"10 minutes in a Madrid shirt is much more than 10 games in another"

Dani Ceballos said after the friendly win over Chelsea that he wants to continue at Real Madrid and keep fighting for playing time in a "great squad" with more and more competition.

"Right now, until the end of the market, I'm going to continue. I don't think we're going to make many moves and the truth is that I'm very happy to be here," said the player, who turns 28 on Wednesday, in the mixed zone.

"Minutes are only earned on the pitch. I think that 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes or one game with this shirt is much more than 10 games with another (...). The easiest thing is to throw in the towel but no: I want to succeed here, I want to keep fighting, I want to keep getting minutes and that is based on the confidence that the coach gives me and on how well I perform on the pitch", he argued.

As in the two previous friendlies, Ceballos started in Madrid's 2-1 win over Chelsea in Charlotte (USA), which was the last preparation match on the American tour.

The midfielder said that he has had a good feeling in the preseason, that it is "a privilege to have continuity" and that this tour has helped him to "gain confidence".

Ceballos also referred to the demanding schedule that Madrid, who are in the race for seven titles this season, will have to face. "We talked about it internally in the dressing room: there are around 72 games this year if everything goes well. It's going to be a long season, but I think we have a very large squad. The problem for the coach is going to be making the line-up, which is not going to be easy...", he said with a smile.

In this sense, the Andalusian also referred to the big signing of the summer: Frenchman Kylian Mbappe. "The best players have to be at this club and he is one of the best. Now he has to adapt to a new philosophy and a new league, but I think good players adapt quickly. We are looking forward to training with him. I think he's going to arrive with incredible enthusiasm and desire to contribute to the team," he added. 

 

August 6, 2024