Florentino Pérez and his thirty-year-olds

Sergio Ramos, Luka Modric and Lucas Vázquez end their contract on 30 June 2021. Three undisputed headlines this year. Sergio Ramos will be 35 years old in March. It looks like he will renew for two more years. The policy of the club for many years has been not to renew more than one year the players who are over thirty. But Ramos is a special case for his trajectory and above all for his performance. Club and player are obliged to understand each other and if they leave intermediaries aside the agreement will be closed in ten minutes.

Modric is also a special case. He will be 35 in September and will continue to be part of the white team because of his career and performance. Luka took advantage of the confinement to make a particular preseason. In addition, he follows a diet similar to that of Benzema. All this was done by the Croatian not to repeat another year of injuries like last year. Until the moment he is next to Varane and Benzema the player who has disputed more minutes. He will renew year after year as long as he continues to give an optimum performance.

Lucas Vázquez will be 30 years old at the end of the season. After two very discreet years, without contributing much to the team, this year he is being one of the best, occupying positions where he is needed. Zidane is delighted with him.

Karim Benzema has just turned 32 and, as we said before, he is one of the players with more minutes in the team and his performance is being outstanding. The Frenchman recently elected best striker in his country is undisputed for his game, fitness and numbers. Karim holds a double training session every day. The team's and staff's at home with his friend, the Muay Thai champion. On holidays he doesn't stop and on trips he is one of the few to use the hotel gym.

Toni Kroos will be 31st in January and has a contract until 2023. At the moment he is in an extraordinary form. He has won everything but individual prizes. In many cases he has been an unfairly ignored player.

Marcelo will be 33 in May and his contract expires in June 2022. For the last few weeks he has been in the hands of the physical trainer Adolfo Madrid, known for working with Marcos Llorente. Of course, one's 33 years are not comparable to Marcos' 25, but we have the example of Modric, Karim or Kroos. If Marcelo manages to be physically at his best, he is the best left-handed side player in the world. The team would benefit from this as Mendy is doing well, but he has to contribute much more than he is doing, especially in attack. In addition, the Frenchman will need to rest at some point.

Nacho turns 31 in January and finishes his contract in June 2022. This year he is more in tune and when needed he has more than fulfilled his obligations. Like Lucas Vázquez and Marcelo, last year was quite bad for him. 

Carvajal turns 29 in January. He is another of the fixed ones for the trainer. Lately he tends to get injured. Injuries that, without being serious, are of a month or two and prevent him from taking the form and the dynamics of the team.

Hazard will be 30 in January. So far we have only seen one good game and one goal against Huesca. A player who cost 100 million, plus 20 million in goals, and who every time there is a break comes back out of shape and overweight. It is a personal bet of the trainer, but the player does not manage to play more than three games without being injured. A pity because he has quality to play in Madrid. He has overflow, one of the priority needs for the white team. Perhaps you should talk to Benzema or Modric and copy their recipe. But for that it is necessary a lot of work and a lot of force of will. Like Marcelo, he depends on himself and his effort. Train and eat properly, according to an elite sportsman.

The Real Madrid starting eleven is made up of the thirty-something Ramos, Kroos, Modric, Lucas Vázquez, Benzema, Hazard and also Carvajal (29).

It is completed by the middle-aged veterans Courtois, Varane, Mendy and Casemiro who, in principle, are providing an acceptable performance with some ups and downs.

The average age of the starting team is close to 30. Paradoxically, the older ones are the best performers.

The younger ones are counting for Zidane at certain times. When Hazard is injured, almost always, or when Carvajal has been. They are the ones who have a contract until 2024 or 2025: Valverde (22), Vinicius (20), Odegaard (22) and Rodrygo (19), who count for the coach, and Militao (23) and Jovic (23) who do not have his confidence. In this group will be Kubo (19) in the future. He is currently on loan, very unwisely, to Villarreal.

As regards Asensio, it is clear that Zidane is counting on him, but the Mallorcan doesn't finish an acceptable performance and he looks very low physically. He is 25 years old and has a contract until 2023. He was called to replace the Modric, Hazard or Benzema, but at the moment and since he was seriously injured he has not recovered his level.

A separate case is that of Isco. He is a starter, liked by Zidane and he has been the rudder of the Spanish national team for two years. His decline has been amazing. The coach continues against all odds giving him minutes. Few, but more than Mariano, Militao or Jovic. Sometimes, even risking too much, like the last match against Athletic de Bilbao where he went out with Asensio in the last minutes and did not contribute anything. No game, no work.

With this panorama, Florentino Pérez must face a very important renovation in the staff. We know that any player in which the white club is interested immediately multiplies his price. The bet to sign very young players with great projection has obtained good results, but something more is needed.

Replacing Ramos, Kroos, Modric and Benzema is going to be a very complicated task. They are outstanding players in their game, in their mentality, in their commitment and in their responsibility. These thirty-somethings, to whom we add Lucas, Marcelo and Carvajal, have given much joy to Madridism, but sooner or later they will leave their boots or head for China, the Middle East or the United States.

Florentino, in addition to signings such as Mbappé (PSG), Haaland (Dortmund), Upamecano (Leipzig) and Aouar (Lyon), signings that I recommend, should, together with Zidane, review the physical preparation, nutrition and professionalism of some very usable players in the squad such as Asensio, Hazard, Militao, Jovic and even Marcelo, despite his 33 years, and Isco.

Florentino and his thirty-somethings have given a lot of joy. We need to incorporate new thirty-somethings like these. Even though they are 22, but with the characteristics of those who have earned so much in recent years. Thirty-somethings of 22 like Benzema, Modric, Ramos or Kroos. Looking at them in the countryside, they don't seem to be more than 22 years old......