Real Madrid-related news was relatively quiet today outside of the major headlines, but there were still a handful of notable comments and developments worth rounding up.
Former Real Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano made headlines during the launch of Alfredo Relaño’s new book 366 footballers, where he reflected on the club’s current situation and the potential return of José Mourinho in some capacity around the club.
Valdano cautioned against viewing Mourinho as a miracle solution to Real Madrid’s problems:
“Mourinho won’t be the one to solve all of Real Madrid’s problems. Players will have to be signed in key positions. There even needs to be a leadership revolution within the dressing room, given what we’ve seen.”
Valdano has historically complicated relationship with Mourinho during the Portuguese manager’s first stint at the club. Beyond the Mourinho angle, Valdano’s point is that Real Madrid’s upcoming summer is not just about tactical tweaks, but about resetting leadership dynamics inside the squad after a back-to-back underwhelming campaigns.
Meanwhile, La Liga president Javier Tebas also spoke publicly today during an appearance at Loyola University in Córdoba alongside Córdoba CEO Antonio Fernández Monterrubio. Tebas touched on several topics related to Real Madrid, including the club’s presidential structure and its ongoing complaints about television revenue distribution.
Regarding the possibility of presidential elections at the club, Tebas said:
“I believe that if there are elections at Real Madrid, that’s fine, and if not, it means no one has been able to offer an alternative to the current president.”
He later added:
“Whether Real Madrid needs a generational change in the presidency is something that its members will have to decide.”
Tebas also pushed back against Real Madrid’s long-standing argument that Spanish clubs are economically disadvantaged compared to Premier League sides:
“Real Madrid believes that it should earn more from television rights because it says that it cannot compete with the Premier League clubs, when that is not the case.”
Elsewhere, former Real Madrid midfielder Pedro León officially announced his retirement from professional football. The 39-year-old enjoyed a long career that included spells with Murcia, Getafe, Eibar, and a brief period at Real Madrid during the Mourinho era.
Pedro León reflected emotionally on his career and roots in Murcia:
“Thank you for your love and affection in good times and bad. I have tried to represent, to the best of my ability, that Murcia-supporting boy from Mula who went to see them at the stadium every Sunday.”
Finally, Athletic Club manager Ernesto Valverde spoke ahead of what will be his final match in charge of the Basque club — fittingly against Real Madrid this weekend.
Valverde reflected on reaching 504 matches as Athletic manager:
“Sometimes I ask myself how I’ve managed to reach this number; you just keep pushing.”
He also admitted that stepping away from coaching will likely hit him emotionally once the season begins again:
“When you’ve spent your whole life doing something, and with the intensity that all coaches have, of course you’re going to miss it.”