Real Madrid Overhauls Medical and Fitness Staff After Injury-Plagued Season

Real Madrid announced a comprehensive reshuffle of its medical department following a season in which only three of the 25 first-team players—Fran Garcia, Brahim Diaz and Vinícius Júnior—avoided injury. The changes come as the club prepares for José Mourinho’s return as head coach, with new assessments slated for players on Monday.

New York Times

The club’s injury problems intensified after a misdiagnosed knee issue for Kylian Mbappé, where staff scanned the wrong leg. Although Mbappé later denied the misdiagnosis, the episode highlighted systemic flaws. Throughout the second half of the campaign, several players—including Antonio Rüdiger, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Jude Bellingham and Mbappé—sought specialist consultations abroad with medical chief Niko Mihic.

New York Times

Felipe Segura, who headed the medical department until his demotion in January, is departing. Manolo Arroyo also resigned. Niko Mihic, who replaced Segura in January, leads the current restructuring and is expected to recruit Alexandre Créuze, the head of Monaco’s medical department. In the fitness area, Antonio Dias, a longtime associate of Mourinho from Benfica, is slated to join, while veteran fitness coach Antonio Pintus is likely to remain in a prominent role.

New York Times

“We didn’t do things the way we wanted this year,” club president Florentino Pérez told La Sexta in May. “I think it all started with the Club World Cup. We didn’t have a proper pre-season and that led to 28 injuries when we changed coaches, and now we’ve had another 28.”

New York Times

The dual overhaul of medical and fitness staff aims to reduce the injury load that plagued the previous two seasons. By aligning the medical team with Mourinho’s coaching staff and bringing in external expertise, Real Madrid hopes to achieve a more consistent player availability as the new campaign begins.

New York Times