Real Madrid outcast rejoins former club in permanent deal
Alvaro Odriozola has rejoined Real Sociedad from Real Madrid in a permanent deal. The Spanish full-back returns to the Basque club after a fruitless spell in the Spanish capital.
The right-back made 57 appearances for Sociedad, scoring one goal and providing nine assists before joining Los Blancos in 2018. However, he never dound his feat in Madrid and had loan spells at Bayern Munich and Fiorentina.
Odriozola made 49 appearances across competitions for Madrid, bagging three goals and 10 assists. His stint at Los Blancos has now come to an end as he returns to the club, from whose youth academy he came up from.
Odriozola, a Spain international, has represented La Roja four times. Whether the 27-year-old can get his career back on track at the Basque club remains to be seen. Odriozola has penned a deal with Sociedad till 2029.
Real Madrid set to be back at Santiago Bernabeu
The Santiago Bernabeu's renovation work is complete, and Real Madrid will play their next La Liga game in front of their home fans after a while. The prestigious stadium is symbolic of Los Blancos.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti reacted on his return to the arena. The Italian manager said he and the rest of the team are happy to be back in front of fans (via Los Blancos' website):
“We're really excited to be back at the Bernabeu. It looks quite different now. It's important to get back to our stadium in front of our fans after some good performances in the opening three games. We can't wait to return and pick up the three points."
He also spoke about Jude Bellingham playing in front of the Real Madrid faithful at home for the first time:
"The fans will be delighted to see Bellingham play live at our ground. He's got such a strong personality. He'll love playing at the Bernabéu."
Los Blancos have won all three La Liga games and sit atop the league table. A win against Getafe will be a great way to pause things before the international break.