Fernando Morientes: Real Zaragoza's poor management led to its decline to the Primera Federación

Fernando Morientes has not forgotten his time at Real Zaragoza. The former Spain international spoke again about his spell with the Aragonese club on the podcast "Front Door," hosted by Iker Casillas. During the conversation, besides recalling anecdotes from his career, he expressed sadness over the club's current situation.

The former striker is particularly critical of Real Zaragoza's management in recent years, as the club is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history and currently plays in the Primera Federación. "I am still proud of it. In the past, when people mentioned Real Zaragoza, they would say it was one of the best teams in Spain. Now you go anywhere in the world and people ask, 'What is Real Zaragoza?' What do you mean, 'What is Real Zaragoza?'" said Morientes.

The Extremaduran believes the Aragonese club should have remained among the strongest teams in Spanish football and attributes its current situation to management problems over the past few years. "Real Zaragoza used to be one of the top five or six teams in Spain, but poor management has taken them down to the Primera Federación, which is painful to hear," Morientes lamented.

Morientes also used the conversation to recall some of the most interesting stories from his two seasons at La Romareda, from 1995 to 1997. One of the most notable involves the Virgen del Pilar ribbon that he tied to his ankle before every match. At the time he had some discomfort in that ankle, so he turned the amulet into a habit. "I would tie two Pilar ribbons to my ankle for every match to avoid injury," he explained.

His time with the Aragonese club was crucial for his career. Morientes made 78 appearances and scored 34 goals in two seasons, which led to his move to Real Madrid in 1997. At Real Madrid, he won three Champions League titles, as well as other domestic and international trophies.

Now 50 years old, Morientes' feelings for the city and the club remain unchanged, and he considers both key parts of his career. However, his memories of that time stand in stark contrast to the current reality of Real Zaragoza, whose sporting situation continues to worry fans.