• Ronaldo, I was sad but felt like it was an exciting time with bale, benz and Isco ready to step up and asensio rising. I thought the drop off wouldn't be too bad and everyone else would get a chance to shine.

• Benz, it was time and with Saudi calling it felt right for him to leave on a high.

• Bale, personally top 3 favourite for me (alongside kroos and carvajal) but glad the drama was over. Will always have a special place in my heart.

• Casemiro, the anti bale, him and varane were ALWAYS called underrated to the point that they weren't underrated anymore. Great player but I was only mildly worried seeing him leave, wanted one more season of his.

• Kroos, ABSOLUTELY devasted. This is the worst thing that has happened for me since I started following football. I wish it hadn't happened but I understand its best for him. Atleast we knew there was a chance since he always said he wanted to go out on top.

• Marcelo, sad to say I was glad he left. It felt like he overstayed. While most of the team recovered from the post 18/19 slump, Marcelo wasn't the same. He was a liabily on the pitch against any level of opposition. Especially with Mendy showing exactly what Marcelo's weakness had always been later.

• Ramos, the only one I was as worried about as I was with Ronaldo. Alaba did well to fill in his boots but noone can replace all of Ramos' qualities.

• Varane, the timing was bad and hence I was worried. But still thought it was OK that it happened. In the Casemiro camp for me.

• Isco, felt like it was overdue. Although since I always loved both Bale and James I had a bit of a bias against him. Looking back I may have underappreciated his peak, but the player he was at the point of departure was one that didn't deserve to be a starter (or a bench player tbh). Loved his revival this year.

• Navas, what a valuable guy he turned out to be, forever undervalued by his clubs in favour of star players. Wtf was that video of his that just got leaked. I really really wanted de gea so took me a while to warm up to him, but once courtois was here .... the writings were on the wall.

The rest were mostly squad players or players here for not all 3 years.

Would love to hear which player hurt the most for y'all.

Yeah no way should dani ceballos leave! He'll be a very valuable squad member for years to come. The left back and center back situations are interesting.

2 of Fran, Miguel, Mendy and Davies will be at the club. I don't think the club will want to get 2 new guys. I suspect if Davies comes one of the squad lbs leave, if he doesnt come, nothing happens there.

At cb Nacho is captain and might stay another season, but with reports of Yoro and now the return of Rafa Marin suspected too I dont know if Nacho stays. Alaba is still only 31 despite looking a lot older this season and has an ACL injury too. Rudiger and Militao are certain starters tho.

Where do Endrick, Mbappe and Guler get their minutes from god only knows. Endrick likely goes to Castilla first, Guler has a loan possibility (or sell brahim). And Mbappe is a starter so joselu and rodrygo lose out on minutes.

INSANE squad.

Hasta la muerte!!!

I have basically only posted managing madrid links on this community lol, but that's bc they're doing a good job

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck

Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press after the 5-1 win over Valencia to reflect upon his team’s thumping victory, and in doing so he spoke to praise both Rodrygo Goes and Vinícius Júnior as he said: “This was their best level, they just needed time to get back to showing their best qualities. In the last two games they’ve done it very well, finding spaces and playing with extraordinary quality. We can say that they have returned.”

Ancelotti on whether this was the team’s best performance of the season Asked whether this was the best game played by Real Madrid this season, Ancelotti provided a clear response: “Was it the best performance? Yes. Valencia haven’t shown their best because we played a very good game, the first 15 minutes we could have defended better, but from there the game was perfect.

Ancelotti on the best individuals When pushed for a best performance, Ancelotti was reluctant to single out any individuals and pointed to the team performance as he said: “Vinícius and Rodrygo both did very well, as part of the wider team who all played very well. I don’t like to assess on an individual level, but as a team they did a splendid job.”

Ancelotti on what he told the players he took off When asked what he told the players he brought off, Ancelotti shared some insight but also responded in his typical humorous style as he said: “Vinícius said that he wanted to play more, and I told Brahim not to make tacos because I don’t like them.”

Ancelotti on Dani Carvajal With a goal, Dani Carvajal was another of the stand-out performers and Ancelotti analysed his display by saying: “He’s a very, very good full-back both in and out of possession. Our play out wide was very good, with Rodrygo on the right with Carvajal, and Vinícius and Brahim on the left. That was what helped us to win this game.”

Ancelotti on Andriy Lunin Ancelotti was also asked about Andriy Lunin, the stand-in goalkeeper, and his recent quotes that he had perhaps been unfair with him in the past. He said: “I don’t know if I was unfair with him, when you have a squad of this level, you have to be unfair with someone. Like Luka Modrić today, he could have started and he added value when he came on, but unfortunately that’s my job.

Ancelotti on Eduardo Camavinga Another star man was Eduardo Camavinga, and Ancelotti was asked if his current form is his best while playing in the holding midfield role. Ancelotti responded: “I think he does it very well in every position which makes it hard to know where to put him. In the pivot role, I think he’s showed his best level in these past few games without Tchouameni.”

Ancelotti on his substitutions Questioned as to why the substitutes were not given more game time with the result seemingly settled early on, Ancelotti responded bluntly: “The game is only over when the referee blows the final whistle. I don’t ever see a game over at 4-0, so I make changes to try and win the game.”

Ancelotti on the team’s form Looking at the wider context of recent games, Ancelotti praised his team for their excellent form over the past three games at home in the last week: “I think everyone has played very well in the last three games, we were missing something against Rayo Vallecano, but we’ve played very good football, consolidated, with commitment, and dedication.”

Ancelotti on Jude Bellingham and the international break Providing an update on midfielder Jude Bellingham, Ancelotti said that he will travel to England before returning in the international break: “Bellingham will go, yes, to be evaluated and he’ll come back after that, because he hasn’t played today. He is doing specific work to strengthen his shoulder over the next few weeks, but he will be back to playing after that.

Ancelotti on Girona Finally, asked about title rivals Girona, Ancelotti was asked if they could be a new Leicester City, and he responded: “Girona are doing very well, better than us. They don’t have European competitions either, so can fight for every game. They are a rival who can fight for LaLiga, without a doubt.”

Could the long, drawn-out saga of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid finally be entering its twilight phase?

That seems like an unrealistic question, as both Mbappe and Real Madrid seem to be forever intertwined in never-ending rumours linking them together. However, a report in Cadena Ser this week states that Real Madrid could actually, finally, be giving in to the idea that signing the French superstar is not possible.

There are several reasons for this, if the report is true. Primarily, Mbappe would come with a salary that would dwarf the highest earners already in the team, which could create a massive wage imbalance at the club.

Secondly, Mbappe, who has already rejected the club more than once, could turn away from the Bernabeu once again, leaving the club with less options in a dwindling market. This season was the first time in club history the team didn’t assign a number 9, and they did so because they were holding out on the Frenchman

The report also states that Mbappe would be 26 if he arrives, and doesn’t fit in the right age bracket of young players the club wants to sign, although, admittedly, that last point doesn’t seem to hold much weight because at 26, Mbappe would be entering his peak.

The report may or may not be true. It’s important to note that Real Madrid may have leaked this story to Cadena SER as a smokescreen so that PSG don’t get annoyed with Real Madrid’s continual links to Mbappe.

One thing is certain: this report doesn’t stop the rumours. There will be plenty of links between Mbappe and Real Madrid from now until next summer.

Real Madrid have contacted the agents of 20-year-old Brazilian striker Marcos Leonardo, according to a report from Brazilian outlet Globo.

In the same week that Real Madrid expressed interest, Saudi-backed Premier League club, Newcastle United, have also reportedly held discussions with the players’ agents. There is no formal offer from either club. A deal could be done in January but for now the player is working to keep Santos from an unprecedented relegation. Santos currently sit just 1 point above the relegation zone.

A potential connection to this story: Rafaela Pimenta’s attendance at the Bernabeu on Wendesday night. The super agent businesswoman was pictured sitting next to Fernando Brito, the representative of Marcos Leonardo, in one of the balcony seats at the Bernabeu. Many linked her presence to Erling Haaland, but instead it could be around Marcos Leonardo.

The young striker’s contract expires in 2026 with Santos owning 70% of the player’s rights, the other 30% is owned by Leonardo himself. Roma was said to have made a bid in the summer, but was rejected. Santos may be willing to accept an offer in the region of 40 million euros. The 20-year-old has scored 21 goals this season and has another five goals for the Brazil U-20 team. He also made the senior Brazil team’s pre-list ahead of the latest call-up. He will be one to watch and may be another Brazilian target that has caught the eye of Juni Calafat and Real Madrid.

Already deserved more for his performances as a sub

Real Madrid have released an official statement, denying rumours surrounding the imminent arrival of Kylian Mbappé.

This comes, for those who may have missed it, on the back of fresh claims in the Spanish media, pointing towards the Frenchman preparing to seal a long-awaited move to the Santiago Bernabéu.

On Friday, Diario AS unveiled a new report, suggesting that Mbappé had agreed to forfeit a €100m loyalty clause to Paris Saint-Germain, to link up with Real in the summer of 2024.

As much, however, has since been vehemently denied.

In a post across the club’s website and social media platforms on Saturday evening, Los Blancos unveiled an unwavering statement, ensuring that they are not engaged in any form of negotiations with Mbappé and his entourage:

“Given the information recently issued and published by different media outlets, in which there is speculation about alleged negotiations between the player Kylian Mbappé and our club, Real Madrid CF would like to state that this information is completely false and that no such negotiations have taken place. with a player who belongs to PSG.”

https://www.managingmadrid.com/2023/11/4/23946290/real-madrid-mbappe-statement-2023

Not cool man

Def worth a read!

Following Real Madrid’s 0-0 draw against Rayo Vallecano, Carlo Ancelotti appeared in the Bernabéu press room and analysed the draw. He was in an optimistic and positive mood, insisting that the team had played well.

Analysing the performance, he said: “We just lacked a goal. I think we had a good attitude and energy, but we didn’t get the result we wanted. We shot 23 times and had no shots against. In the first half, maybe we forced it to the left too much when we should have used the right too. We did that more in the second half. We tried in every way, with crosses, vertical passes, but it didn’t come off. I think we were good, but sometimes this can happen that you don’t score. The important thing is to keep trying until the end, which we did. I don’t just look at a match depending on the result. There’s no drama, we’re well-placed in the title race and well-placed in the Champions League.”

Ancelotti on being happy despite dropping points Pressed on his positive outlook on the game, the coach explained that he doesn’t just consider the final score when evaluating matches. He said: “In some games we’ve maybe won without deserving to and here we deserved to win but didn’t. I can be sad when we win but don’t play well and other times I can be happy when we play well but don’t win.”

He was then asked if he was referring to El Clásico when mentioned games Real Madrid “won without deserving to” and he replied: “If we had to win one out of the two, better to have won against Barcelona than against Rayo.”

Ancelotti on whether there is fatigue Asked if he feels the squad is fatigued, he was adamant that this isn’t the case, stating: “I think today’s performance shows the opposite. In terms of energy, the level was high. I didn’t see fatigue in the players.”

Ancelotti on the lack of goals On the team’s inability to take their chances, and asked if they’re too reliant on Bellingham, he said: “We have many attacking resources. We created with Valverde, Vinícius, Joselu and Rodrygo. We just lacked some in the finishing. I’m not worried that we didn’t score.”

Ancelotti on the Modrić substitution Luka Modrić was one of the players who was creating chances, so the coach was asked why he substituted the Croatian off. He explained: “We wanted to change the system and open up the pitch with Rodrygo, and play 4-3-3. I thought about who to take off, but I decided to take off Modrić to add more energy.”

Ancelotti on Arda Güler Asked about Arda Güler and when he’ll make his debut, Ancelotti said: “It wasn’t the right moment for that today. It was a hard-fought game, with lots of aerial balls towards the end. We want to be calm with introducing him.”

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger will be unavailable for the next La Liga game against Valencia after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in the 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

The German international was booked in the 95th minute for a confrontation with Rayo center back Florian Lejeune, who had gotten in his way near the corner flag after the German tried to push him out of his way and get into the box. The referee showed both players a yellow card, much to the frustration of Rudiger, who had to be restrained by his teammates.

The suspension means that Rudiger will hit the sidelines, leaving Real Madrid with only two fit center backs for the Valencia game: David Alaba and Nacho. The former has been a regular starter under Carlo Ancelotti, while Nacho has been used reliably any time he’s needed to fill in.

Rudiger’s absence is a blow for Real Madrid, who are currently second in the league table, two points behind leaders Girona. The 30-year-old has been one of the best performers for the club this season, filling in with solid performances in the absence of Eder Militao.

Rudiger will still be available mid-week against Braga in the Champions League, where he will most likely start.

Kepa—7: Produced a big stop to deny Sergio Ramos from a header in the second half. No blame on the goal conceded, but did feel like an opportunity Courtois would have saved.

Dani Carvajal—8: Made mistakes, but always made amends: lost the ball in a dangerous position inside his own half, but then made a goal-line clearance. Gave too much space to Acuna on the goal conceded, but then scored the match equalizer off a set piece. Continues to be a bright light this season.

Toni Rudiger—8.5: Never backed down, even when the foe was Sergio Ramos. Put his body on the line defensively and always helped his teammates to double down on the likes of Ocampos or En-Nesyri. Played an inch-perfect ball over the top to Vinicius, which the Brazilian nearly converted.

David Alaba—5: Continues to struggle defending aerial crosses and ended up scoring an own goal for Sevilla to take the lead.

Ferland Mendy—6: Defended well against Lukebakio, but produced next to nothing in the final third.

Tchouameni—5.5: Lost track of Djibril Sow on an early run inside the box that nearly turned into a Sevilla goal. Failed to stamp his mark on the match.

Fede Valverde—6: Worked tirelessly defensively, despite only returning from South America a few days earlier. Scored a goal in the opening 7 minutes of the match, but was disallowed for a marginal offside by Bellingham.

Toni Kroos—7: Produced the assist from a set-piece on a Dani Carvajal goal and was near foot-perfect in the midfield. His cross-field switches had Sevilla’s defense on the backfoot early in the game.

Jude Bellingham—6: The most fouled player in La Liga received 7 more tonight and countless that were not called. It seems there is a new scouting report out: stop Bellingham before he gets in full stride. The fouls created a stop-start nature to his game and meant he could never find rhythm.

Vinicius Junior—6: An eventful game but not as effective as the Brazilian would desire. Had two shots blocked including a one-touch volley from a Rudiger ball over the top of the Sevilla defense. Battled hard with Jesus Navas and often got the better of him, but referee De Burgos Bengoetxea refused to give Vinicius the correct call — be it a penalty kick, an advantage, or a foul just outside the box.

Rodrygo—5: Fans frustration will be mounting with Rodrygo, but Ancelotti should persist with the 22-year-old. Nearly scored after bringing down a Valverde cross inside the box and shooting at Nyland’s near post. Visibly frustrated and mentally struggling with the lack of goals.

Substitutions:

Eduardo Camavinga—5: Added very little to the game and one of his clearances nearly resulted in a Sevilla goal.

Luka Modric—5: Ancelotti hoped to gain more control with Modric but the game needed to embrace the chaos and fatigue by leaning-in more to players with high energy and mobility.

Joselu—N/A: No impact on the match - struggles in matches with more transitions and counter attacking opportunities.

Fran Garcia—N/A: 4 touches and 3 passes after coming on for the final 10 minutes of the match.

Brahim Diaz—N/A: Had one tackle to win the ball back inside Sevilla’s half, but little else to note.

A Sevilla supporter was ejected from their LaLiga match with Real Madrid after allegedly directing racist abuse towards Vinicius Jr during the 1-1 draw.

The Brazil international played 88 minutes of the fixture at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan where Madrid captain Dani Carvajal’s header 12 minutes from time cancelled out David Alaba’s own goal.

Vinicius Jr later posted on social media about being on the receiving end of racism during the match on Saturday night, which Sevilla have now confirmed was the case.

A club statement read: “Sevilla FC would like to communicate that, after detecting xenophobic and racist behaviour, a member of the public was identified, ejected from the stadium and handed over to legal authorities.

“The individual will also be subject to the club’s vigorous internal disciplinary protocols and have their membership revoked.

“Sevilla FC condemns all racist and xenophobic behaviour and will work closely with the authorities to ensure that action is taken accordingly. This behaviour does not belong at Sevilla FC.”

Vinicius Jr was in the thick of the action throughout the draw, denied a penalty at the end of the first half before he was booked five minutes from time after he clashed with Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, which sparked a brief melee between both sets of players.

It was only back in May when Madrid filed racism directed at Vinicius Jr as a “hate crime” to the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office following a string of alleged racist attacks aimed at the 23-year-old.

LaLiga called at the time for a legislation change to allow them to impose punishment on clubs for episodes of racist abuse and Vinicius Jr has stressed once more the need for change, especially with Spain hoping to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco.

“Congratulations to Sevilla on the quick positioning and the penalty in another sad episode for Spanish Football,” Vinicius Jr said in a social media post.

“Unfortunately I have access to a video of another racist act at this Saturday’s game, this time carried out by a child. So sad there is no one to educate her. I invest, and I invest a lot, in education in Brazil to train citizens with different attitudes.

“The face of today’s racist is stamped on websites as on several other times. I hope the Spanish authorities do their part and change the legislation once and for all. These people need to be criminally punished too.

“It would be a great first step to prepare for the 2030 World Cup. I am here to help.

“Sorry to sound repetitive but it’s episode number 19. And counting.”

Great one. Kiyan Sobhani is one of the best Madrid journos out there.

Thank god there's some cb available lol

Real Madrid star reveals frustration at new role Rodrygo has admitted he's not happy playing as a number nine

Eduardo Camavinga admits frustration at Real Madrid role. Eduardo Camavinga annoyed at having to play left-back.

His relationship with Rodrygo and the rest of his teammates:

“We spend all our free time together. I think that if ‘Cama’ or ‘Rodry’ give me assists, or the other way around, it is also because things are going very well off the field. We also have Jude, who has just arrived, and Tchouameni, who has been there for a year now. I brought ‘Cama’ to Brazil this summer. He is one of us now. He plays like a Brazilian, he dances like a Brazilian. He wants to come back! With Rodrygo, we have known each other for years, we faced each other when we were 11 years old. The same for ‘Mili’ (Eder Militao) who I have known since I was very young. We’re just a group of guys the same age who want to achieve great things. I spend more time with them than with my family! And besides, we don’t have a girlfriend or children. It’s easier to organize dinner parties.

One of the benefits of using VR for Tchouameni is that he can practice playing as a center back, a position that he is not very familiar with but might be required to play in some scenarios, like he did recently against Osasuna. By facing virtual opponents and teammates, he can learn the defensive principles, positioning, communication, and decision-making that are essential for playing as a center back. Days before the Osasuna game, the Frenchman was simulating scenarios where he tracks Osasuna striker Budimir to make sure he doesn’t lose his marker.