Dugarry’s critique soon turned into a scathing review of specifically named first-team regulars whom he deems “not up to par” for a club of Madrid’s stature. “These are clubs that aspire to stars, they’re the best, and I think there are players who aren’t up to par. They’ve been there a long time, I’m thinking of [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Arda] Guler, [Federico]Valverde, [Arelioen] Tchouaméni… [Marco] Asensio, who came out of nowhere and became a starter because there were a lot of injuries. He proved to be a good player, but he’s not a Real Madrid centre-back. Alaba is injured and only plays one week every three months; he’s not at that level.”
The inclusion of names like Valverde and Camavinga in such a list is sure to raise eyebrows, given their popularity among the Bernabeu faithful. Yet, Dugarry believes these players have perhaps been given too much credit for past successes while failing to step up in the current era. For him, the lack of consistency across the pitch is a far greater concern than the adaptation period of a single attacking player, no matter how much that player cost or how high his profile is.
