How I missed playing for Real Madrid first team – Ex-int’l, Adepoju

By Emmanuel Okogba

Former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju has revealed how a shoulder injury prevented him from making his debut for Real Madrid’s first team in 1992.

Adepoju, who was then playing for Real Madrid’s reserve side, Castilla, disclosed that he was on the verge of being promoted to the senior team when Mexican striker Hugo Sánchez suffered an injury.

Speaking in a recent interview with sports journalist Charles Anazodo, the former midfielder explained: “I was in Real Madrid’s second team, Castilla, and in 1992, during the season, Hugo Sánchez was injured, and they wanted me to come into the team.”

At the time, Spanish football rules limited teams to only three foreign players on the pitch, with a maximum of four foreigners registered in the squad. Real Madrid already had their quota filled with Hugo Sánchez (Mexico), Gheorghe Hagi (Romania), Robert Prosinečki (Croatia), and Ricardo Rocha (Brazil).

Adepoju continued: “They could only have four foreigners signed in the team, and they already had four… When Hugo Sánchez had an injury, they wanted to bring me to substitute so that I could play until the end of the season. But unfortunately, in the league that I played for the second team, I went to have a shoulder injury. So that was how I couldn’t get into the team.”

After the season, a new coach arrived and Adepoju was not part of his plans. He eventually left the club.

Reflecting on the missed opportunity, the ex-international added: “Assuming it is now that everybody could play, right from all the times I was scoring goals in the second team, I would have been in the first team.”

Mutiu Adepoju, who earned 48 caps for Nigeria and played at two FIFA World Cups, is widely remembered for his powerful midfield performances for the Super Eagles, particularly during the 1994 and 1998 tournaments.

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