There is no team in Primera with a lower average age: 25.6 years. “We are going to win, not the slaughterhouse,” says Sheriff regarding the rooms at the Bernabu. Odegaard is the reference
Real players, training in Zubieta, this Wednesday.
Two weeks ago, when Real Sociedad eliminated Espanyol in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, Diego Llorente looked around and felt old when he was just 26 years old: all his teammates in the starting lineup were younger than him. But came the round of 16 against Osasuna last week and that was an anecdote from the past. In that game, who felt like Llorente was lex Remiro, the grandfather of the lineup with 24 years. Insultingly young, the Real eliminated the Navarrese team with a team whose average age was 21.8 years.
It is difficult for the same thing to happen this Thursday (19.00) at Santiago Bernabu, since the logical thing is that Imanol Alguacil bet on players like Elustondo (25 years), Portu (27), Monreal (33) and surely Zaldua (27). Variations that do not overshadow the determined commitment to youth made this season from the Real's sports direction, directed by Roberto Olabe, and also by the coach himself. Not in vain, the txuriurdin It is clearly the youngest First Division staff. In the League, nine of the 12 initial teams with the lowest average age that have been seen this season have been led by Sheriff.
There are only five players who are over 28 years old and, of them, only Monreal is being a key piece. So was Willian Jos (28), but his ugly flirting with Tottenham and Isak's remarkable performance have relegated him for the time being to substitution. Illarramendi (29), meanwhile, was seriously injured in the San Mams derby and has been in the dry dock for five months. The other two veterans are Miguel Angel Moy (35), substitute goalkeeper for Remiro, and David Zurutuza (33), who in his last year at the Real has a residual role and has also been injured for two months.
And also very good
But beyond the quantitative, the number of young players who live in the staff of the Royal Society, the qualitative stands out. Not only are they many, but they are very good. Some of them, the best of the staff. And in this section, how not, the name of Martin Odegaard, leader of this magnificent fifth. With 21 years recently and after two and a half years of maturity in the Dutch league, the Norwegian is the great reference of this Royal Society. He arrived to compete for the post of mediapunta and from the first day eradicate any debate. His cessation is for two seasons, but Madrid does not lose sight of him for the summer. This Thursday play, as the white club eliminated the fear clause in its transfer policy.
Odegaard, in any case, leave sooner or later. Who will stay be Mikel Oyarzabal, captain with 22 years and great reference of the quarry of Zubieta, as in the past were Griezmann, Xabi Prieto and Xabi Alonso. Much more mature – personally and professionally – than his age marks, the Eibar forward lives the season of his consolidation, already as an indisputable offensive reference and with the ticket for the next Eurocopa practically sealed.
After the double O, three players appear for whose signing I bet the Real firmly in the last two years. lex Remiro I assumed to spend his last season of contract with Athletic blank to accept the offer that came from San Sebastin to join the freedom letter. In the case of Mikel Merino (23), the Real won the game to its eternal rival Bilbao putting 12 million euros on the table of Newcastle. The last to join has been Alexander Isak (20), a child prodigy of Swedish football that Borussia Dortmund left last summer in exchange for something more than six million euros and has already earned the status of head battering ram.
And behind them, soccer players come out of Zubieta and still in training, like Barrenetxea (18), Aihen (22), Gorosabel (23), Zubeldia (22), Guevara (22)… Wicker for an exciting future and a present of guarantees. The most immediate goes through the quarterfinals of the Cup at the Bernabu. Some think we are going to the slaughterhouse, but we are going there with the intention of winning, warn this Wednesday Sheriff.
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