Why Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono is right where he wants to be
· Yahoo Sports
Several factors have emerged in the aftermath of Fabio Grosso’s early-season sacking, but one thing is clear: it wasn’t working. Grosso was torn on his defensive structure. Mateo Pellegrino spoke about a clear disconnect among players on the pitch, and without structure, there were only fleeting individual bursts of brilliance.
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Could those fleeting moments have translated into long-term success over time? Perhaps. But time is not a currency afforded liberally, and his explosive meeting with Fabio Paratici ultimately sealed his fate.
Among the players who emobodied Fiorentina’s terrible start to the season under Grosso, few showcased it better than Real Madrid loanee Franco Mastantuono, who featured in every game under him but conjured little.
Until Saturday. Until La Viola went to Venice with Paolo Vanoli back at the helm. And a few tweaks later, in his very game in charge he had Mastantuono break Leo Messi’s record to become the youngest Argentine to score a hat-trick in Europe’s top-five leagues.
So what changed? Mastantuono started exactly where he did under Grosso: on the right wing. But while his role under the former Sassuolo man was a lot more instructional, Vanoli liberated him, allowing him to occupy central areas in the final phase of attacking play with Álex Jiménez holding the width, and the teenager could hardly have made a better argument for things to remain this way going forward.
Mastantuono made 35 appearances last season in his debut Real Madrid season and managed just three goals and an assist. One can understand that, even for club like Real Madrid that prides itself on its legacy of Galácticos, it is imperative to not just sign players in their prime but also up-and-coming prospects, but as seen in cases of Mastantuono, Endrick, and countless players who arrive at the Bernabéu as early as them, it is not easy to deliver the goods regardless of the opportunities they receive, and moving to a different, comparatively less ambitious side, even temporarily, can work wonders and liberate them.
“Liberation” is the operative word. That’s what Mastantuono needed in this season-long loan. That’s what he got against Venezia. That Vanoli understood this right away was a stark reminder of how he managed to keep Fiorentina comfortably up last season despite Serie B feeling a matter of formality at one point. It also showcased why he deserves a fair, full-time shot at the job at the Artemio Franchi. And in him, Mastantuono finally has a coach who could help him have his first statement campaign in European football.
Anshuman Joshi | GIFN