A gesture of champions
They say that teams are forged off the field. And Real Madrid has just given a master lesson. Its two great figures, Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé, invited the entire squad to dinner this Tuesday at an elegant restaurant in the center of Madrid.
The bill exceeded a thousand euros, but the message is priceless: unity above all.
“The team is very united,” declared defender Raúl Asencio to the media after the evening, which lasted until after midnight.
A crucial moment
This ‘conspiracy dinner’ comes at a key moment. The team has just been left out of the first eight direct qualifiers for the round of 16 of the Champions League after losing 4-2 to Benfica. Exactly the rival they will face next week in the playoffs.
The last few months have been turbulent in Valdebebas. The technical change – from Xabi Alonso to Álvaro Arbeloa – and the elimination in the Copa del Rey against Albacete had left shadows.
But in La Liga, things are looking better: seven wins in a row and just one point behind the leader Barcelona. This Saturday, against Real Sociedad, they could put themselves first.
Clouds on the horizon
It’s not all good news. Mbappé trained separately this Thursday due to a knee problem and is a doubt for Saturday’s game. Bellingham is still injured, although Vinícius will return after serving a suspension.
Outside the Bernabéu, another curious detail: the Rayo-Atlético match will be played at the Leganés stadium because the Vallecas grass is not in good condition after the rains.
Meanwhile, in Madrid they continue to focus on what is most important: being together. Because as Vinícius and Mbappé know well, titles are not won only with individual talent, but with collective unity.
And that dinner could be the first step towards something big.
