What happened to Raul Asencio? With 30 appearances this season, the 23-year-old central defender was among the strong men of the Real Madrid rearguard, already not spared from injuries since the start of the season. But for six matches, the Spaniard has completely disappeared from Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans, for a very particular reason. As explained Marcathe “Asencio case” emerged discreetly on March 11 within Real Madrid, due to a major internal conflict.
Despite the central defender’s efforts to be present against Celta de Vigo, where he had played diminished, he was left on the bench during the Champions League match against Manchester City. A difficult decision to accept for the player, who felt he deserved a starting place after taking physical risks for the team. But tension intensified a few days later, before the match against Elche. Initially scheduled to be in the starting lineup, Asencio ultimately withdrew on match day, citing muscle pain.
Antonio Rüdiger did not like
This last minute announcement greatly annoyed Arbeloa, already irritated by the player’s reaction after the match against City. This turnaround disrupted the team’s organization and contributed to further deteriorating their relationship… to the point of having repercussions on the rest of the group, particularly for Antonio Rüdiger. The German defender, who was initially due to rest for a crucial match, was forced to play at the last moment and reportedly took the unexpected change badly, which increased his risk of injury.
The affair thus went beyond the framework of a simple dispute to become a subject of tension within the locker room. Arbeloa then demanded a public apology from Asencio in front of his teammates, but the player initially refused, which resulted in him being sidelined several times, even fueling rumors about his professionalism. Ultimately, Asencio apologized to the group after the international break, allowing him to rejoin the call-ups. It remains to be seen where the punishment will end, as he has still not played a single minute in the last two matches after apologizing.
