One of them had fallen out of favour: Perez rewards Real Madrid quartet after downing Barcelona!
Real Madrid's 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Camp Nou handed president Florentino Perez plenty of reasons for optimism. The team shrugged off the doubts surrounding Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho's project and blew the Spanish title race wide open again.
According to Spanish website "Defensa Central", Perez made a point of congratulating the players and coaching staff after the win. He stayed away from the match in Barcelona because of the tense relations between the two clubs, sending a representative to watch the encounter in his place, but he passed on his appreciation for the performance and singled out several players for praise.
Mourinho emerged as the biggest winner from the Clasico result. Criticism and questions over his ability to lift Real Madrid's performance had piled up after the derby defeat.
Some went so far as to argue that changing the coach had failed to fix the team's technical problems. Alternative names even started doing the rounds, Didier Deschamps among them.
Victory on Barcelona's own turf changed all that. It gave the Portuguese a huge boost and proved his side can deliver in the big matches, turning the win into a crucial vindication of Perez's gamble on Mourinho, who led his players to a result that restored confidence inside the club.
Mbappe and Bellingham
Perez's gains stretched well beyond the coach. Several signings and selections that had sparked doubts in recent months came good, chief among them Kylian Mbappe. He and Bellingham both played a big part in the victory and underlined their standing as cornerstones of the project.
Turkey's Arda Guler caught the eye too, a player the club is banking on to become one of their main playmakers in the years ahead. Alongside him, Eduardo Camavinga repaid the management's trust after the criticism thrown at him in earlier stages. Both men produced striking displays against Barcelona and hardened Perez's belief in leaning on them.
The Clasico laid bare a squad capable of making the difference in big games, whether by scoring, creating chances, or dictating the tempo.
Perez awaits the titles
Optimism aside, Florentino Perez knows beating Barcelona wins nothing on its own. The project's success will hinge on whether the team can sustain this level across the whole season.
Perez wants Mourinho and his players to ride this morale boost and keep chasing silverware. For him, the results at the end of the campaign will be the real measure of his gambles, not a single Clasico win.
