Real Madrid Confidencial Sneijder points to Xabi Alonso and warns about the relationship between Mbappé and Vini: 'It depends'
The Dutchman states that the coach will be key for the stars to set aside their egos and work for the team
Wesley Sneijder has reappeared with an interview that hasn't gone unnoticed. The former Dutch footballer spoke about Real Madrid, Xabi Alonso, the coexistence between stars like Mbappé and Vinícius... and his lingering regret over the 2010 Ballon d'Or.
Sneijder, who played for Real Madrid between 2007 and 2009, doesn't forget his time at the white club. Although he admits it wasn't his best period: "It was a mix of things: injuries, club decisions, my personal life. I had great moments, but it wasn't the right time for me to stay longer," he stated in comments to Winwin-allsports.
When asked about Xabi Alonso's arrival on the Bernabéu bench, Sneijder was very clear: "Xabi is very intelligent. You could already see it when we played together. He knows the club, he knows what pressure means, and he has new ideas," he pointed out.
However, he issued an important warning regarding locker room management: "With players like Mbappé and Vinícius, everything depends on the coach. If Xabi manages to get them to sacrifice their ego for the team, it'll be unstoppable, but they need structure. Without that, it doesn't work."
A lingering regret
The conversation also touched on a sensitive topic for the former Inter player: the 2010 Ballon d'Or. Sneijder won the treble with the Italian club and reached the World Cup final with the Netherlands. But the award went to Messi.
"It still hurts. I felt like I did everything that year, but Messi won. He's an unbelievable player, of course, but I thought I deserved it," he confessed sincerely.
"Although the most beautiful thing is that people still remember it. That means they saw my football," the Dutchman emphasized.
To conclude, Sneijder also spoke about the Lamine Yamal phenomenon and did so cautiously: "He has tremendous talent, but he's still young. Mentality and discipline will set his ceiling. If he keeps his feet on the ground, he can go very far."
Sneijder made it clear that talent needs guidance. With stars like Mbappé, Vini, or Lamine, everything revolves around the coach. That's why all eyes are on Xabi Alonso.
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