What did Kosovare Asllani say about her decision to leave Real Madrid?
The Sweden star has accused Real Madrid of creating a culture in which players are “products not people” and said she was pressured to play when injured.
Kosovare Asllani has explained the reasons behind her decision to leave Real Madrid, describing an “environment that has become unhealthy and dangerous for the players.” The Sweden forward, who is at a training camp with her national side ahead of the European Championship in England, is out of contract at Madrid on 30 June and last month confirmed she would be leaving the club after arriving at what was then CD Tacón as the first big-name signing of the fledgling Real Madrid women’s side.
“It’s difficult to go into details, but it’s largely to do with the fact that I think there’s a culture at that club, which unfortunately has been created, which I would call an unhealthy environment for players, which I’ve been in myself, where among other things I’ve almost been forced to play injured and not been helped in any way,” Asllani told Sportbladet.
Asllani: Real Madrid “in the wrong hands”
“I think I contributed a lot to the club from the start. Later during my time there I saw that they didn’t treat the players well. It’s important that I speak up because nobody else has done so and maybe in this way there can be changes. I tried to do that from the moment I arrived at the club.”
The Sweden international added that she was not the only player who had been affected by this culture and the treatment players received. “There was constant pressure to play while injured or ill. I care a lot about the club but, frankly and sincerely, I think it is in the wrong hands. A lot of people choose to completely ignore the medical team because they see the players as products and not people.”
As a free agent, Asllani is not short of offers and will hope to help Sweden, for who she is sixth on the all-time scoring list, go further than their quarter-final showing at the 2017 tournament in the Netherlands. “There are a lot of options, from various different countries,” she said. “I’ve found something where I feel good.”