The Generation Z of Valdebebas withers: "You have to open the door. This is Madrid"

• The Generation Z Quarry of Valdebebas: university students, family members and away from parties and luxuries

“There is a

very good young players, although the squad is long.

I know the academy players of the reserve team very well... The first time I was here came from Castilla

... Thanks to that enthusiasm we were successful».

These were some of

's first words at the start of his second spell as manager of

.

He influenced the youngsters, both in the first team and in the reserve team, he insisted on his talent and on the examples of other youth squad players who had made the leap during the two seasons that he had coached the club.

It was a strong statement of intent.

Or so it seemed.

Nine months after

that first press conference and despite some green shoots during the season, the reality is that

's words have not been confirmed by facts.

That mix of "veterans and novices" that he was talking about is only sustained by

(21 years old), the only one under 23 who appears among the 10 players with the most minutes on the squad.

By contrast, five of them have 30 or more:

.

All surpassed by the trio of goalkeeping and defense leaders:

(29),

(24) and

(29).

Valverde, Camavinga and Rodrygo, the second step

The backbone remains the same as last season, changing

and in the second step of the squad only

(19) appear as youngsters who have had minutes on a more or less regular basis.

And far from everyone, forgotten in the back of the closet,

, who won the

and completed the French coach's lineups and calls last year.

They are

.

also made his debut with Zidane

, who is now on loan at Cádiz.

Miguel Gutiérrez, 20, has counted during

's injury , as in 20-21.

He has played

, but his starting role on the day of the defeat against the

at the Bernabéu condemned him, although he was not one of the main culprits and had completed three wins in the league and one assist against

.

He didn't come back.

Blanco, who had just played 218 minutes with Zidane, has played 36. Arribas and Marvin, who added 157 and 132 with the Frenchman,

.

"There is no hole"

The only homegrown players Ancelotti has given minutes to have been

(nine in Bilbao) and

(10 in the League).

Not one more.

What reasons are there?

"There is no gap", justify some voices in Valdebebas. The squad was already very large in the summer, as the Italian coach explained, and it continues to be now despite the departures of

, these last three especially young "It's very difficult to succeed.

,

," insists in the circles close to the quarry.

Despite everything, in the lower categories they demand attention for the

.

"Few youth teams in the world will have the quality of Madrid's three midfielders, for example," they say from the team's environment.

They talk about

(18 years old),

(19) and

himself , 19. All three were starters in the

.

"They have a lot of pressure and you have to have a privileged head to endure," they justify.

The future: departures and continuity

Aranda and Peter are regular starters at Raúl's Castilla, where 17-year-old striker

has now arrived and where Miguel, Arribas, Blanco and Marvin are team leaders after stepping foot in the Bernabéu a few months ago.

His surroundings admit that spending a year with a legend like the '7' is positive, but with the season in March they are already analyzing their next steps.

, something for which they also receive criticism, as in the youth Champions.

.

Next year many will move, but not before seeing what happens with the vacancies that will remain free in Ancelotti's squad.

end their contract and the future of

, who take their place in the calls, is in question.

Miguel, Blanco and Arribas will fight for a position, although perhaps a loan is the best thing for their careers, while the others will wait for the opportunity from the reserve team.

We'll see if it ends up reaching them.

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