strong squad with solutions to compensate for these issues. I can give you an example. Tomorrow, Cucurella starts, and Álvaro, who played well against Espanyol and Real Sociedad, will be on the bench. If Cucurella runs out of steam, we have Álvaro to come on. It’s the kind of solution a squad like this provides a coach.” Mourinho on the group’s ‘concentration’ “There are two kinds of concentration. The one you’re talking about, being together, sleeping in a hotel, in Valdebebas… The one I’m interested in is the one here (points to his head). It has nothing to do with sleeping in a hotel, it’s here. Sometimes I think, and it saddens me, that all you see is warm-ups and rondo drills. In my other job, there’s a lot of concentration. This is what interests me. Sleeping or not sleeping, it depends. We’re not sleeping today. The players are together. We have a tactical meeting now, we’re eating together. We’ll be together a little longer and then we’ll see each other in the morning. Espi, Cucurella, and I are sleeping here. The rest are going home.” Mourinho on Yan Diomande “I’m not going to say anything more about individual players. Diomande arrived late and had a difficult summer because of the decision. He didn’t train with Leipzig; when he arrived, he didn’t have a foundation to work with, and he’s progressing gradually. He’s already had playing time, which is what he needs to develop. Tomorrow he’ll either start or come on as a substitute. He’s getting more and more ready.” Mourinho on Jude Bellingham “He’s unique. Super important for the team. He has different talents: physical, mental, tactical, ball recovery, his goal-scoring ability, his aerial game. He’s impressive. I really like talking about Kylian, Vini, Jude. I understand the questions. But I’m very happy with everyone. As I said, here we only have great players and truly great players. The team has to function as a team. Real Madrid fans go to the Bernabéu to see these exceptional players, but they also go to see a team play as a team, suffer as a team, face difficulties as a team, and dominate as a team. I’m the coach of that team, and I really like the players I have.” Mourinho on Thiago Pitarch and Castilla “Arbeloa has done a fantastic job in defense. Up front, the situation is different, and it hasn’t been easy. He’s done a fantastic job with the players. There isn’t a single Castilla player I don’t like. Thiago has shown he’s no longer fit for the Castilla division. I like him a lot. He’s part of this group of 21 players. We have Ciria, Cestero, and two goalkeepers on the bench because we don’t have many options. When he’s fit, he’ll be part of the group and will get playing time. I tell him his leg muscles are the same as mine, and he needs to put on a couple of kilos through hard work.” Mourinho on attackers’ freedom “When you have players of incredible quality, they make the coach look like a phenomenon. They do things that go beyond the everyday routine. We work on defense and attack. Today, the entire 45 minutes of training were dedicated to offensive organization. We worked on tactical formations and movement. When things get tough, they win matches. We have to give them space for creativity and for their ability to make decisions. We have to be organized. We’re improving in that area.” Mourinho on Endrick and Tchouameni “[Endrick] is the closest to returning. I don’t want to take any risks with Betis. Like I said, he could be ready for Betis or for the first Champions League match. The other situations are more complicated. With Tchouameni, we have to keep our emotions in check. I don’t want him to be in and out, in and out again. I don’t want to start the season in August with a situation like this. I hope to have Tchouameni fit again, and I prefer to wait a little longer.” Mourinho on the international break “International matches worry me. It’s a long time. I’m less concerned about players who go with their national teams to play than those who are selected but don’t play. Those are the ones I worry about the most. My relationship with Carlo means I’m aware of the situation, and we’ll exchange information. With Carlo, it won’t be a problem. With others, where we don’t have this level of trust, having players away for three weeks is very complicated. We’re going to have faith in the professionalism of those coaches, in the respect they have for the players and the clubs. I don’t want to dramatize it. Often, there are injuries while on international duty, and then when they return to their clubs, they lose the balance of the work they’d been doing for weeks, and then the injury happens. It is what it is, and there’s nothing we can do about it.” Mourinho on what is more difficult: managing the group or working tactically “I don’t feel that anything is difficult. I see it as natural. Problems are a natural part of life. We haven’t had our first problem yet, but it’s going to come. Whether it’s tactical or related to team management, it’s normal for it to happen. You have to see it as a natural occurrence and manage it as a natural one.” Mourinho on Carlo Ancelotti “Ancelotti is a great man in every way. He doesn’t have a weak point. He’s a great man at every level.” Mourinho on the starting XI being leaked “If we go into tomorrow’s match and the opposition doesn’t know our lineup until an hour and a half before kickoff, I prefer that. But if our lineup starts today, it’s not a big deal. The worrying thing is when you make a lot of structural changes. If we played with three centre-backs, with Espi and Kylian together. If we do something that’s outside of what the Málaga manager might expect, then yes, it’s a concern. But the difference between Carreras and Cucurella isn’t a big deal. The positive feeling about him not starting is that nobody has spoken about it. Not the players, not the kit men, not the doctors… But if he does start, it’s not a big deal.”
- Sky Sports·42d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Papers: Arsenal hold talks with Real Madrid for Endrick
The top stories and transfer rumours from Saturday's newspapers...
- Managing Madrid·42d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Daily Thread: 28 August 2026
The Daily Merengue is a place where you can feel free to d all things football. Do not be alarmed by the overt RMCF bias. It’s in the name! Shoutout to the mods who do a fantastic job, Ezek, Valyrian Steel, Kung_Fu_Zizou, Juninho, NeRObutBlanco and yours truly, Felipejack. CB signing? Here we go: Real Madrid signed Oscar Naasei from Granada. The fee is €2M. UCL League phase opponents At home: Inter, PSV, Leipzig, Lask Away: Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar, Aek Athens The calendar of these UCL games will be released tomorrow.
- Managing Madrid·42d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Málaga’s long road back to La Liga with the Bernabéu and Mourinho up next
VALENCIA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 09: Isco of Malaga runs with the ball during the la Liga match between Levante UD and Malaga CF at Ciutat de Valencia on February 9, 2013 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images) | Getty Images When José Mourinho left Real Madrid in 2013, Manuel Pellegrini’s Málaga was a team competing in the Champions League quarter-finals. The 2012-13 Málaga side had some familiar names. Current RB Leipzig manager Martin Demichelis and Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca were in Pellegrini’s squad along with a certain Isco Alarcón. After four mid-table finishes between 2013-14 and 2016-17, the Andalusian club went down in 2017-18. Málaga’s financial decline after relegation from La Liga in 2018 was severe. Their permitted squad-cost limit fell from around €53.5 million in their final top-flight season to €25.2 million in 2018-19. The club was initially protected by approximately €20.1 million in relegation compensation, but that cushion was temporary. By 2019-20, Málaga’s squad-cost limit had dropped to around €9.9 million, while the club still carried contractual commitments that were difficult to sustain on Segunda revenues. The situation became particularly serious in 2020. Under judicial administrator José María Muñoz, Málaga underwent major restructuring, including redundancies and substantial reductions in operating and playing costs. The club had experienced liquidity problems and relied partly on player sales to meet its obligations. For 2020-21, Málaga’s permitted squad-cost limit fell to just €3.67 million, the lowest in Segunda, representing a decline of roughly 93% from their final La Liga season. Muñoz later said that relegation to Segunda B in 2020 would have left the club with very limited prospects of remaining viable. Málaga eventually stabilised financially, but relegation from Segunda in 2023 brought another dramatic loss of income. The club had received approximately €7.4 million in television revenue during its final Segunda season, compared with only €120,000 budgeted from broadcasting in Primera Federación, a reduction of roughly 98%. Málaga consequently reduced its 2023-24 operating budget to around €7.5 million, almost €10 million below the previous season. Unlike in 2020, however, the club entered the third tier without outstanding debts and was considered financially viable, while its large supporter base continued to provide significant ticketing, sponsorship and commercial revenue. Málaga spent only one season in Primera Federación, earning promotion back to Segunda in 2023-24 after beating Celta Fortuna 4-3 on aggregate in the playoff semi-final and Gimnàstic de Tarragona in the final, with Antoñito Cordero scoring a dramatic 122nd-minute goal in the second leg. Málaga then finished 16th with 53 points in their first season back in Segunda in 2024-25. The following season, they finished fourth with 73 points to qualify for the promotion playoffs, where they defeated Las Palmas in the semi-final and Almería in the final to secure promotion to La Liga in June 2026, ending an eight-year absence from the Spanish top flight. Real Madrid center-back Dean Huijsen comes from the Málaga youth system. He will have a chance to face his old club this weekend.
- Managing Madrid·42d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Gonzalo García off to a great start in England
LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 27: Gonzalo Garcia of Fulham scores his team’s third goal during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Fulham and AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage on August 27, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images) | Getty Images Former Real Madrid forward Gonzalo García has made an impressive start to life at Fulham, scoring twice in his first two appearances for the London club. The 22-year-old joined Fulham this summer in a deal worth €40 million, with Real Madrid retaining a 30% sell-on clause. Born and raised in Madrid, García came through Real Madrid’s academy before being promoted to the first team last season. His move to Fulham made him one of the club’s most lucrative sales of an academy graduate. García opened his Fulham account against Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea. It was Alonso who first gave him an extended opportunity with Real Madrid’s senior side at the 2025 Club World Cup, where the striker emerged as one of the tournament’s breakout performers. His goal against Chelsea was not enough to earn Fulham any points, however, as they suffered a 3-2 home defeat in their Premier League opener. Fulham’s fortunes improved in the second round of the Carabao Cup, where they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Wimbledon. García was on the scoresheet again, producing a composed finish after rounding the goalkeeper before putting the ball into the net. Gonzalo golazo. 💥 pic.twitter.com/mohwLcOrvd — Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) August 27, 2026 Two games into his Fulham career, García has two goals to his name.
- Guardian Football·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Danny Welbeck leads Chelsea past Luton but Enzo Fernández misses Carabao Cup tie
Emiliano Martínez is on his way but another high-profile Argentinian is likely to be wearing a different shade of blue soon. Chelsea have dealt with their biggest weakness, satisfying Xabi Alonso’s wish for a new goalkeeper by agreeing a £7.5m deal to sign Martínez from Aston Villa, and it will surely not be long before they have put an end to the Enzo Fernández saga. Fernández was the most notable absentee as Chelsea eased into the third round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-0 win over Luton. There is a desire to move on from the circus. Manchester City are poised to bid for Fernández and, with the noise around the midfielder becoming a distraction, Alonso and the club decided to leave out Chelsea’s supposed vice-captain. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Real Madrid learn their eight opponents for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase
MONACO, MONACO - AUGUST 27: Thierry Henry draws the card of Real Madrid C.F. during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase Draw at Grimaldi Forum on August 27, 2026 in Monaco, Monaco. (Photo by Francesco Scaccianoce - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) | UEFA via Getty Images Real Madrid now know the path that awaits them at the beginning of their latest pursuit of the European Cup. Thursday’s Champions League draw in Monaco determined Madrid’s eight opponents in the league phase of the 2026/27 competition, with José Mourinho’s side set to play four games at the Santiago Bernabéu and another four away from home. Real Madrid will host Inter, PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig and LASK Linz. Their four away games will come against Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and AEK Athens. The complete draw: Home: Inter, PSV Eindhoven, RB Leipzig, LASK Linz Away: Arsenal, Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk, AEK Athens The exact order of those fixtures, along with kickoff times, will be confirmed by UEFA this weekend. It will be Mourinho’s first Champions League campaign since returning to Real Madrid this summer, and the Portuguese coach has some unfinished business with the competition in the Spanish capital. Mourinho won the Champions League with Porto and Inter before his first spell at Madrid, but could not deliver the trophy during his three seasons at the Bernabéu. His teams reached three consecutive Champions League semi-finals between 2011 and 2013 without advancing to the final. His second spell will provide another opportunity to add the trophy that escaped him the first time around. Familiar opponents and a chance for revenge The draw produced several familiar matchups, beginning with Inter’s visit to the Bernabéu. Real Madrid and Inter have met 19 times in European competition, with Madrid winning 10 of those encounters. One of the most significant meetings came in the 1964 European Cup final, when Inter defeated Madrid to lift the trophy. There is also an obvious Mourinho connection. His greatest season as Inter manager ended with the Italian club winning the 2010 Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabéu, completing a historic treble. Madrid have happier memories from their most recent meetings with Inter, beating them home and away during the group stage of the 2021/22 Champions League. The trip to Arsenal carries a more immediate edge. Arsenal eliminated Real Madrid from the Champions League two seasons ago, winning 3-0 at the Emirates before completing a 5-1 aggregate victory with a 2-1 win at the Bernabéu. Madrid will now return to North London with an opportunity to respond to one of their most painful recent European eliminations. Roma are another familiar opponent. The clubs have met several times in the Champions League, with their most recent knockout encounter coming in the round of 16 in 2015/16. Real Madrid won both legs 2-0 on their way to lifting the European Cup in Milan. PSV Eindhoven and Shakhtar Donetsk also bring back memories of previous Champions League campaigns. Shakhtar in particular have caused Madrid problems before. The Ukrainian side famously beat Real Madrid 3-2 at Valdebebas in October 2020 and then defeated them again in the return fixture that season. This year’s away meeting will be played at Stamford Bridge. RB Leipzig, meanwhile, have become increasingly familiar opposition after meetings in both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 Champions League campaigns. The Austrian side LASK represents new territory, while the trip to face AEK Athens provides another of the more unusual fixtures in Madrid’s European calendar. How the Champions League format works The 36 participating clubs were separated into four pots based on UEFA coefficients for Thursday’s draw. Each club was assigned two opponents from every pot — one at home and one away. Clubs could not be paired with teams from their own domestic league and could face no more than two opponents from any one country. As in the previous two seasons, there are no traditional Champions League groups. Instead, all 36 clubs compete in a single league table despite playing different sets of eight opponents. The top eight teams qualify automatically for the round of 16. Teams finishing from ninth through 24th enter a two-legged knockout playoff to determine the remaining eight places in the last 16. Teams finishing 25th or lower are eliminated from Europe altogether, with no route into the Europa League. From the round of 16 onward, the Champions League continues through its traditional two-legged knockout rounds before the final. This season’s final carries additional significance for Real Madrid: it will be played in their own city. The Metropolitano Stadium will host the Champions League final on June 5, 2027. Butragueño: “Every match is a challenge” Real Madrid Director of Institutional Relations Emilio Butragueño spoke to Realmadrid TV following the draw and stressed the difficulty of navigating the league phase. “We are aware of the passion with which these kinds of matches are experienced, and that makes them always extremely difficult,” Butragueño said. “We compete with great enthusiasm, trusting in our players, but also knowing that every match is a challenge and requires a very high level of performance if we want to achieve our goals.” Butragueño also highlighted how the current format increases the importance of every point. “Unlike the previous format, now you compete against everyone. This forces you to treat every match practically like a final, because the goal is to finish in the top eight, and ideally, we’d like to be in the top four, which would give us home-court advantage until the end.” Avoiding the additional knockout playoff is therefore one of Madrid’s first objectives. “It’s more punishing on the schedule, because it involves two extremely intense matches with the risk of being eliminated,” Butragueño said. “It’s crucial to start picking up points in the early matches so the team gains the confidence that will allow us to finish among the best.” Butragueño also discussed Real Madrid’s busy summer and the return of Mourinho. “The club has made a significant effort this summer. Top-level players have arrived, and Mourinho has returned, a man with vast experience who knows how to get the best out of every player. We are approaching this season with enormous enthusiasm and hope that it will be a great season for Real Madrid.” Madrid have also begun their domestic campaign positively, although Butragueño believes the team remains a work in progress following a summer complicated by the World Cup. “We’ve started well, but it’s only just begun. There are players who were at the World Cup and have been gradually integrating,” he said. “What we saw at the Bernabéu was extraordinary, and that gives a real boost to all Madrid fans. The demands are constant, and the squad has the quality to meet the fans’ expectations.” 2026/27 Champions League league-phase dates The complete fixture schedule will be released on Saturday, but UEFA has already established the windows for all eight matchdays. Matchday 1: September 8–10, 2026 Matchday 2: October 13–14, 2026 Matchday 3: October 20–21, 2026 Matchday 4: November 3–4, 2026 Matchday 5: November 24–25, 2026 Matchday 6: December 8–9, 2026 Matchday 7: January 19–20, 2027 Matchday 8: January 27, 2027 Real Madrid therefore know the eight obstacles standing between them and direct passage to the knockout rounds. Now they must wait for the calendar to determine the exact order in which they will face them. For Mourinho, it will mark the beginning of another attempt to accomplish something he was unable to do during his first spell in Madrid: lift the European Cup with Real Madrid.
- Guardian Football·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Chelsea agree £7.5m deal to sign Emiliano Martínez from Aston Villa
Wantaway Enzo Fernández left out of Carabao Cup tie Villa sign Germany midfielder Leon Goretzka on free Chelsea have agreed a £7.5m deal to sign the Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and are expecting Manchester City to make an offer for Enzo Fernández in the next 48 hours. Xabi Alonso identified the signing of a goalkeeper as a priority after Robert Sánchez struggled against Fulham on Monday and the deal for Martínez has gone through quickly. The Argentina international is out of favour at Villa after their acquisition of Zion Suzuki and is due to sign a two-year contract with the option of a further year. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Five Bullet Points From Real Madrid’s Win Over Real Sociedad
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 26: Jose Mourinho head coach of Real Madrid CF reacts during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 26, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Diego Souto/Getty Images) | Getty Images These observations — where I look at Real Madrid’s history, its players on loan, Castilla, tactical tidbits, and other relevant thoughts — are now a regular thing. All previous editions can be found here. Here is a new thing I’m committing to this season: Five semi-informal bullet points after each game. It was surprising to see Trent Alexander-Arnold omitted from the starting XI for the second consecutive game. Mario Cortegana and I were discussing it press row — Trent had an entire summer to train at Valdebebas and you would think the rotation would indicate that it’s Trent’s turn to start. I get it on some level: Denzel Dumfries had a good game against Espanyol and Mourinho has always valued defensive security in his full-back options. There is also another factor: Arda Güler has been starting as a pseudo right-winger, and Mourinho might want some extra defensive security on the flank. Dumfries struggled a bit against Real Sociedad. There were moments where he was blindsided by Real Sociedad players pressing him from behind, and some opportunities to pass it down the right flank but failed to pull it off (whereas Trent would’ve sniped those passes blindfolded). I do wonder if Dumfries starting is contingent on whether it’s Yan Diomande or Güler on the right wing. Dumfries did get into some good attacking positions but lacked end product. Two years ago, when Vinicius Jr was at the peak of his powers, he could have quiet or even bad games but then come up with a big moment — and that’s why you would keep him in the game. This game fell in line with that. He was far from his best, and of the attacking quartet — Vini, Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Arda Güler — he was the least consequential. But Mourinho is trying to juggle a fine line between taking him off and making sure his confidence doesn’t get further destroyed. He kept him on against Espanyol despite his poor performance, and he didn’t sub him out against Real Sociedad until Vinicius hit the back of the net and picked up a gorgeous assist. Fair. That’s a good way to re-instill some confidence in your starting left-winger. Bernardo Silva’s performance was overlooked. I get that there is absolutely no need for him to take the headlines over the incredible performances from Bellingham and Mbappe — but I even saw some criticism of Bernardo’s role in this game. Sometimes you have to look at the dirty work and not passing or assist numbers. Bernardo was excellent in the amount of ground he covered defensively and led the team in both tackles and interceptions. He is a savvy, mature reader of the game, and had really silky linkup from both deep positions and occasionally in the right half-space higher up the pitch. Jude Bellingham has been levitating ever since the World Cup. We saw the entire package against La Real: creative output, ball-winning, pressing, and finding solutions against low blocks. He is a cheat code in any situation because of the amount of things he can do at an elite level. Four key passes, two assists, three completed dribbles. He is both graceful and dirty, and somehow that goes hand in hand. You might see him glide out of pressure like Zinedine Zidane and invoke audible groans from the Bernabeu, and next thing you know, he’s hunting you down like Casemiro and winning the ball before pulling off an assist. Fede Valverde churned in a solid shift in the double pivot. I believe he will have to learn to adjust to this role and I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as he figures this out, and, we can re-asses his performances in this new scheme a month or two from now. He’s still not comfortable being the primary ball progresser — which is why you’d often see Güler or Bellingham drop deep behind him to receive the pass before sprinting back into the attacking third. His main source of ball progression is through ball-carrying, and not through passing. He’s an elite ball-carrier, and you saw how impossible it is to stop his drives on his assist to Kylian Mbappe. Bonus: Kylian Mbappe is an absolute freak.
- Guardian Football·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
‘I can’t wait’: Liam Delap seals £45m Nottingham Forest move from Chelsea
Striker is Forest’s record signing after being frozen out Scored two goals after joining Chelsea for £30m last season Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of the Chelsea striker Liam Delap in a club-record £45m deal. The 23-year-old has a five-year contract at Forest, his third club in three seasons after he was told he was not part of Xabi Alonso’s plans. Forest’s new manager, Oliver Glasner, made him a priority during the transfer window and Delap said: “I really can’t wait to get started. This is a massive club with a big history. I spoke to the manager and I like his way, I think he can be the one to really help me develop and make that next step and hopefully I can bring goals here.” Continue reading...
- Guardian Football·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Football transfer rumours: Palace to hijack Aston Villa move for Joel Ordóñez?
Today’s fluff knows how to live Ollie Watkins is on his way out and Nicolas Jackson is about to arrive but not all is straightforward in the world of Aston Villa’s transfer plans. Crystal Palace are doing their level best to hijack a move for Club Brugge centre-back Joel Ordóñez and have entered into talks for the Ecuadorian. This has forced Unai Emery and friends to seek an alternative, leading them straight to Jean-Claire Todibo of West Ham, who is very much available. The Eagles are also eyeing a shock move for Marseille’s Quinten Timber, brother of Jurrien, to keep them busy as the window creaks towards closure. There is often a good deal of denial regarding the state of Chelsea’s goalkeeping department but after Robert Sánchez’s latest blunder, they may have seen the light. A bid for Aston Villa’s second-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who has been ousted by Zion Suzuki, could be in the offing from Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Honest Ahanor, is heading to join the Xabi Alonso revolution after an agreement was made with Atalanta for the defender. Continue reading...
- Managing Madrid·43d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
3 observations from Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 26: Kylian Mbappe (hidden) of Real Madrid CF celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at Bernabeu stadium on August 26, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Photo By Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images) | Europa Press via Getty Images Real Madrid put Real Sociedad away 4-1 in their first match at the Bernabeu this season. A hat-trick from Kylian Mbappe, along with a goal from Vinicius Junior, made sure that Jose Mourinho’s return to the stadium was not spoiled. Dean Huijsen and the art of completing boring passes This is not meant to be a diss. One of Dean Huijsen’s biggest criticisms from last season was his tendency to always find a spectacular pass. He was always diabolically vertical with his passes, regardless of whether they made any sense. He looked to always be positive with his actions — sometimes too positive, and that hurt Real Madrid on many occasions. Things would be going well, and the team would be in a position where they needed to keep the ball. Instead of playing the easy pass, Huijsen would always try to find an attacker who was never expecting a pass in the first place. Against Real Sociedad, and also against Espanyol, things looked more ‘boring’ and standard and less chaotic with Huijsen. The Spanish International had a 96% pass completion rate on 72 attempts, as he played a lot of sideways passes to Bernardo Silva, Marc Cucurella and Ibrahima Konate. He progressed the ball when it felt right and necessary, but also understood the importance of keeping the ball and having control of the game. There were a couple of unnecessary through balls here and there, but things generally looked good, and this is a version of Huijsen that Real Madrid can definitely use in games where they would struggle to keep possession. A consistent, ball-playing centre-back like Huijsen lifts this team’s ceiling. Off-ball movements and one-touch passes Real Madrid have struggled to get creative in games where they face a low block at many points over the last few years, and not a lot of it has to do with the quality on the pitch. Even when it is Real Madrid’s best XI playing at the Bernabeu, the low block has given them loads of problems. Against Real Sociedad, whenever the away side shifted to a low block to defend — which did not happen all the time — Los Blancos were able to get creative. The second half saw a lot of pressure from the home side, which forced La Real to sit back and absorb pressure. Even at some points during the first half, it seemed like Real Madrid would struggle to have many clear sights on goal, but their movement was much better than before. There were loads of entries into the box from the attackers, and at points, the midfielders as well. They occupied so many positions in the box that there were many players to lay the ball off to. That led to some brilliant one-touch moves and pass-and-go’s — one of which resulted in a goal for Mbappe. Even if you disregard the goal, there were some impressive passes and movements in and around the box which, coupled with patience and ball retention, made it relatively easy for the team to break down a very sturdy Real Sociedad. Ibrahima Konate, floor raiser This is a version of Konate that Real Madrid fans can get behind. In his two games, he has looked absolutely rock-solid, and it seems like he is edging closer to his best version in a Real Madrid shirt. He has only played two official games for Real Madrid, but he has already looked better than the version that showed up for Liverpool last season. Obviously, there were personal problems he had to deal with, which had an impact on his football, but it seems like he is slowly dealing with it, while also recovering a version of himself that was a joy to watch in his first few years at Liverpool. Against Real Sociedad, Konate completed 52 of his 54 passes, had two tackles, three blocks, three clearances and two recoveries. He knew when to step up and put pressure on Real Sociedad’s attackers, and also was able to manage the right side quite comfortably whenever Denzel Dumfries went on one of his darting runs into the attacking third. If Konate is able to keep himself fit and firing this way, many of Real Madrid’s defensive issues will slowly go away.
- Managing Madrid·44d ago·Real Madrid·transfers
Player Ratings: Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad
MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 26: Kylian Mbappe player of Real Madrid celebrates during the LaLiga EA Sports 2026/27 match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on August 26, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Victor Carretero/Real Madrid via Getty Images) | Real Madrid via Getty Images Player Ratings: Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad Thibaut Courtois — 7: Only had to make two saves. As was the case against Espanyol, Courtois wasn’t at fault for the goal conceded, with the defense letting him down. Denzel Dumfries — 6: Lacked focus on the ball, particularly with his passing down the flank. Made some good overloads, but the final ball was lacking. Konaté covered well for him on multiple occasions. Ibrahima Konaté — 8: Continues his strong start defensively. Covered plenty of ground, was difficult to muscle off the ball, and repeatedly cleaned up situations when teammates were caught further forward. Dean Huijsen — 8: Finished the night with an impressive 11 clearances while also providing some crisp progressive passing from the back. Alvaro Carreras — 5.5: Had some good moments offensively, but two poor passes killed promising Real Madrid attacks. His biggest mistake came defensively, picking up the wrong man in the buildup to Luka Sučić’s equalizer. Fede Valverde — 8: A strong performance defensively while still making a decisive contribution going forward. Provided the vital assist for Kylian Mbappé’s goal to restore Real Madrid’s lead. Bernardo Silva — 7: Some will see this as a quiet performance, but Bernardo did plenty of important work away from the spotlight. Led the team with four tackles and three interceptions, ran himself into the ground, and provided his usual neat touches in possession. Arda Güler — 8: Unlucky not to finish with at least one assist after repeatedly slicing open Sociedad’s defense with crisp through balls. Led Real Madrid with five key passes and helped control possession in the final third. Jude Bellingham — 9: A classic Jude masterclass. Two assists, four key passes, and three completed dribbles. At times, his close control and manipulation of the ball in and around the box looked Zidane-esque. Vinicius Jr — 7.5: Endured a rough first half but responded brilliantly after the break. Finished with a goal and produced a superb assist for Mbappé. Kylian Mbappé — 10: A hat-trick. Unbelievable. Substitutes Marc Cucurella — 7: Fought for everything and remained completely focused on his defensive assignments, while occasionally providing an overload going forward. Eduardo Camavinga — 6.5: Good distribution after coming off the bench and helped Real Madrid maintain control. Brahim Díaz — 7: A lively cameo. Found the back of the net, although the goal was later disallowed. Carlos Espí — N/A: Not enough time to warrant a rating. Yan Diomande — N/A: Not enough time to warrant a rating, although he did bring the Bernabéu to its feet with an incredible stepover to beat his defender.