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Real Madrid were Spanish and European champions in 2022, but that didn’t stop them from having something of a clear-out last summer.
Carlo Ancelotti decided to cull a whole XI’s worth of players from his squad, making room for the arrivals of Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni at the Bernabeu.
We’ve taken a look at the 11 players that left Madrid last summer, or shortly afterwards, and judged how they’ve fared after leaving.
Marcelo
With 25 trophies, Marcelo left Real Madrid as the most decorated player in the club’s history.
The Brazilian left-back joined Greek side Olympiacos in September, where he was afforded a hero’s welcome. Sadly, Marcelo never lived up to expectations there and his contract was terminated last month.
Marcelo has now rejoined Fluminense, the club where he made his professional debut, and over 30,000 fans gathered to greet him in the Maracana.
Fluminense fans greeted Marcelo at the airport on his return to his boyhood club 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/ehZOX1fQOS
— B/R Football (@brfootball) March 9, 2023
Isco
Isco was another long-serving Madrid player whose first transfer away from the Bernabeu didn’t work out.
Despite a host of injury problems, the former Spain international remains a talented player and Sevilla were enticed to bring him to Andalucia. But his two-year deal was terminated by the end of 2022 after just 19 appearances and one goal for the club.
A move to Union Berlin in January fell through, but Isco wasn’t desperate enough to return Everton’s calls. Still just 30, we hope he finds a stage befitting of his abilities soon.
Gareth Bale
Scorer of Wales’ first and only World Cup goal since 1958, Bale spent the period between leaving Madrid and the tournament in Qatar honing his fitness in America with Los Angeles FC – where he scored a last-minute equaliser to help them win the MLS Cup.
Come the World Cup, in truth, the forward was largely unimpressive during defeats to Iran and England, retiring at half-time in the latter match.
He announced his retirement in January 2023 and, in keeping with his passion for golf, competed in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California last month.
READ: Anatomy of a goal: Gareth Bale and his ridiculous solo run v Barcelona
Victor Chust
Chust made just three appearances for Madrid, all in the 2020-21 season, before being loaned to Cadiz for the following season.
The defender impressed during his time in the coastal city, making 25 appearances as Cadiz avoided relegation to the Segunda.
The two clubs arranged his permanent transfer last summer and Chust remains an important squad member for the La Liga plankton.
Luka Jovic
After banging goals at an almost indecent rate for Eintracht Frankfurt, Jovic was signed by Madrid for a reported fee of €60 million in 2019.
But his time in Spain was a nightmare; the Serbia international scored just three times in 51 appearances and was gladly shipped off to Fiorentina last July.
“Everything went wrong from the start,” Jovic told AS in March 2023. “I left Eintracht too soon, after only one season at the highest level. All eyes were on me, and it’s tough for a 21-year-old to adapt to the biggest club in the world.
“You have the chance to play with the best, but you also need time – some make it, some don’t. Between injuries, COVID, and unfair pressure, it was an unhappy experience.
“It was an honour, but I’ve moved on and am solely focused on Fiorentina.”
With 11 goals in 36 appearances, Jovic seems to be regaining his mojo in Tuscany. We wish him well.
Mario Gila
Gila only made his Madrid debut in April 2022, appearing as a substitute in a 4-0 win over Espanyol, but was sold to Lazio for a fee of €6million.
The 22-year-old defender has made four appearances for the Serie A side this season, but is yet to establish himself as first choice under Maurizio Sarri.
Takefusa Kubo
Rather (over)-excitedly described by some as the ‘Japanese Messi’, Kubo never kicked a ball in anger for Madrid.
But the winger is shining at Real Sociedad this season, scoring four times in 30 appearances and wowing the Basque crowds with his wing-wizardry.
He also played his part in Japan’s famous World Cup victories over Germany and Spain. His future remains bright.
Borja Mayoral
Mayoral was used to plug gaps in Madrid’s attack by Zinedine Zidane, with the majority of his 22 La Liga appearances from Los Blancos coming under the bald genius.
After loan spells across Europe, the striker moved to Getafe on a permanent basis last summer and has scored seven times in 28 appearances. Not bad.
Miguel Gutierrez
Once desired by Jose Mourinho for his Manchester United side, Gutierrez struggled to dislodge both Marcelo and Ferland Mendy from the left-back role and made just 10 appearances for Madrid.
He swapped the capital for Catalonia last summer, moving to Girona and becoming a first-team regular in their battle to avoid the drop.
Casemiro
He’s done alright…
READ: Casemiro’s post-Carabao b*llocking of Bruno shows how Man Utd have changed
Toni Fuidias
Fuidias was Girona’s second signing from the La Liga and Champions League winners in 2022, but the goalkeeper has made just one Copa del Rey appearance for his new club.
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