Time in Spanish capital was “best months of my career”; Ancelotti urged the striker to leave on loan
Youngster Endrick is not bitter about the time he spent on the bench at Real Madrid this season. The Brazilian completed a loan move this January to Lyon in search of regular playing time, having made just three appearances for Madrid in the first half of the season.
“No, honestly, what I tell my loved ones is that these have been the best months of my career,” Endrick said. “Because I’ve had time to be with my wife, to build my house and my life.”
Endrick’s camp reached an agreement with Madrid in 2022 to sign him when he turned 18. He finally moved to the Spanish capital in 2024. He made 37 appearances in all competitions the following season under Carlo Ancelotti, mostly as a substitute, and even that was too slim of an opportunity, having totalled a meagre 847 minutes across the entire year.
But the sharp drop in chances this season under Xabi Alonso finally convinced the player and his representatives that a temporary move away would be best for his development, although Endrick says Ancelotti had some input.
“Yes, I spoke to Carlo about it,” said Endrick. “He gave me instructions on what I could do, what I needed to do to improve, and that really touched me.
“His advice was to leave [Real Madrid], to play, to develop my football, to go where I could play, where I could be happy. This decision is mine of course, but Carlo played a part, because he’s a great coach.”
On the delights of joining Lyon, Endrick said: “The fact that the technical staff is Portuguese is a very good thing, because I was already coached by a Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira, at Palmeiras. It’s good for me, because I know how they operate. It was a plus point.”
