Martin Odegaard had a turbulent time as a Real Madrid player. Many hailed him as the next great thing in international football and the finest thing to happen to Real Madrid in a long time, but things did not work out between Los Blancos and the player.
In truth, things were never good for the player at the club. He battled with minutes under several managements and eventually had to depart to ensure a future.
However, one thing is undiscounted. Looking back, it seems reasonable to conclude that the Norwegian made the right decision by choosing to leave Real Madrid and establish himself elsewhere.
But what exactly went wrong between Martin Odegaard and Real Madrid?
Real Madrid will meet a familiar foe in less than 24 hours in the Champions League quarter-finals against Arsenal, where they will see past player Odegaard. However, before to the game, during the press conference, manager Carlo Ancelotti was asked about what happened between Odegaard and Real Madrid and why he was unable to flourish at Los Blancos.
The Italian manager said thus, "He arrived very young... and the talent he has now is the same as when he was 16. Nothing has changed in that regard. He's simply had the character and courage to leave, gain experience, and come back as one of the best in Europe."
Further, he was asked as to why exactly he did not have a future with the Merengues. He said, "Because when he arrived, he was very young and didn't have any space in the first team. There were players like Ronaldo, Benzema... there were no more spots to showcase his quality, so he decided to leave in search of playing time. And it was a good decision, I think. Because he's joined one of the best teams in Europe."
The aforementioned submission makes perfect sense, both from the standpoint of Real Madrid and Odegaard. The player simply did not find the minutes he required to improve, and it became evident at a point that his style of play and position had no place in the Madrid setup, which was just fine.
It is quite an accomplishment that a young player who demonstrated his abilities on the international level is now playing and flourishing for a major European team. Football, one must realize, is far more of a game of chance and luck than one might imagine. Sometimes futures are intended to be someplace else, and it was fortunate that Odegaard recognized this early on and chose what was best for both parties involved.