Getting Mbappe difficult post-pandemic: Former Real Madrid captain Fernando Hierro

Former Spain and Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro feels that the transfer market has been affected due to the depleted money in clubs during the global pandemic.

Former Spain and Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro, who is the current LaLiga ambassador, feels that the transfer market has been affected due to the depleted money in clubs during the global pandemic.

World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe has long been linked to a transfer from French club Paris St German (PSG) to La Liga giants Real Madrid. Hierro, who holds five LaLiga titles and three Champions League titles with Madrid, feels that the lockdown has affected the transfer market with the TV ratings gone down, no crowd engagement and depleted resources.

“Getting Mbappe is going to be affected due to the depleted money in the clubs due to the pandemic. TV ratings are affected, crowd engagement and the winter transfer market, even the next season’s transfer market. If we don’t manage to control the pandemic, football is going to be affected,” said Hierro in a media interaction.

Eden Hazard scored his first goal in almost three months while Karim Benzema bagged a brace as Real Madrid eased to a 4-1 win away to Alaves in La Liga on Saturday in the absence of coach Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane tested positive for COVID-19 the day before the game so assistant David Bettoni took charge of the team instead and his side got off to a strong start when Casemiro headed in a Toni Kroos cross in the 15th minute.

Calling Zidane a ‘fantastic’ coach for the side, Hierro, who has won five league titles and three Champions League with Real Madrid, said, “Zidane has got a lot of knowledge about the club and the profession, the everyday life of the club that demands. A lot of the footballers talk about good things due to his personality but very  few talk about his achievements that he has earned as a coach.

“Very few people with such a good curriculum as his. He is a fantastic coach for Real Madrid because he has so much knowledge about the club internally too.”

Hailing Sergio Ramos, Hierro, who is arguably one of the best central defenders in the history, said that the captain is very important for the club. Hoping he stays with Madrid, Hierro said, “Ramos is important to the club without a doubt. What Ramos means to the club, his leadership, his performance is a proof of the fact that despite his age he is at an extraordinary position right now.

Pique and him are some of the best players representing La Liga. He completes very well, he is a true professional, lives for everyone and I would really like to see him stay in the club.”

‘India to have the biggest growth in football’

“India as a country has great potential and I think it will have the biggest growth in football in future. I can tell it from my experience of visiting India some time back,” said Hierro.

“The sport will further grow depending on the objectives and planning laid out for the tournament. I think training of coaches is very important for the growth and the tournament needs to have a consolidated structure and proper vision for the future,” he said, sharing his views on ISL.

“I have colleagues who are working in India and there are players in India whom I have known for a long time. I think the growth of football reflects the global growth of India, which is a big country,” he added.

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