Isco speaks about his commitment to Real Madrid: I had to leave. How does he enjoy playing for Betis?

Isco was one of football’s greatest talents years ago. But when he came to Real Madrid, something went wrong. Even after he left for Sevilla, things didn’t look good. Now, however, he is playing for Real Betis and is shining again. Now he has spoken about his past and present.

He could have been one of the best footballers of his generation. He gave an incredible performance for Malaga. When he was brought in by Real Madrid in 2013, he was expected to be one of the driving forces. But he never quite fulfilled his potential at the Spanish big club.

What about the genius he showed. But not as often as expected. In recent seasons, he hasn’t even played much. Isco spent 9 long years at the Santiago Bernabeu. He may have left a trail behind him, but it could have been bigger.

Although he is now and then referred to as a faded star or a wasted talent, 53 goals and 57 assists in 353 competitive games for Real Madrid is certainly not a bad record. He also won a lot with the team and played with some of the world’s biggest stars.

But he was leaving as a dropout in 2022. He was taken by Sevilla, but the whole thing didn’t sit well and after four months his contract was terminated. The media speculated if Isco would end his career, but that didn’t happen.

He was lassoed by Real Betis in the summer of 2023 and it seems nothing better could have happened to the now 31-year-old midfielder. He is a key player for his team, putting in great performances.

Isco speaks not only about his time at Real Madrid

“I felt I had to leave Real Madrid, but leaving the best club in the world is not easy. In the last years of this engagement I was more apathetic because of what was happening. I will talk about all the circumstances,” Marca quotes the Spanish footballer as saying.

Isco claims that he was happy at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first five or six, only that after that everything was far from perfect.

He admits that he didn’t want to play at all because of what was happening with the coaches. “I lacked mental preparedness. There were times when I broke down instead of pushing a little harder. Plus, the coaches let me know that no matter what, I wasn’t going to play enough.”

Besides, he complained about the media. Various clickbait or tabloids bothered him a lot. Despite that, he said he didn’t doubt himself. Not about his qualities. But at the end of the engagement, he felt he had to leave, but there was one obstacle.

It’s much harder to make the right decision than to leave. But now he is a Real Betis player, where he thoroughly enjoys playing.

“Coming here was very quick. Everything blew up in basically one afternoon. I had more financially interesting offers from abroad, but I wanted to play, I wanted to compete. Money never determined my direction,” says Isco.

What he likes about Betis is that it is a talented and, above all, ambitious team. Plus, it is led by Manuel Pellegrini, under whose wing he has thrived in his career in the past. Now, moreover, he dreams of playing in the European Championships.

“I’ve been to the World Cup, but I’m 31 years old and I’ve never played at the Euros. I would like to change that. If I deserve it, maybe I will get there. I’ve matured, I’ve worked on myself mentally and physically. It all adds up. I’ve had some bad times, but my wife, my family and my therapist have helped me. Now I have more desire than ever,” expressed the Spanish footballer.

How far will he go in his career?

Source: Marca, Transfermarkt