in free fall at age 28

Isco era one of the biggest names in world football in 2018. Gareth Bale’s injury had opened wide the doors of ownership at Real Madrid, while in the Spanish team he had become indisputable, the new leader of a team that had already gone without Xavi and in which Iniesta offered the last brushstrokes of his football.

Despite that irregular 2017/18 season for the Whites, who had fallen out of the fight for the League many days before its end, in the Champions League the Madridistas again showed their full potential and, with Isco as starter in the final against Liverpool, raised their thirteenth European Cup, the third in a row.

Lopetegui had given him the helm of La Roja months before. His display against Italy in the qualifying phase for the 2018 World Cup (in November 2017) had astonished the world, and in that overwhelming 3-0 Isco Alarcón shone with his own light. He scored two goals, one of them from a sensational free kick, and Spain danced to the transalpine team to the rhythm set by Arroyo de la Miel.

After an almost immaculate classification (nine wins and a draw in ten games), Spain peaked in March 2018 with a 6-1 against Argentina in a friendly for history. Isco was living a sweet moment and scored three goals; He not only created game with his fantasy football, he also defined.

The World Cup in Russia was not as expected neither for Isco nor for Spain. Lopetegui’s dismissal two days after his debut left La Roja very touched and with Fernando Hierro at the helm, neither the man from Malaga nor the rest of his teammates shone.

At new Real Madrid after Cristiano Ronaldo and Zidane, Isco had reserved a star role. Without the Portuguese, the position of owner was his without discussion, even more soon Lopetegui on the bench, the man who had taken his best football. He was also in his footballing maturity, with 26 years. All the pieces fit.

However, Lopetegui’s Real Madrid never worked. Isco was a key player, but only in one match against Roma (3-0) did he and the white team shine. Just 14 games was the Basque coach at the helm of the white ship, the bad results and a 5-1 against a Barça without Messi sentenced the former selector.

Santiago Solari He was the next tenant on the white bench, and he never trusted the playmaker. In the 29 games that the Argentine led to Real Madrid, Isco was only a starter in three: one in the Champions League when the team was not playing anything, two in the Cup in totally sentenced knockouts. Either because of the lack of rhythm, or because of the player himself, the truth is that every time he had minutes, the Malaga player proved to be totally out of shape.

The return of Zidane It was also good news, a priori, for Isco. The Frenchman had always liked Malaga’s football, which once again had the chance to be an important part of that 2019/20 team.

An injury stopped him at the start of the season, but then again Isco was seen out of shape, until overweight. Zidane alternated his presence in the eleven with other substitutions, and the Malaga player never responded, far from the one who had amazed just a year or so earlier.

The Isco’s situation has become unsustainable in this campaign. Visibly out of shape again, Zidane’s confidence has been dwindling. While veterans like Luka Modric were seen to make extra efforts and show their best level, the Spaniard was surprised by his neglect and physical decline. More than shocking for a player of only 28 years.

Isco tried to leave in the winter market due to his lack of minutes and prominence, but finding a place for him is not easy seeing his high record (close to 7 million net) and his very poor performance. In the end, he has stayed, but his situation does not look like it will change. Against Getafe, with only 12 players available from the first squad and with Isco just recovered, Zidane preferred to pull homegrown players before the Andalusian. And when he came out, he again made it clear that the best Isco is definitely a thing of the past.

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