A goal and an assist from Gareth Bale against Getafe got Julen Lopetegui’s side off to a perfect start in La Liga.
Fabio Coentrao has responded to reports that he has not returned to Real Madrid since last season by posting a photo of himself training at the club’s complex.
Spanish newspaper AS wrote the 30-year-old had not reported back to training after his loan spell and was training on his own with a personal trainer. The report says Coentrao had cost the club €55 million in total with the transfer fee, along with €25 million in wages.
Coentrao is not named in Real Madrid’s squad for the coming season and he did not travel with Real Madrid’s squad to the United Stated for preseason.
Madrid do not have a back-up for Marcelo at left-back after Theo Hernandez’s loan to to Real Sociedad, but it is still unclear as to whether Coentrao will wear a Real Madrid jersey again.
Training session ✅
Real Madrid ✅
Press ❌ pic.twitter.com/jrT6CAm0PY— Fabio Coentrao (@Fabio_Coentrao) August 22, 2018
Coentrao has one year left on his deal with the La Liga side, having joined the club in 2011 from Benfica. He initially signed a six-year contract for a fee of €30 million in 2011 and had his contract extended in 2014 for another five years under Jose Mourinho.
He has played 106 times across five seasons for Los Blancos with two loan spells during that time, last season at Sporting Lisbon — where he played 44 times and scored one goal — and at Monaco in 2016-17.
Coentrao battled through injuries last season but said upon his return after one setback that he “had to fight against everything and everyone” in an effort to get back on the pitch. He suffered 18 injuries during his time at Real Madrid and during the four seasons before he moved to France on loan, he was averaging just 30 minutes per game.
The Portuguese struggled with injuries during his last season with Real Madrid, too, with Zinedine Zidane regularly having to explain his absences. Coentrao spoke glowingly of his coach at the end of last season, saying, “one who speaks ill of Zidane doesn’t know what he speaks of because he is a spectacular guy, but things didn’t go well for me at Madrid.”
Two years ago, at the end of his last season with Real Madrid, Coentrao said he would be happy to stay at Real, but only if the feeling was mutual.
“It’s obvious that I am going through a complicated stage in my career,” he said. “I have a contract until 2019, if they count on me then perfect, but if not, I’ll go my own way.”
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