Real Deal Podcast: The New Guard - How Camavinga, Gavi, Jude Are Ushering In A Physical Era In Spanish Football

Long defined by small technicians like Xavi, Iniesta and Modric, Spanish football is seeing the emergence of a new generation of elite midfielders who bring a more physical presence. In this episode of the Real Deal, we analyze how the arrivals of Eduardo Camavinga at Real Madrid and Jude Bellingham’s emergence at Borussia Dortmund, along with Barca’s Gavi, signal a transition to a more athletic, box-to-box style of midfielder. Camavinga brings a rangy, powerful skillset from midfield, while Gavi plays with tenacity and aggressiveness belying his small stature. Bellingham adds goal threat and is an elite box-to-box presence. Their early success shows this blend of technical security, intelligence and athleticism is set to dominate for years to come, and change our view of ‘controlling’ dominant midfielders set by Kroos, Modric, Xavi and Iniesta in the past. Check out our episodes on Spotify on the Managing Madrid feed. Find us on X, Instagram, YouTube and Tik Tok @realdealpods Did you enjoy this podcast? Get a ton of bonus content exclusively on Patreon.com/ManagingMadrid. Join our Real Madrid Discord Channel: https://discord.gg/rTD2PmE26f Managing Madrid is a hub for all Madridistas with updated news, op-eds, tactical analyses, artwork, and of course, podcasts. It also serves as a means for Real Madrid fans to connect and discuss the team. We would like your support so that we can continue to produce podcasts for you. The site is run by a small team that works tirelessly around the clock to make it into what it is today. Your contributions will allow us to continue to have a real and full-time presence in keeping this website, and it’s podcasts, going. Hosts this week: Mehedi Hassan ( @MHassanFootball ) Siddharth Ramsundar ( @TacticalFouling ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices