Franco Mastantuono, Fiorentina player
Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images
Real Madrid have loaned out talented 19-year-old Franco Mastantuono to Fiorentina for the rest of the season.
Los Blancos signed the talented Argentine attacker from River Plate at the beginning of last season, but he faded away after a bright start.
He initially established himself on the right wing before a pubalgia problem disrupted his momentum.
Changes on the bench in terms of managers also made it difficult for him to recover a consistent role.
The teenager has now officially started his new chapter at the Serie A club, making his competitive debut for Fiorentina.
According to MARCA, the 19-year-old played the final half-hour of Fiorentina’s 4-1 Coppa Italia victory over Benevento on Friday.
Wearing the No. 30 shirt, Mastantuono entered with the result already largely secured but still managed to show glimpses of his attacking quality.
Mastantuono makes his Fiorentina debut
The Argentine produced several promising attacking actions and nearly marked his first appearance with a goal, sending a left-footed effort narrowly wide late in the match.
Mastantuono has only trained with Fabio Grosso’s squad for a few days, so starting on the bench was hardly surprising.
Franco Mastantuono, Fiorentina player
Franco Mastantuono has made his Fiorentina debut. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
His 30-minute appearance nevertheless provided an early opportunity to begin adapting to Italian football.
Fiorentina progressed to the Coppa Italia round of 32 with the victory, while another former Madrid player, Victor Valdepenas, also featured.
Madrid want Mastantuono to develop in Italy
Mastantuono joined Fiorentina on loan until 2027 after Real Madrid decided regular football elsewhere would be best for his development.
The agreement does not contain a purchase option, despite Fiorentina reportedly wanting one.
Madrid therefore retain complete control over a player whose contract runs until 2031 and expect him back next summer.
Speaking through Fiorentina’s official channels after arriving in Florence (h/t Defensa Central), Mastantuono explained that the club’s history played an important part in his decision.
“I chose Fiorentina because it is a club with a great history,” he said.
More interestingly for Madrid, the youngster already knows where he wants to develop.
“I am an attacking player who often gets into the opposition box. I would like to improve the defensive side,” Mastantuono explained, acknowledging the emphasis placed on defensive work in Italian football.
Franco Mastantuono, Fiorentina player
Mastantuono has admitted where he needs improvement. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)
“I know that in Italy they work a lot on the defensive side of things, and I want to learn. I spoke with some Argentinians who played for Fiorentina, and they all spoke highly of the club and influenced my decision,” he explained.
That could be one of the biggest benefits of this loan. Mastantuono’s technical ability has never been the main question.
Becoming more complete without the ball, understanding defensive responsibilities and adding tactical discipline could make him much better prepared for another opportunity at the Bernabeu.
A season that could shape his Madrid future
Roma, Milan and Real Sociedad were among the clubs interested before Fiorentina secured the loan, while Mastantuono initially preferred a possible return to River Plate.
However, Los Blancos made it evident that they wanted him to continue in Europe and would not entertain a return to Argentina.
The club have seen loans help other young talents mature, and Mastantuono now has a similar opportunity.
Mastantuono can take inspiration from someone like Nico Paz, yet another Real Madrid youngster who has made a career for himself in Italy.
His Fiorentina career has started on the right note with an encouraging 30-minute cameo. The important part is that he sustains the momentum and develops into a better player before returning to Madrid next season.
Jose Mourinho pushing players physically in training with two sessions a day
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images
Real Madrid’s physical fitness has been a matter of serious concern in recent times and has not shown any signs of improvement despite changing managers.
At the time when Los Blancos got knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Arsenal two seasons ago, there was a shocking metric that came to light which highlighted that Real Madrid ran a staggering 12.7km less than the Premier League side.
That aspect of their game did not improve last season either as they were constantly outrun by opponents and even conceded several goals in the dying minutes of games owing to physical fatigue.
Needless to say, Jose Mourinho has always been a disciplinarian on the fitness front and has taken it personally to improve the team’s output.
Intensity in training
As reported by Diario AS in a recent report, the new Real Madrid manager is pushing players very hard in training and showing no signs of mercy.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Mourinho’s training sessions are brutal. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
The physical aspect of the team’s preparation is being focused on endlessly, and it is clear that the manager prioritises his players being fit to put in ruthless shifts.
Real Madrid’s first team squad is currently undergoing two training sessions per day as opposed to one that they used to train in recent seasons. Even the most heard phrase during training is ‘lots of intensity.’
A short pre-season for the internationals
While Mourinho is indeed doing everything in his capacity to improve the squad’s fitness ahead of the new season, the fact of the matter remains that he has had hardly any time to work with the internationals who participated in the World Cup.
Jose Mourinho, head coach of Real Madrid
Looking to solve Real Madrid’s physical problems. (Photo by Christian Bruna/Getty Images)
With some key stars returning just days ago, the manager will have less than a week with them before the first game of the new season, and it is close to impossible to see any physical improvement in such a short span.
The likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. are the ones who received the most slack last season for not helping the team defensively. It remains to be seen if the manager pushed them to track back as well or delegates the responsibility to other players.
In any case, improving on the physical front is a marathon and not a sprint, and it will take a couple of months to see any tangible improvement on that front.