The turbulent Journey of Isco at Real Madrid: A tale of struggles and unfulfilled expectations

In the world of football, the highs and lows of a player’s career are inevitable.

For Isco, the talented midfielder who once shone brightly for Real Madrid, his journey has been marked by both triumphs and tribulations.

In this article, we delve into the ups and downs of Isco’s time at Real Madrid, exploring his thoughts and emotions during key moments in his career.

The Solari era: A time of neglect

During Santiago Solari’s tenure as the head coach of Real Madrid, Isco found himself facing a perplexing situation.

The once integral player seemed to vanish from the radar of the coaching staff without any explanation or support.

Isco lamented, “When Solari arrived at Real Madrid, Isco no longer existed for anyone. Not for the coach, not for the assistants, not for anyone. I didn’t feel any support.”

The mysterious treatment

Despite assurances from Solari that he was training well and would be trusted, Isco’s playing time remained scarce.

Isco expressed his bewilderment, “After one of those games in which he left me in the stands without any explanation, I got a call from him, he told me that I was training well & that he will start trusting me. The next game he left me in the stands, so I really don’t know if he was laughing at me?”

The lack of transparency

Isco’s frustration grew as the lack of transparency continued. When he sought explanations for his limited opportunities, he was met with ambiguity.

Isco revealed, “Nobody gave me explanations as to why I suddenly stopped having minutes and when I asked Solari directly he told me that nothing was wrong, but that the coach decided.”

The struggle of feeling unsupported

Perhaps the most disheartening aspect for Isco was the feeling of being unsupported, not just by the coach but also by the club.

He recalled, “I played, I remember, against Melilla and without saying a word, he left me several games in the stands like against Roma. Not even on the bench. He made me travel to leave me sitting watching the game in the stands. And I did not feel support from the club or from anyone.”

The missed opportunity to depart

In hindsight, Isco admitted that he should have considered leaving the club during this trying period. However, the emotional attachment to Real Madrid and the desire to overcome the challenges kept him in Madrid.

“Now, looking back, is when I see that I should have left. But leaving Madrid is very difficult. Because, as I was saying, I had always managed to reverse the situation,” he lamented.

The tempting offer from Barcelona

During 2018, there were rumors of a tempting offer from arch-rivals Barcelona. Bartomeu, the then-president of Barcelona, approached Isco with an enticing proposal.

Reflecting on that time, Isco shared, “Yes, there was a fear that I would go to a rival team in 2018. Yes, I’m talking about Barça. Bartomeu called me & with the salary he was giving that time but I was very happy in Madrid, my teammates, incredible atmosphere.”

The love for Real Madrid

Ultimately, despite the lucrative offer from Barcelona, Isco’s heart remained with Real Madrid.

He cherished the moments of glory he had experienced with the club and affirmed, “It was the team of my DREAMS, where I won everything. I wouldn’t have left for all the gold in the world.”

Unmet expectations under Zidane

While Isco did not hold any grudges against Zinedine Zidane, he admitted that the legendary coach expected more from him. The pressure to live up to Zidane’s expectations weighed heavily on the midfielder.