Former Real Madrid player Fernando Sanz was interviewed by AS newspaper , discussing various topics about Real Madrid, and he believes Mourinho would be a suitable candidate for the Real Madrid manager position.
It has been 28 years since Real Madrid won their seventh Champions League title, and it feels like it was just yesterday.
Memories are vivid, and time flies faster than imagined. Now I am a grandfather with two granddaughters, and the older I get, the more I feel time slipping away. That was the first time the Champions League was broadcast in color, and Real Madrid also ended a 32-year drought without a Champions League title.
Imagine the uproar if Real Madrid today went another 32 years without a Champions League title. A few days ago, I watched a documentary about Liverpool winning the Champions League in Istanbul, and that experience of winning again after more than two decades caused a huge sensation. One can only imagine how difficult it was for Real Madrid to wait 32 years for that title.
That championship experience completely changed many people's lives.
It also laid the foundation for the team's subsequent success, with Real Madrid winning the Champions League again in 2000, 2002, and other years. At that time, the team's lineup combined academy players, Spanish national team players, and strong foreign players, a characteristic that is generally missing in today's football teams.
Local academy players are gradually fading out of the mainstream arena. In Real Madrid's match against Bayern this season, there was not a single Spanish player in Real Madrid's starting lineup, and similar situations have occurred in multiple La Liga rounds. While the signing of foreign players is understandable, clubs should promote more local players and academy youngsters.
Barcelona has many more academy players than Real Madrid, does this give the team a stronger sense of belonging?
Barcelona's emphasis on youth training was initially due to financial constraints, and they turned this predicament into an advantage. Málaga, when facing multiple financial crises, also consistently relied on its youth academy, continually producing unheralded potential stars. Spain's youth training system, coaching staff, and facilities are among the best in the world, and this applies to the youth academies of clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga.
Real Madrid currently seems to not place enough emphasis on cultivating academy players, with only a few youngsters like Gonzalo and Tiago Pitti getting opportunities.
Real Madrid's performance standards are extremely high; players need to compete with the world's top players, and the team requires players to be plug-and-play, with no time to adapt over three to four games. Real Madrid's second team is currently in the Primera Federación, and there is a gap with professional leagues. It is difficult for academy youngsters to immediately adapt to the rhythm after being promoted to the first team; they need more time to develop.
The same goes for Endrick. The club paid a high transfer fee for him, and this Brazilian player is now on loan at Lyon to gain experience. We will wait and see how he develops later.
Why did the coaching attempts of Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa at Real Madrid both end in failure?
This is a difficult question to answer. The turning point occurred the moment Vinicius was substituted in the Clásico, and since then, the team situation has completely spiraled out of control. Only those within the club and aware of the locker room situation can truly understand the specific circumstances at the time, but it is undeniable that the substitution was the catalyst for the shift in dynamics. Interestingly, Real Madrid ultimately won that match.
What do you think of Mbappe as a player?
He is currently the strongest player in world football. But talent and goal-scoring ability alone are not enough to establish oneself at Real Madrid. Wearing the Real Madrid jersey, players need to give their all and be dedicated in every match, and this is what Mbappe currently lacks. He possesses the rarest football talent, but it is regrettable that he struggles to show continuous fighting spirit on the field.
If Real Madrid held presidential elections, would you vote for Florentino?
I will always stand with Real Madrid. Florentino has made immense contributions to the club during his tenure. Currently, the club has not yet initiated the election process. Many people have a misconception: Real Madrid does not belong to any individual. The club is merely operated by different managers periodically, and fans should always stand with the team.
Let's talk about the preparations for the 2030 World Cup. In just one year, Málaga and Deportivo La Coruña successively withdrew from hosting. What happened there?
I am not aware of the specific circumstances. That year, I worked with many colleagues to promote the joint bid of Spain and Morocco to host the World Cup. We achieved the highest score in World Cup bidding history, fully meeting all requirements set by FIFA at the time, successfully passing various reviews, and completing all preparatory work. After that, I left the Spanish Football Federation, and I have no knowledge of subsequent developments.
Does this still bother you?
No. My task was to help the country win the World Cup hosting rights, and we did, setting a new historical high for bidding scores. The next World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, three economically powerful countries, and our bid score back then was even higher than theirs. During the bidding process, we encountered 25,000 problems one after another, as you can see from the news reports at the time, but we still overcame them one by one and met all the bidding conditions.
Why did Málaga withdraw from hosting the World Cup?
I don't know the inside story. The city of Málaga has been continuously developing. Its existing stadium capacity is 28,000 people, while the province has a population of over 1.5 million. This stadium will eventually be unable to meet the demand. Málaga will eventually return to La Liga's top division someday, and at that time, the existing stadium will also seem too small. Originally, taking advantage of the World Cup, Málaga could have built a large-capacity stadium to serve local fans, which is a great pity, and I don't know the reasons behind it.
Taking Zaragoza as an example, the team seemed to be quite affected after changing their home stadium.
Zaragoza's current temporary stadium can accommodate 20,000 spectators, and the team's predicament is not due to changing stadiums. This temporary stadium meets the standards, and the home atmosphere is also good. In fact, even before moving to the new stadium, Zaragoza had been hovering in the relegation zone for many years, and the team's performance did not improve when playing at the old stadium. This team was ranked fifth in the Segunda División budget this season, but is now on the verge of relegation, a very abnormal situation. I am not inside the club, so I cannot know the specific reasons.
Let's go back to the Málaga club. What do you think about the arrest warrant issued for Sheikh Al-Thani?
I saw the related news, which is one of the recent continuous chaotic events at the club. However, these types of incidents often end up unresolved, and since Al-Thani is now in Qatar, this matter is unlikely to have any substantial progress.
Is this situation normal?
Obviously not normal. They say that the law can resolve various disputes, yet this matter has been inconclusive for a long time. It is reported that Al-Thani is suspected of embezzling club assets. Logically, relevant departments could hold him accountable by freezing his shares, for example. I am merely expressing my personal opinion.
Do you think Mourinho is a good fit to coach Real Madrid?
There aren't many coaching options available for Real Madrid right now. Everyone always remembers Mourinho's first stint at Real Madrid, but times have changed, and he is different from what he was back then. Considering the overall situation in the current coaching market, he is indeed the optimal choice.
I admire one thing about him, which is also the quality that outsiders originally expected Xabi Alonso to possess—iron-fisted discipline. Real Madrid fans now want the team to be strict with every player, urging everyone to fight with all their might. This is also the team spirit that has always been passed down at the Bernabéu, and the Real Madrid jersey must not be disgraced. The team's lack of fighting spirit on the field in the past two years is unacceptable.
Incidents like the conflict between Tchouameni and Valverde in the team simply shouldn't happen.
It's normal for arguments and minor frictions to occur in the team's locker room. Physical altercations during training and arguments after matches happen frequently.
However, when such conflicts become public knowledge, and even lead to serious injuries to players, it goes beyond the normal scope. Internal conflicts have always existed and most of them resolve over time. But it's truly regrettable that this incident was made public.