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.
Training ahead of Elche
Not only Rudiger, Tchouaméni is also there and he can even be back for Elche.
Valverde also trained with the team. Another report about him is that Xabi might test him as RW, as no one has consolidated his position there.
Alaba continues to struggle
David Alaba did not train on the pitch today. He stayed inside the facilities. Per reports, he has an overload.
Bellingham comments about his recovery time
It felt quick, but there were a lot of days alone, working hard, and honestly pretty boring. I’m back earlier than people expected it was never going to be three or four months, I was always confident I’d return sooner.
Once I was back with the team and doing contact, I flew through the last few weeks. On the pitch I feel confident. I had to do gym sessions on a mat, learning how to fall and roll again, making sure I wasn’t putting my shoulder in positions where it might pop out.
The chances are less than 1%, but it was about feeling no pain. It’s boring stuff you’re basically learning to fall again like a kid.
It means a lot to hear people say they miss watching you, teammates miss playing with you, staff miss coaching you even the fans being up in the stand, seeing yourself on the big screen, hearing the claps it’s humbling to know so many people are supporting you.
It’s easy to get dragged into negativity when you’re injured, especially when you can’t remind people what you do. That support was exactly the reminder I needed of how loved I am in Madrid, which is all that really matters
Courtois comments about Ancelotti and Xabi
Ancelotti was like a father or a grandfather. Xabi is more modern. They’re both very good coaches, each with their own style. To say we miss Ancelotti would be disrespectful to Xabi.
We have a good relationship with Xabi. In the locker room, it’s normal for some players to be more unhappy about not playing as much. In our team, everything is discussed openly, there are no problems. If we need to impose order, I’m one of those who can do it, but we haven’t needed to. We’re all pulling in the same direction
Best keepers in the world? I will step aside (laughs). Oblak in 3rd, Alisson and David Raya
Varane about Zidane and Ramos
Zidane was a leader very close to the players, instilling great confidence in them, and always protecting the team. He never blamed anyone. He understood the players very well. He wasn’t the type to shout a lot, but you listened to him when he spoke. He was a calm leader, always pushing you to give more. He loved taking risks; he would say to you, ‘If it fails, it’s my fault.
Ramos and I complemented each other perfectly. He loved to push forward, and I loved covering his back. What I like most about him? His drive. He had the ability to inspire everyone. He wasn’t much of a talker. He was a leader through his passion and competitive spirit. He was like a general going into battle, someone you had to follow.
Real Madrid and Apple partnership for VR experience
Florentino Perez explained the idea:
We are developing a new Virtual Reality project for the Bernabéu. Every fan around the world can literally feel like he’s watching the game right at the Bernabéu. This will mark a defining moment in sports history, it’s never been done before. Steve Jobs wasn’t obsessed with financial results, he was obsessed with creating extraordinary products. When you focus on excellence, the rest comes naturally.
