“I go to stadiums to play football, not to listen to anyone”

In just a few months, Raul Asencio has gone from being an emergency solution to Real Madrid's problems to a Spanish international who hopes to make his debut during the current national team break. The defender attended ‘El Chiringuito de Jugones’ on ‘MEGA’ from the Spanish national team training camp and analysed his breakthrough in a 2024-25 that began in the 'Merengues' reserve team.

"It has been a sudden change, all very fast. It's a very nice process and I'm living it in the most intense way and on the right track," said the defender, who thanked his family for the help they are giving him in such a big change: "At home, my mother, my father and my brother are the ones who help me to know how to carry all this. Along with my agent Manu, my friends? My mother is personally tougher, but my father is tougher in terms of football. Since I set foot in Madrid, I talk to them every day. Now they are more concerned about the whole situation I'm going through, that I'm not doing things I shouldn't be doing".

The defender arrived at Real Madrid's youth academy at the age of 14 and left everything behind to try to succeed. After much crying, he got his chance in the face of the plague of injuries suffered by the 'Merengue' team in the 2024-25 season. Now, just a few months later and once all doubts have been cleared up, he is being compared to Ramos: "People like to compare. Sergio is a legend, there is no better mirror. Every player is different, Sergio is great, there will always be his legacy, but I am Asencio and I want to make my career. I wish I could come close to what he has achieved. He was my idol when I was a kid.

Due to non-sporting matters, the rival fans have taken a lot of heat on him in his short career so far, but Asencio explained that he doesn't pay too much attention and only thinks about playing well: "I like it, I feel motivated, against Real Madrid there is extra pressure. I go to the stadiums to play football, I don't go to listen to anyone. People pay to see a show, they should focus on cheering on their team".

The 'Merengue' defender thanked Ancelotti for his help in adapting to the first team and admitted that he is a "great person". "He has experience of having coached many players and knows perfectly what each one needs. I am going through a time of transition, of changes and he has helped me a lot," he explained.

Finally, Raul Asencio, who didn't want to make his mind up when it came to choosing a teammate as the best player in the world, also spoke about fatigue and the fact that Real Madrid has had to play two games in such a short time: "The schedule is very tight. We play football, but we are people, athletes who need a break from time to time. I think it's good for football. If you have rest periods, it's going to be better for the show."