Carvajal: “Marcelo didn’t know about my pact with Isco over the armband”

Isco has been in the headlines since Santiago Solari took over as first team coach, and in most cases it has been for all the wrong reasons. Being dropped for apparent attitude problems, exchanging verbals with the Bernabeu faithful, and most recently shunning the captains armband agaisnt CSKA Moscow. During the midweek Champions League match, Marcelo was substituted and subsequently went to deliver the captains armband to Isco. Instead of wearing the armband, Isco passed it on to the susbitutue, Dani Carvajal.

After the match, Marcelo was asked about the incident by reporters: “I don’t know why Isco turned down the armband,” says Marcelo “ I tried to give the armband to Isco, but he told me that I had to give it to Carvajal. I’m not sure what the reason was behind that” he concluded.

Dani Carvajal later came out and clarified what had happened, stating his desire to wear the armband for the club and his “pact” with Isco, “I have had a lot of desire to wear the captains armband. I want to say thank you to Isco for leaving me with the captains band, like I had asked” he told Jugones. Having worked his way through the ranks at Real Madrid, it had always been a desire of Carvajal’s to wear the captains armband. He obviously knew he would be coming in for Marcelo at some point and likely asked Isco to allow him to wear the armband.

“Marcelo didn’t know about our pact. It’s an anecdote and nothing more. Nobody doubts Isco and even less his teammates. We are a team and nobody doubts him”. This is not the first time this season Carvajal has raced to Isco’s defense. The momentum of the moment is not in Isco’s favor, but he has the talent and the experience to work his way out of this rut.