After the match of the 29th round of La Liga at the Santiago Bernabéu against Leganés, a player already targeted by Florentino Pérez is in the spotlight for his disastrous performance. This Sunday in Spain, the media are reporting his almost certain departure.
Real Madrid scraped a hard-fought victory against relegation-threatened Leganés on Saturday in the league. After the first international break of the year, Carlo Ancelotti’s men once again battled for over 90+8 minutes to secure all three points. In this match, which ended in a 3-2 win thanks to a fine brace from Kylian Mbappé, refereeing controversies were once again at the centre of discussions, and Andriy Lunin surprisingly took up the subject. Reviewing the players’ performances, Lucas Vázquez’s display was once again alarming.
Despite the break, Vázquez struggles
Generally, after international matches where several players leave to represent their countries, those who stayed behind are given playing time in the league. During the recent break, Lucas Vázquez, who has not been called up for international duty for a long time, was named in the starting lineup on the right side of the defence. Often struggling in big matches against top players, the Spanish full-back was expected to hold his ground until the final whistle. Unfortunately, as has been the case on multiple occasions this season, he failed to deliver.
While he was actively involved in attack, Lucas Vázquez completely neglected his defensive duties, which weighed heavily on the team. He was partly responsible for both goals conceded in the first half. Given the risks he posed to the team, he was substituted for Federico Valverde in the 72nd minute. Back on the bench, Vázquez did not hide his frustration.
Knowing that he had just delivered one of his worst defensive performances of the season against a team fighting to escape the relegation zone, the nearly 34-year-old, who is out of contract, was on edge after the final whistle.
A near-confirmed departure under Florentino Pérez
In the post-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti, known for his class when it comes to protecting his players, avoided criticising the right-back. Without mentioning Lucas Vázquez by name, the Italian coach simply acknowledged that the team had been unbalanced in the first half. In Spain, Defensa Central and several media outlets believe that Lucas Vázquez has sealed his exit with this performance. With his contract expiring this summer, the player, who has captained the team and given so much for the white shirt, is unlikely to be offered a renewal by Florentino Pérez.
Now struggling defensively, Vázquez will make way for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal next season. With Federico Valverde also proving to be a reliable makeshift option at right-back, the club’s management sees no reason to extend his contract, especially since he was already expected to leave last season. His performance against Leganés was far from what he had hoped for, though to be fair, Curtis was never a natural full-back—circumstances simply forced him into the role.
A first-team player since 2014, the native of Curtis will bow out at the end of this season. It is an unfortunate farewell… A sad ending for a player who has worn the famous white shirt 387 times over eleven years, scoring 38 goals.
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