During a team meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo’s squad, Pep Guardiola used an adjective to describe Madrid in the modern era that was not completely accurate. Simeone’s comment about his rival after their win against Feyenoord became viral, despite its possible irrelevance. During the meeting, Simeone praised his team’s resilience by mentioning players like Witsel and Azpilicueta, adding that he speaks his mind. He acknowledged that Real Madrid is exceptional due to its outstanding players such as Bellingham, Vinicius, Tchouameni, Camavinga, and Rodrygo. Simeone mentioned that every other team is struggling, including Sevilla and Barcelona in the past. In a previous interview, Simeone emphasized Real Madrid’s trait of having the most leg in LaLiga, which makes it challenging for opponents to retrieve the ball after losing it.
To put it simply, Real Madrid has a team that is both physically and technically diverse. In preparation for their match against Napoli, coach Rudi GarcÃa made the decision to bring in Bellingham to replace Benzema. Madrid has been on the lookout for players with exceptional technical skills for some time now, but they also prioritize youth and physical fitness, only making exceptions for special cases. While Madrid’s average player age of 27.4 is younger than Atletico’s 27.6, Barcelona’s team is actually older at 28.7. However, Barça’s commitment to their youth program is evident in their starting lineup, though they have added non-youth players like Lewandowski and Gündogan to their roster. For other Spaniards playing in Europe, it can be challenging to find such exceptional young talent, but Madrid has managed to do so.
Pablo Diego Simeone highlighted the importance of physicality in the current Real Madrid squad. The absence of Modric and Valverde, both midfielders in their thirties, has made 25-year-old Valverde the oldest player in the midfield to forward positions. The team relies on younger players like Tchouaméni, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, and Camavinga, all under 23 years old, to bring energy and pace to the game. In contrast, the defense is largely made up of veteran players like Courtois, Kepa, Carvajal, Mendy, Rüdiger, Alaba, and Lucas Vázquez, who are in their late twenties and early thirties. However, age is not the only factor determining the team’s performance; according to Michel and Simeone, the team’s offensive players are united by their strength and speed, making them well-suited for fast-paced games.
The arrival of an Englishman in the Bellinhgam club has further confirmed their preference for fast players. According to UEFA statistics, he covered 22.64 km and reached a top speed of 32.5 km/h in his two Champions League games. His aggressive performance towards the end of the match against Naples did not go unnoticed. It is now evident that Vinicius has fully recovered from his injuries as he is currently one of the fastest players in Europe and the league. Moreover, he consistently ranks high in terms of dribbling and distance covered by strikers.
It all started with Vini. Real Madrid’s transformation had its roots in the arrival of Vinicius, who struggled initially but has since become one of the world’s best football players over the past two years. Following him, Rodrygo came and then Camavinga, Tchouaméni, and Bellingham. All of these new signings share a common thread.
