Mariano turned 28 on 1st August as part of Real Madrid's pre-season training camp and with the big goal of earning a more important role in the squad, taking advantage of Carlo Ancelotti's return. He has always been seen as a second-choice player in 'Los Blancos' squad, except in their youth team.
Mariano is now 28 years old and continues with the same objective that has motivated him for the last few seasons: to be important at Real Madrid. Several years under the shadow of Karim Benzema and surrounded by attempts by the board of directors to provide their coaches with alternatives - Jovic, Borja Mayoral, several youth players... - have witnessed his fight to progress.
Integrated in the training for the new campaign with Carlo Ancelotti leading the team, he sees a new opportunity to take a step forward. The Italian, in his first spell in the Spanish capital, knew him only as a promising youth player who excelled only with RM Castilla.
Now, he is one of the players in the background of the senior side. Zinedine Zidane, throughout the 20-21 season, used him as Benzema's wing-back and failed to shake the coach's conviction that Karim was his main weapon up front. This situation is the same for the start of La Liga.
His best form is still remembered in France, where he took Olympique Lyon by storm in the 2017-18 season, scoring 21 goals and providing five assists in 45 games. From then on, and now focused on his reality as a Real Madrid player, he was relegated to a position further away from the spotlight.