Odegaard, the heir

Few footballers have the privilege of learning first-hand from a Ballon d'Or. Martin Odegaard will enjoy it twice this year at Madrid. On the bench he will have Zinedine Zidane and on the pitch, in games and training sessions, he will be able to soak up Modric's teaching on the pitch. The difficulty to undertake transfers in the context of the pandemic has turned the return of the Norwegian into the signing of the white summer (together with the repeats Lunin and Odriozola). After three and a half years gaining experience in Holland and La Real, the time has come for the Nordic to return to stay with the mission of initiating the transition in a midfield where Kroos and Modric are already in their thirties.

Odegaard, who will turn 22 in December, is guaranteed to enjoy minutes in his first season in full-fledged white.. His rescue is an express request of Zinedine Zidane, convinced of what the Nordic can contribute, whom he trained for a year at Castilla. The coach convinced the player that he will be an important part of his team and that he will not have a residual role in the team. His role will transcend beyond those Cup matches typically reserved to distribute minutes among non-regulars. It will play a leading role in important matches, in a season with a compressed calendar that will require a measured distribution of efforts among all the players. If they advance to the round in the KO tournament and in the Champions League, Madrid will play three games practically every week. Without respite.

The presence of Odegaard will allow Zizou a greater range of variants in his eleven and in his drawing. The average was the line that placed the most restrictions on him last season due to the shortage of personnel. Casemiro did not have a specific replacement (he is still without him) and Valverde was the only alternative to Kroos and Modric and the eventual, and rare, absences of the Brazilian. Once James fell from grace, the French only had the option of Isco to give a twist to a medullary in which the French got to try with all five. The position of the Malaga player will not be strange to the Norwegian, who has played there at Real and with his previous teams.. Also in Castilla under the command of Zidane himself (it was during 2015).

Odegaard has prepared thoroughly during the summer for the challenge of his arrival in the white first team. He spent part of his vacation at the Sierra Nevada high-performance center to get to the preseason in top condition. He also gave up going to the national team break with Norway to be at Zizou's disposal from day one. The first goal is marked in a territory known to Martintxo: the Reale Arena (day 20), which was his home with Real last season and the showcase in which he ended up convincing Zidane that he had a place in the Madrid dressing room.