Former Real Madrid winger Denis Cheryshev has looked back on his time at the Santiago Bernabeu and shared some revealing stories about his career decisions, including conversations with Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane that shaped his future.
Cheryshev was once considered one of the most promising talents to come out of Real Madrid’s academy.
However, his journey into the first team did not go as perfectly as expected, and he eventually moved on in search of regular playing time.
Reflecting on one of the moments in his career, the Russian winger explained how his role at the club changed when Carlo Ancelotti arrived.
He was asked to play in an unfamiliar position, something he never felt comfortable with.
“When Ancelotti arrived, I received a good offer from Germany. But Marcelo was returning after the Copa America and Coentrao had some kind of injury.
“So they started playing me at left back. Honestly, I never liked playing there; both on the field and mentally, I was always an offensive player and didn’t want to be put in defense,” he began.
A regular in the pre-season
Despite his discomfort in the role, Cheryshev impressed during pre-season and was rewarded with a first-team contract.
However, another big decision soon followed, one that would define his career path.
“I started playing in all the preseason games, and I was doing really well. In the end, they gave me a four-year contract as a first-team player. For me, it was amazing.
Denis Cheryshev left Real Madrid permanently in 2016. (Photo by Zhong Zhi/Getty Images)
“At that point, they offered me a loan move to Sevilla. And then I spoke to Ancelotti. He said to me, ‘I want you to stay and be our second choice at left back.’ Apparently, they wanted to sell Coentrao.”
Cheryshev, however, wanted to play in his natural attacking role and felt that a move away would give him that opportunity. Ancelotti’s honest response made the situation clear.
“I told him I wanted to play in another position and that there was an option at Sevilla. He said to me: ‘Look, I’ve got Bale, Ozil, Di Maria, Cristiano, and Isco has arrived… Where do you want me to play you, Denis?’
“In the end, I went to Sevilla, but it didn’t work out because of injuries. After Sevilla, I went on loan to Villarreal, where I had a very good season.
“Then I came back, but I didn’t play much under Rafa Benitez, even though he was putting me in my position. Then Zidane arrived. I didn’t know what to do: stay or leave.
“There was pressure from Russia because Euro 2016 was coming up. Slutsky called me and said, ‘If you don’t play, I won’t call you up’.
“It made sense. Zidane sat down with me and said, ‘I can’t give you much playing time, but I give you my word that you’ll play. I need you to stay’. But I left. Can you imagine? What an idiot!” he said.
Now playing for Panionios Athens, Cheryshev admits that, with the benefit of experience, he would have made different choices during that period.
“I would have made a different decision now, knowing how everything turned out.
“I don’t know if it’s regret, because I had new experiences, but with my current state of mind, I would have made different decisions,” he added.
Source: AS
