Arda Güler, from bad to worse

Real Madrid returned to the Bernabéu and with it, Ancelotti gave a chance to Arda Güler. The young Turk, who had just endured an intense international break with back-to-back matches against Hungary, was given a starting role against Leganés.

The delayed return of Vinicius, Rodrygo, Endrick, and Valverde opened the door for him—but once again, it felt like a wasted opportunity. From national hero with Turkey to a player slowly becoming a peripheral figure in the Real Madrid squad. From scoring a sensational goal against Hungary and dominating headlines to hearing faint whistles from the Bernabéu stands…

Ironically, it was at Leganés, at the Estadio Butarque, where his downward trend at Madrid seemingly began. That night, he started in a Copa del Rey match against the Pepineros, playing 75 minutes before being replaced by Ceballos. Yet, it was as if he had never been there. Ancelotti deployed him on the right wing, and though he started with energy and involvement, he gradually faded as the game progressed. He looked uncomfortable. A similar story followed in his next start against Real Sociedad in the cup—another performance where he was little more than a bystander.

Now, nearly two months later, Arda’s performance against Leganés tells a conflicting story. His statistics are impressive: one penalty conceded (which opened the scoring for Mbappé), three duels won (100% success rate), five chances created (two key, three average), 61 touches with 93% passing accuracy (43 of 46 completed), two fouls won, and one interception. However, his overall presence on the pitch seemed disconnected from his teammates—at a critical point in the season when Real Madrid faces immense challenges: a Copa del Rey semifinal, a tight league race with Barcelona, and a Champions League quarterfinal clash against Arsenal.

Ancelotti still believes in him. But for a young, creative player to develop, two key factors are essential: continuity and confidence. Since that night at Butarque, Arda has missed eight major matches—four in La Liga (Atlético Madrid, Osasuna, Girona, and Rayo Vallecano) and all four Champions League encounters against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.

Before the Copa del Rey match against Real Sociedad, Ancelotti sent a subtle but pointed message to Arda and Endrick:“Anyone who has doubts can come to my office. I read that there’s a ‘Güler case,’ but that case does not exist here. This is a process, just as it was for Rodrygo, Vinicius, and Valverde. He needs time to adapt to the best squad in the world. Everyone understands it, and those who don’t must learn to.”

Later, he addressed Güler more directly:“Every day, I see him more or less happy, and that’s normal. I don’t want to see a player happy when he’s not playing. I see someone who works hard, learns, and wants to play. But I only spend a limited amount of time with him. He spends much more time with others—I don’t know if they share the same vision I have for him. This is a communication issue.”

After the match, Ancelotti was clear:“He played well, showed his qualities. He handles the ball beautifully, has great vision, and while he may not be as explosive as our other forwards, he is technically gifted and useful. I substituted him to bring on fresh legs and add more attacking intensity—nothing more.”

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Communication issue or not, Arda must show significant improvement if he wants to be a key part of the squad rotation in this decisive stretch of the season. The messages from the club are becoming increasingly clear…

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