Jose Mourinho, Head Coach of Real Madrid
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
Real Madrid are planning to place greater emphasis on La Fabrica, with Jose Mourinho and the club’s hierarchy seeing the academy as an important part of both their sporting and financial strategy.
According to Defensa Central, Mourinho and general director Jose Angel Sanchez share the view that Madrid’s academy should have a meaningful role in the club’s future planning.
The pair were together at the Santiago Bernabeu watching the final of the youth Intercontinental Cup, keeping a close eye on the next generation.
Mourinho keeping a close eye on Madrid’s youngsters
The idea is not that every academy prospect must eventually become a Real Madrid starter. Instead, the club want La Fabrica to consistently produce players capable of operating at an elite level.
Mourinho is already looking closely at what the academy can provide. Sergio Mestre, Raul Asencio and Thiago Pitarch have all been involved in the first-team scheme of things in recent months.
Thibaut Courtois and Thiago Pitarch of Real Madrid
Thiago Pitarch is the perfect example of how La Fabrica can help with sporting success. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
The Portuguese manager has always insisted that performance should matter more than age or reputation. If an academy player can offer something different, he wants to keep the pathway open to the first team.
Pitarch is the best example of this. The midfielder has already accumulated significant senior experience and is increasingly looking like a genuine first-team option rather than someone making up the numbers.
La Fabrica can help Madrid beyond the first team
As always with Real Madrid, the academy is not just there to produce players for the first team. The bigger gain comes in the form of sales.
Not every talented youngster will find space in a squad containing some of the world’s most expensive players.
Nico Paz, Como player
Madrid have profited from the sale of academy starlets like Nico Paz. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)
However, developing players of the highest calibre can still generate important transfer income, as it has in recent seasons.
Los Blancos have executed this formula successfully with the likes of Gonzalo Garcia, Nico Paz and many other youngsters in recent years.
By selling them on for a decent initial transfer fee while retaining control through sell-on clauses, buyback options and right-to-match clauses, Madrid protect themselves from both a sporting and financial perspective.
Mourinho’s insistence and constant supervision over the academy is a positive sign in the long run for Madrid, and it remains to be seen how they use La Fabrica in the coming years.
Jose Mourinho told to drop struggling Real Madrid superstar for Atletico Madrid derby
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid coach
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid coach
Real Madrid are preparing to face Atletico Madrid in La Liga at the Metropolitano, and Jose Mourinho’s side will be keen to get one over their city rivals.
A trip to the home of Los Colchoneros has proven to be a bogey fixture for Los Blancos in recent seasons.
It is not often that you see Real Madrid show a pattern of struggling at a particular ground against a particular opponent.
Mourinho will be keen to set the record straight this time around and send a statement with a victory tonight, and he has some key decisions to make on the starting line-up.
The Portuguese tactician has been urged to make a huge selection call for Real Madrid’s derby against Atletico Madrid, with journalist Ivan Martin arguing that Vinicius should lose his starting place to Yan Diomande.
According to Defensa Central, Martin outlined the changes he would make for the Metropolitano clash, and the most striking one involved Vinicius.
“I would take Vinicius out and put Diomande in, but that’s not going to happen,” Martin said.
Dropping Vinicius for a derby would represent an enormous decision from Mourinho, and Martin himself expects the coach to continue trusting the Brazilian.
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid player
Jose Mourinho told to drop Vinicius Jr. against Atletico Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
However, the fact that such an argument even exists is down to the poor form of Vinicius and the promising signs both Diomande and Guler showed in previous games.
For Madrid, that competition should be welcomed. Vinicius remains one of the biggest attacking figures in the squad, but performances have to dictate selections.
Concern over Mourinho’s Guler decision
Martin is even more concerned about what Mourinho might do with Guler.
“My big doubt is that Mourinho doesn’t do something stupid with Guler,” he said.
The fear is that Madrid could sacrifice creativity in an attempt to match Atletico physically.
Guler has become an important source of creation and could be particularly valuable when Madrid need to escape pressure and find Kylian Mbappe in dangerous positions.
Martin expects Tchouameni and Valverde to provide the midfield base.
“I think Tchouameni and Valverde are going to play,” he said.
Martin, meanwhile, said that Bernardo Silva was not in the kind of form to start such an important game.
“Bernardo isn’t ready to play that game. His World Cup was already poor, he has never regularly played in that position and I don’t think he’s ready to play a match of that intensity,” Martin said.
Bernardo Silva of Real Madrid
Bernardo Silva has not had a great start to life at Real Madrid. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
Jose Mourinho has some interesting choices to make around some guaranteed starters for the Atletico game.
Starting Diomande over Vinicius would be the boldest. However, it is almost impossible for Mourinho to consider that as a possibility.
Keeping Guler alongside a powerful Tchouameni-Valverde base could offer a compromise between creativity and physical security.
It remains to be seen what decisions Mourinho makes and how they influence the first Madrid derby of the season.