Re: Isco (Part 8 (weekend saga part 3))
Two Marca articles this morning, both suggesting it's not done just yet!
Midfielder must compete with Özil and Modric
Isco, Pellegrini's dedicated apprentice
Zidane 'signed' Isco | Whizz-kid Isco
Isco deal done for €24 million
The Real Madrid of the future
Marcos López 06/24/2013 Print Send Close
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Isco is shy, introvert and reserved, has no tattoos or taste for the bizarre. He shies away from the limelight, but his move to Real Madrid is set to change all that. Once there, he will face a new set of demands and challenges, as well as a step up that will set him on the road to stardom.
Pellegrini turned him into a footballer. Isco, the dedicated apprentice, was a sponge. He started his first season on the bench, but ended it marshalling the midfield alongside Cazorla. When Arsenal signed Cazorla, he did not hesitate in carrying the team, becoming the example to follow in the Chilean coach's associative playing style.
Iniesta is his hero and he marvels watching Maradona, Zidane and Ronaldinho's technical talents. His dog, a cinnamon-coloured Labrador, is called Messi.
Some would say he is just another central midfielder, but that hinges on Ancelotti's tactics and who leaves the Bernabeu this summer. For both Malaga and Spain's under-21s, his starting position was on the left side of his team's second line of attack. He would start out wide before setting up camp tight to the opposition's holding midfielders. His first bone of contention will be with Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid's undisputed false number '11'.
He will compete with Özil for a place in the team, although he will probably push the German out onto the wing during games in which Real's attacking players face a less physical game. Isco will take on the role of a number '10', sitting in just behind the frontman, keeping possession and directing his team's play between the lines for a side genetically predisposed to playing a very direct attacking style of football. Modric, Özil and Isco will all fight it out for one or two places in Real's starting XI, depending on what Ancelotti decides with regards to Di María.
Player was decided on move to City until 'Zizou' called him
Zidane 'signed' Isco
Hugo Cerezo. Istanbul 06/24/2013 Print Send Close
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Real Madrid has managed to convince Isco to reject the offer from Manchester City and the player should now end up signing for the 'whites' and the reason for that is the insistence of Zinedine Zidane.
The French legend rang the Málaga born player during the European under 21 Championships in Israel to change his mind. He managed to convince the player that in Madrid he would get games and be an important asset for Carlo Ancelotti. From that moment Isco began to see things in a different light, because the decision to go to City had already been taken.
Zidane also had to the do the same with club President Florentino Pérez who he had to convince that the signing of the player should be a priority. To begin with Pérez was apparently not too convinced about signing the Malaga player.
Florentino had reportedly told those close to him that there are already a lot of central midfielders in the club. However after a chat with Zidane, who will be Ancelotti's right-hand man, his opinion was swayed. Zizou argued that the player would be a great strategic signing because of his enormous potential and also because he is Spanish. At Real Madrid not only the best foreign players should be available but the best Spanish players too.
Within the club the signing was thought to be a lost cause because it was known that the player was practically a Manchester City player, a club with whom Madrid shares a good relationship. The new City coach Manuel Pellegrini had also promised the player that he was guaranteed to start games which had originally convinced Isco to follow his ex-coach to England.
