Real Madrid’s staff made special request to Rodrygo before his success in false nine role as details emerge: Reports

Real Madrid’s staff asked Rodrygo to gain muscle to be a more formidable presence down the middle, a report from Spanish outlet Marca has claimed.

In the 2021-22 season, Karim Benzema emerged as Los Blancos’ go-to goalscorer. Benzema scored 44 goals and provided 15 assists in 46 games across competitions, recording his best-ever season as Madrid cruised to the Champions League, La Liga, and the Spanish Super Cup treble.

Real Madrid refused to buy the Frenchman’s substitute in the summer transfer window. So when he was injured in the 3-0 Champions League win against Celtic, questions were raised about his substitute. Eden Hazard was initially entrusted to act as a false nine, but the Belgian failed to thrive in the role. Rodrygo then took over and has been a revelation since.

According to the aforementioned report, Los Blancos’ coaching staff advised the Brazilian to gain more muscle to be more effective down the middle. They reportedly thought that physical strength would help Rodrygo be even more effective with his speed. The Brazilian reportedly obliged and is now reaping the rewards.

Rodrygo has operated as a false nine in three matches this season. In the 4-1 win over Mallorca (September 11), he switched to a false nine role in the final 30 minutes of the match. He assisted Vinicius Junior’s 72nd-minute goal and scored one himself in the 89th minute.

The former Santos man once again operated as a false nine in the 2-0 win over RB Leipzig (September 14) but failed to score or assist. On Sunday (September 18), he scored the opening goal against Atletico Madrid in a 2-1 win. Rodrygo served as a false nine throughout the match.

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Real Madrid starlet Rodrygo talks about filling in for Karim Benzema

Former Santos footballer Rodrygo may have been enjoying an excellent run as the team’s center-forward, but he does not see himself replacing Real Madrid skipper Karim Benzema.

Following the win over Atletico Madrid, Rodrygo opened up about filling in for Benzema. Rodrygo confessed to being happy with the job he’d done but did not think the five-time Champions League winner could be replaced. He said (via Managing Madrid):

“It’s impossible to replace Karim, but I try and I’ve done quite well. It’s a new role for me because I don’t play the same way as Karim. I play differently and we’ve changed the way we play.”

Rodrygo has featured in seven games for Real Madrid across competitions this season, scoring thrice and claiming two assists.