Sofia Jakobsson was one of the pillars of Real Madrid Femenino since their inception. But she left for Bayern Munich Women at the end of the 2020-21 season. Her Swedish counterpart, Kosovare Asllani, who is the club’s first Galáctica, is also about to leave the club at the end of this season.
Marta Cardona, who formed a deadly front three with the aforementioned Swedish duo in the 2020-21 and played the protagonist in Real Madrid Femenino finishing second in the Primera Iberdrola table, looks likely to be leaving the club at the end of the season.
The Spanish winger seems to be headed to Atlético Madrid Femenino. The player and the club seem to have reached an impasse regarding the former’s contract extension, with money being the issue, it appears.
Cardona demanding higher wages is justified in my opinion. She was one of the best players in the 2020-21 season, helping Las Blancas qualify for the UWCL by finishing 2nd in the league. Injuries haven’t helped her case in the 2021-22 season, managing just seven league appearances. She is an extremely important player and can be amongst the most terrifying footballers in the world on her day.
Let’s see what happens in the coming days. Journalist Raul Morote Gil said that Cardona and Atlético Madrid Femenino are in advanced talks.
Efectivamente, la info es buena. Marta tiene contactos MUY AVANZADOS con el Atlético de Madrid. 🙈
— Raúl Morote Gil (@RauulMorote) May 16, 2022
El Real Madrid no tiene nada clara la renovación tras los últimos precedentes.
Real Madrid must do everything to keep Marta Cardona
Having spent two seasons at the club, Cardona knows everything about how the team plays, what the expectations are from the team, from the player herself, and already has one brilliant season under her belt.
She scored 14 goals in 33 appearances last season, which are staggering numbers for a winger. Keep in mind that she had scored just 4 league goals in her previous 72 appearances combined, across the 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 seasons.
Cardona will turn 27 on 26th May, meaning that she has still got a lot to offer to Real Madrid Femenino. She can be one of the pillars of the attack – and the squad – for years to come, and she has time and again shown that sort of mentality. Just imagine Cardona and Athenea del Castillo leaving defenders in their wake week in, week out.
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Although the situation doesn’t look too good from a Real Madrid Femenino perspective, the club must do everything in their power to renew Cardona’s contract. The club cannot afford to lose such a world-class player over monetary issues. All we can do, meanwhile, is keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.