Nacho Fernandez: The Mirror of Perseverance

“My dream has come true” – that was Nacho’s statement after he lifted the Champions League trophy as captain of Real Madrid.

Looking back at Nacho’s career, every fan of the Royal Club has some admiration for the efforts, the indomitable spirit, the never-give-up spirit, the loyalty of the old guard with an immortal heart.

The child on the sidelines of Madrid

Since his time at the Castilla academy, Nacho has never been considered an excellent central defender or has the potential to develop in the future. Nacho is not too tall, not too fast, and not muscular. He is not the type of central defender who reads situations well or has the qualities of a defensive leader. In the 2013/2014 season, after the departure of Raul Albiol, when he was 23 years old, he was promoted to the first team.

Since that season, Nacho has remained at Real from season to season. He is a cog in the Los Blancos machine, silently existing but never considered an important player. From coach Mourinho, Benitez, Ancelotti (2013-2015), he has always been out of their plans, almost only present in the club to complete the squad. He still gets to play but only appears in unimportant matches or fills in positions when teammates are injured.

Titles come to Real from season to season, however, no one mentions much about his contributions, compared to the contributions of Ramos or Marcelo, he is too small. Nacho quietly exists at Real, silently contributing but is only “the child on the sidelines of success”.