Seven years after Casemiro reached the first team fully, Real Madrid can find the right partner for the Brazilian.
Seven seasons, during which different players tried, but none of them managed to settle into the hub. Casemiro arrived in Madrid to play for Castilla in his first season in 2013. He made his debut in a match against Betis., but where he made his first popular appearance was in the second leg of the 2014 UEFA Champions League: with 2-0 in favor of Borussia, Ancelotti qualified. Not only did he achieve this, but he began to earn the love and respect of white fans.
After a year on loan at Porto, Casemiro took a place in the white team starting from the 2015-16 season. Although Rafa Benitez didn’t quite like him, the derby loss against Atlético Madrid made Zidane start giving him confidence in midfield. Since then, he has been a fixture in the middle of the White Square.
But the problem came later. None of the madridistas have ever lived up to the standards shown by Casemiro. Even his teammate Toni Kroos said he would love to play there but it wasn’t his normal situation: “I’m not Casemiro,” he said literally at a press conference with the German national team.
First was the Brazilian Lucas Silva, who arrived in the winter market in 2015. But after a series of interventions, leaving more doubts than successes, he is no longer relied upon. He went to Olympique de Marseille after nine games in the madridista shirt and said: I will not wear the white shirt anymore.
Subsequently, he was followed by Croatian Mateo Kovacic, who signed from Inter in the summer of 2015. At the express request of Rafa Benitez, he played three seasons in white before asking to move to Chelsea after the World Cup in Russia.
Kovacic played 109 matches for White (in all competitions) and scored three goals. It was Zidane who used him the most in this position: he was asked to help the midfield defences to get the ball and build play more from the back. He did very well: his departure due to his desire to play was essential.
He then passed as many as three players who were promoted from the academy to occupy that position. In the first place was Fede Valverde. The Uruguayan was signed in 2015, and after passing Deportivo de La Coruna (he played on loan in the 2017-2018 season), in the 2019-20 season he made the leap towards Real Madrid, performing well in midfield.
Little by little he gained continuity in Real Madrid’s starting lineup, but injuries slowed him down. He usually plays indoors. In the Uruguay national team, he plays in the midfield with a 4-2-3-1 formation, along with Bentancur, where he is free to join the attack.
Marcos Llorente, now at Atletico, also played in that position before leaving for Atlético Madrid in 2019, although he also did so in the domestic debut. Rojiblancos now did not feel comfortable and preferred to leave after playing 39 matches between the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. His best match for that position was in the 2018 Club World Cup Final, where he was named Player of the Tournament.
The last player from the academy to be used in this position was Antonio Blanco. The midfielder knew how to make good use of his chances at the end of last season, but this season, he hardly counted for Carlo Ancelotti: he played 36 minutes spread over two matches (one in the league and one in the Champions League).
This example serves as a summary of the rivalries that Casemiro has experienced over the past seven years. The Brazilian has not found a player to complete him or help him over the past seven years… Now Real Madrid has found the ideal partner for him and is at war with Paris Saint-Germain to sign him. It is Aurelien Chuamini, the midfielder of Monaco and the French national team.
Source: AS