Isco’s confessions episode 2. Free since December 21 and a short experience of a few months at Sevilla FC, Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez alias Isco (31) is still looking for a club after in particular an aborted signing last winter from Union Berlin. Returned to his restless transfer windows in an interview for brand, the attacking midfielder did not dodge any subject and was frank about his situation despite having not spoken to the media for five years. The Spanish media today released the second part of this long interview where he returned to his descent into hell with the Merengues.
Young talented nugget trained in Valencia, Isco really exploded with Malaga during the 2012/2013 season when he reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League with the Andalusians. Enough to convince Real Madrid to bet 30 million euros to win his services. Alternating between the eleven and the role of first substitute over his first three seasons, the right-hander really took on another dimension between 2016 and 2018. Having become indisputable and notably putting Gareth Bale on the bench, the native of Benalmádena had also become the technical leader of Spain by Julen Lopetegui (38 caps, 12 goals). This is where it got complicated.
The departure of Lopetegui, a turning point for Isco
At the height of his career in 2018, he was to take on more importance when Julen Lopetegui became the coach of Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo had left for Juventus while Isco was brought to have a more important role, that’s when his body let him down at the worst of times: “I had emergency surgery for appendicitis. The doctors told me that the file was complex, with more than a month of sick leave. But after twenty days, I was already playing. There, the doctors had warned me that they were going to put pressure on me to come home early, that I was going to feel good, but I was not well, I was in pain… But the team was going through a bad moment, with several defeats like against Alavés, CSKA Moscow and I felt that I had to make an effort to help my team.
A rather chaotic start to the 2018/2019 season for Real Madrid which will have pushed Julen Lopetegui towards the start. And Isco was the first victim during the interim of Santiago Solari where he was suddenly downgraded: “that’s it. And from then on, Isco no longer existed for anyone. Neither for the coach, nor for the assistants, nor for anyone. Nobody explained to me why I suddenly stopped having minutes and when I asked Solari directly he told me that everything was fine, but the coach had decided. 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 let me sit watching the game in the stands. And I didn’t feel any support from the club or anyone.”
The Covid-19 pandemic mowed him down in mid-flight
From then on, Isco could have left the Madrid club, but the arrival of Zinedine Zidane in place of Santiago Solari made him reconsider his position: “I should have left. But leaving Madrid is very difficult. Because, as I said, I had always succeeded in reversing the situation. (…) But this time it was different… I should have left (…) But Zidane had arrived and with him I had performed well. A hope returned on the side of Isco, but it did not last: “Zizou arrived in the home stretch of the season and I was not well, really. It was a very hard year because of what I’m telling you, I was totally demoralized. Even after the World Cup, my head and my body couldn’t hold on.”
“The following season, I started without playing, but there was a click in my head and what happened in other years (overturning the competition, editor’s note) passed, when I started to play important matches: PSG in the Champions League, Barça at Camp Nou, the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, against City in the Champions League, I scored a goal… I came back again. But then came the pandemic. And after the pandemic, I stopped playing” he continued. Having become a substitute again, he will have a sporadic role during the 2020/2021 season (29 appearances, 0 goals, 2 assists), the last of Zinedine Zidane at the head of the Merengues.
The arrival of Carlo Ancelotti has not changed anything
After the departure of the French technician, Carlo Ancelotti arrived, but he quickly explained to Isco that he would have a tertiary role for his last year of contract. “I played two or three games with Carletto and that’s it, but he was honest with me and I accepted it. I tried to train well and take advantage of the minutes he gave me. said the Spanish player. Playing 17 matches (2 goals and 1 offering) for his last season with Casa Blanca, he nevertheless gleaned a fifth Champions League there, the only one where he had an anecdotal role and did not participate in the final.
Overall for Isco, the tipping point came in 2018 just after the World Cup where Spain were eliminated in the Round of 16 against Russia: “I had some good times, really. The World Cup year in Russia and the previous season were great. But after the World Cup, everything went wrong (…) When Julen left, Solari arrived and I had no opportunity, I was apathetic. “Damn,” I thought, “I’ve had a great few years and now I’m like this. What else do I have to do to be considered important at the club?” A question to which he will never have managed to find the answer, he who left Real Madrid with the status of a player from the end of the bench.
