Lucas Vazquez talks Real Madrid exit, favourite memory, Vinicius, Zidane, Alonso, La Liga title race

Former Real Madrid captain Lucas Vazquez has reflected on his time at the club, expressing how much he misses his teammates and everyone he worked with during his decade at the Bernabeu. 

In an interview with COPE’s El Partidazo, he discussed his first months in Germany as a Bayer Leverkusen player and shared memories from his ten seasons in Real Madrid’s first team.

After more than 400 appearances, including 227 starts, and winning numerous titles, Vazquez feels he left the club “in peace.”

“I didn’t want to leave, but I think it was time to go. It was best for me to leave. Alexander-Arnold’s signing didn’t influence me; it happened later. 

“I had several meetings with Jose Angel Sánchez throughout the year. It was natural. My conscience was clear, and I wasn’t hurt. The club has always treated me spectacularly.”

It is known that Vazquez had offers to move to Saudi Arabia, but the 34-year-old explained that he wanted to stay in Europe.

“I had interest from several teams, but I wanted to keep competing and remain at the elite level. 

“This opportunity came up, which is very good for me in every aspect. I don’t think I’ll return to Spain. I have very clear ideas about continuing to play.”

Reliving the first UCL

Vazquez left Real Madrid after the Club World Cup. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

The winger fondly recalled his happiest moments at the club, especially winning his first Champions League in the 2015/16 season against Atletico Madrid. 

“I remember the moment of hugging my wife and brother at San Siro and the three of us bursting into tears.” 

Speaking about taking the first penalty of the shootout in the final, he said, 

“I finished the match with confidence. I approached Zidane and Davide and said, ‘I want to take it.’ 

“They set the order; I didn’t tell them I wanted to be the first. I didn’t realise it until days later.”

Praising former players

Vazquez praised the teammates and coaches who influenced him most. “Cristiano and Sergio Ramos are the ones who had the most impact on me. Their culture of effort, their philosophy of life.” 

On coaches, he added, “The one who has marked me the most is Zidane. Personally, Zidane was the most special for me.”

He also discussed his conversion to full-back, a decision that changed his career. “I never complained about playing as a full-back, but I admit that at first I didn’t like it. 

“I spoke about it with Zidane and he told me that he was going to do very well there.”

On Xabi Alonso

Vazquez’s time at the club ended after the Club World Cup, meaning that he did not get the time to work much under Alonso. Speaking about the current Real Madrid boss, he noted,

“It was a great experience. The World Cup was quite cool and it helped us get to know each other and find out what Xabi wanted to do. 

Vazquez praised Xabi Alonso. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

“I had a great experience. He treated me with a lot of respect, like one of his own.”

The club legend also opened up about the abuse Vinicius Jr. has suffered away from home in the past. The former captain explained,

“It was tough on away match days because you see your teammate and friend not having a good time.

“You want him to be at his best, and he can’t be in the spotlight for things that aren’t football-related. We told him not to let it affect him, but he didn’t always listen.”

On the infamous Negreira case, he noted, “The whole ‘Negreira case’ is hard to explain; it’s unbelievable. We were very aware of everything; we talked about it in the locker room.”

On this season’s title challenge, he praised the Barcelona team, but said that he hopes Real Madrid win it. 

“Barça have a great team, it’s great to watch them play. It’s going to be a very difficult league, and I hope Real Madrid win it.”

Finally, Vazquez concluded with a heartfelt note about leaving Real Madrid. 

“I miss my teammates, the club’s employees… above all, the people. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy Real Madrid a lot. I think it was a good change for me.”

Source: Sports Yahoo