Franco Mastantuono missed a significant part of the end of 2025 through pubalgia, and his recovery took much longer than initially expected.
He has, however, come back stronger and even regained his place in the team’s regular dynamics.
The managerial change, on that front, has not affected the Argentine protege much, for Alvaro Arbeloa trusts in him as much as Xabi Alonso did and he has repaid that trust with strong shows against Monaco and Villarreal.
Scoring at Santiago Bernabeu
The Real Madrid youngster spoke to DSports in a recent interview where he opened up on how it felt to score his first goal at the Santiago Bernabeu, which came in the team’s 6-1 win over AS Monaco.
“Pure adrenaline. It was the moment I was waiting for. It’s a difficult feeling to explain,” he said.
Speaking on how the team have seemingly turned around a tricky situation, the youngster said,
“It’s a good moment for the team and me. I think we’ve turned around a situation that had been complicated, and for my part, I’m happy.
“This year I’ve settled in better, I’m feeling better & better, it may be the best moment since I arrived,” he added on his adaptation.
He also praised Alvaro Arbeloa for his work at the helm and how the entire coaching team boosted his confidence.
“Alvaro and his entire coaching staff really gave me a lot of confidence. I think that’s the most important thing for a player.
“They have a lot of faith in me, they showed me that, and that’s nice for me. Maybe I’m playing a little more freely,” he added.
“I’m totally grateful to this coaching staff and to Xabi and his coaching staff, who also trusted me to be here,” he concluded.
He also praised the manager and looked forward to winning much more with the club this season.
“Alvaro is a great coach, he’s helping me a lot, and I think that’s how we’re going to achieve the goals we have in mind.”
On Valverde and Bellingham
Franco Mastantuono has nothing but praise for his Real Madrid teammates. (Photo by Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images)
The young winger then opened up on Jude Bellingham and how he shared a close bond with the Englishman.
“Jude Bellingham is an even better person than a player. He’s an incredible person & we’ve formed an incredible friendship.
“It’s great to share time with a player of his calibre, but above all due to the person he is. Every day is wonderful,” he added.
He also praised the club captain Federico Valverde for his leadership and guidance which are invaluable for a player his age.
“Fede Valverde is an incredible person. He helps me a lot, we always try to talk, we share a lot of things, it’s a pleasure to be with him.
“He’s been here at Real Madrid for many years. For both of us to come from South America and be here is a dream come true,” he added.
On Vinicius Jr.
Finally, Mastantuono was asked about Vinicius Jr. and the winger’s seemingly poor run of form until last week, to which he bluntly said,
“I’ve never seen Vini Jr. in a bad spell. He’s an incredible player. For me, in a year, he’s been the best player in the world.
“I think if he feels good, we’ll have much better chances of winning as he helps us young players & the team,” he added on how the team needs him to be at his best.
Speaking specifically about the player’s recent rough patch, the Argentine international said,
“Vini Jr.’s ‘bad moment’? I don’t like to call those situations bad moments.
“I think Vini is a player who has stood out for a long time and remained among the best players in the world, and obviously, like any other footballer, he has moments that are not as good as expected,” he added.
Explaining how the Brazilian had set high standards for himself that normal players are not held up against, Mastantuono cut Vinicius some slack.
“The bad thing about such a top player is that when he doesn’t perform at a 9/10 or 10/10, he gets criticised, he gets hit hard.”
“I don’t think he’s had a bad moment, he’s had games that weren’t so good, but they weren’t even bad in my opinion. I never saw him in a bad moment,” he concluded.
