It’s not often you see a tennis player, let alone a world-class tennis player, get involved in the decision making of a football club. That is what makes this story that so, so interesting. In 2015, 14-time Grand Slam winner, Rafael Nadal, told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sign Marco Asensio from Real Mallorca. Ben Sundock takes a closer look at how Nadal made the Asensio transfer happen.
This story is great on so many levels I can barely believe it’s true. First, Rafael Nadal is one of my favorite tennis players (second behind Roger Federer), second, because Marco Asensio is already panning out to be such a talent, and third, because this is so rare that a celebrity has direct involvement in club proceedings. Especially at Real Madrid.
It’s also amazing that these details remained on the down-low for just over two years. The 21-year-old midfielder, Asensio sat down with Real Madrid TV on Friday and told them that Nadal made the move happen.
When asked if the rumors of the Spanish great’s involvement in the transfer was true, Marco confirmed it saying, “That story is true,” Asensio said. “He called Florentino and told him to snap me up.”
"“In the winter my agent came and told me that Real Madrid were interested in me. There were calls from several clubs, it was hectic. But Florentino phoned before a game to tell me I was going to be a Real Madrid player. It all happened in one day: we went to Madrid, I signed, visited the Bernabéu and Valdebebas and then we went back to Mallorca to finish off the season. It was all so quick and intense, but I felt an incredible joy”."
Nadal is a devoted Madrista, attending Real games when he has some time off from the ATP Tour, and he was even given an award in 2010 making him an honorary member of the club.
Little did we know, Nadal is not only a great tennis player but a fantastic football scout.
It also seems that destiny played a bit of a role in bringing Asensio to Madrid, as he happened to meet the great Florentino Perez as a kid when the Real Madrid president was on vacation in Mallorca.
"“I was out and about one day with the family and we went for a walk by the port and there was Florentino Pérez’s boat. My mom recognized him and called him over so we could take a photo and she told him that I was going to be a Real Madrid player one day. One of life’s coincidences, that’s what happened and he still remembers that beautiful anecdote as well”."
Next: Is Vinicius Junior Worth The $48.5 Million Real Madrid Paid?
Life works in mysterious ways and Asensio, who just recently turned 21, played a significant role in Los Blancos’ success this season in La Liga, and in the Champions League contributing two stunning performances against Bayern Munich.
Perez and Real Madrid fans everywhere owe Rafa Nadal the deepest of gratitude and, maybe one day the tennis legend will step into Perez’s shoes and be the president of the club.