Fabio Coentrao will not leave Real Madrid after Carlo Ancelotti and company decided not to allow the left back to leave the Bernabeu.
“Fabio Coentrao is staying,” Ancelotti said. “He had said he wanted to leave, but I did not want that. Everyone - the players, the coaches, the club, is very happy with this decision.”
There has been a lot of white noise surrounding Coentrao this summer. Rumors swirled that he could be used as bait in the Gareth Bale deal, to Manchester United for David Moyes, or that he could go to Arsenal whose defense has been depleted by injuries and suspensions.
It will be interesting to see if he gets playing time now, and if he does, how he performs given that he had asked to leave and was denied.
This has been going on for a while as well. Back on August 19 Ancelotti confirmed that the 25-year-old had requested a transfer. “Coentrao has asked to leave,” Ancelotti said. “He will not be in tomorrow’s game. Nothing more, all the other players are happy to be here.”
Coentrao has not featured for Madrid yet this season, and made just 16 league starts last year.
Madrid are dealing with Mesut Ozil’s displeasure as well. The German was left out of the squad entirely against Athletic Bilbao this weekend, and Ancelotti remarked on Ozil’s unhappiness.
“It is normal that he [Ozil] is unhappy,” Ancelotti said. “I do not like players to be happy on the bench. It was a technical decision to put in Di Maria [against Athletic Bilbao], who has a lot of rhythm and intensity, nothing more.”
Ozil has been heavily linked with Manchester United, with the 24-year-old’s father even speaking out saying his son isn’t happy.