Seriously, it should not be this hard to say something completely noncommittal in an interview. But some Chelsea players get it while others flounder.
If the thought of (insert any Chelsea player here) and Real Madrid in the same headline induces a feeling of sickness and “oh no not again” it is understandable. Chelsea players seem to always be asked about the Spanish side regardless of context. Some of those players get the answer right. Others should have kept their mouth shut.
This phenomenon is made all the worse by Thibaut Courtois actively looking to undermine the club that paved the way for him. If there is a microphone within a 10 mile radius of the keeper, one can be sure he is going to say something into it. His latest talking point is how much bigger the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is than Stamford Bridge. Or how much harder the training at Real Madrid is than Chelsea. Or how much better the players are at Real Madrid than Chelsea. But this is not about what the Los Blancos’ backup keeper says.
No, this is about players that still matter to Chelsea. Marcos Alonso and Alvaro Morata were both asked about Real Madrid in recent interviews. One said the things he should say. The other failed at a good opportunity to alleviate the pressure on himself.
Alonso was linked back to his boyhood club over the summer. His response? “I never saw myself outside Chelsea this summer. I am very happy there, I have three years left on my contract and my idea has always been to stay.” That is a perfect answer. Alonso not only commits to his club, but he also avoids the pitfall of saying something along the lines of “everyone would want to play for Real Madrid”. He defused the situation without making a “come and get me” type of statement.
Morata failed at following suit. Facing a similar question, the striker responded with “Who would not like it? I am happy at Chelsea but I have many years ahead in my career if God and injuries allow it. Mariano said Madrid never close the door and look what happened. You never know.” Which is the exact wrong thing for him to being saying in the current context.
Morata was linked with a move all summer. He has said he considered a return to Italy. But especially now when he still has a ton of criticism around him, the last thing he should have done is vocalize a desire to return to Madrid. It smacks of a lack of commitment to the club he is currently struggling at. He should have followed Alonso’s example by not hyping Real Madrid up.
And all of this is not to be ignorant of the reality of Real Madrid and Chelsea. Clubs exist on tiers. Real Madrid is on the top tier and Chelsea is on the tier below. Real Madrid is one of the few upgrades that a player at a club like Chelsea can make. But that does not mean saying it at every opportunity. A player has to be loyal to the club they are at currently. Alonso got it right, even if he might one day dream of a Madrid move (which given his family history, would make sense). Morata slipped up which is even more embarrassing given he has already left Real Madrid twice due to lack of opportunity.
It seems Real Madrid and Chelsea are destined to be linked for years to come. Whether it is Eden Hazard’s fate being undecided, Mateo Kovacic desperately wanting away from the Spanish side, Alonso’s history being picked at, Morata’s desperate desire to be good enough for Madrid, or Courtois not keeping his mouth shut the two clubs are linked. Some players know better, some should know better.
Regardless, players should think of where they are rather than where they want to be. It is easy to be like Alonso and keep the door open while respecting the current club. It is foolish to hype up Madrid at every opportunity. If Morata wanted the fans on his side, he failed. He should take media lessons from Alonso. Perhaps even Kovacic could teach as Hazard comes into the same class just in case.