Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Between July 17 and July 24, Real Madrid played three friendlies in the United States.

They crushed LA Galaxy 4–0, demolished Guadalajara 5–0 with relentless attacks, and ground out a solid 2–0 win against Philadelphia Union through controlled counterattacks.

Mourinho used the tour to rehearse both high-press wide attacks and fast-break counters.

Key players on both offense and defense performed well throughout.

More importantly, Mourinho proved that even without their recently transferred attacking midfielder, Madrid could maintain their firepower.

Finally, the backlash from Real Madrid fans began to quiet down.

And once again, Leon’s preseason showing earned widespread praise from Real Madrid–friendly media.

Initially, many veteran reporters had worried that after spending a season in Milan with more freedom to push forward, Leon might forget his primary job—sweeping and shielding the back line.

But Leon quickly eased their concerns with his disciplined positioning and relentless work rate in defense.

He didn’t need Mourinho to spell it out for him—Leon knew exactly what his role was now that he’d returned to Madrid.

Milan had needed midfielders to contribute in attack, which is why Allegri had designed plays involving deep midfield runs into the box.

But Madrid? Madrid never lacked firepower.

For the last two seasons, they’d outscored even Barcelona in goals per match. The issue had been conceding too many goals, which had cost them crucial points.

Otherwise, they might have already ended Barça’s La Liga dominance.

So Leon was clear-minded from the moment he stepped foot back in Madrid: forget what the media says about his ”offensive potential.”

He knew exactly why Mourinho trusted him: his defense.

That clarity, combined with his reliable play, made Mourinho very happy.

Three friendlies. Three starts. That was Mourinho’s message—not only to Leon but to the entire world.

No matter how the midfield was rotated this season, he and Xabi Alonso were the nailed-on starters.

Lass Diarra, Nuri Şahin, Hamit Altıntop, and Esteban Granero would all have to fight over the scraps.

At least, that was the plan—until everything changed.

Because barely two days after returning to Spain, unlucky Khedira got injured in training. Again.

And not from a collision with a teammate—he pulled a groin muscle while shooting after a forward run.

Leon had no idea how to describe Khedira’s glass body anymore.

The guy looked tough on the outside, but he broke down at the slightest stress.

Leon had once seen stats showing that Khedira’s highest league start total at Stuttgart was only 24 games. He hadn’t believed it then.

Now? He believed it 100%.

Mourinho, for his part, was on the verge of losing it.

A key midfield starter injured before the season even began?

And who could he turn to?

Şahin overlapped too much with Alonso. Altıntop lacked quality. Granero had lost his spark.

Then Mourinho glanced out his office window and saw two players still grinding on the training pitch.

His eyes narrowed.

July 27. In a friendly against newly promoted Bundesliga side Hertha Berlin, Mourinho tested out a midfield of Alonso, Leon, and Granero.

Granero lasted only one half before being yanked for Altıntop.

Thirty minutes later, unsatisfied, Mourinho brought on Şahin in place of Altıntop.

Even though Real Madrid won 3–0, Mourinho was still not happy.

July 29. After another training session, he called out to Leon, who was just about to stay late for extra passing drills.

”You’ve been spending a lot of time with Kaká lately?”

Leon froze, caught off guard by the question.

”Uh… maybe because I was in Milan last season? I think he finds it easy to talk to me. Plus, he’s been staying late too, so we’ve just been working on short passes together, getting used to each other’s playstyle.”

Mourinho didn’t interrupt. He simply gestured for Leon to follow him into his office.

”Forget that. What do you think of Kaká’s current form?”

Leon took a moment to think, then gave an honest answer.

”He’s declined quite a bit compared to three or four years ago. After the surgery last year, he lost a lot of his explosiveness. He’s not really a threat as a dribbler anymore. As a scorer… well, we have better options.”

One by one, Leon laid out Kaká’s flaws—and with every point, Mourinho’s frown deepened.

Just as he was about to send Leon away, Leon added:

”But... if we don’t make him track back too much, and we shift his position slightly inward, toward the half-space, I think his diagonal through balls and long-range shots are still really effective.”

Mourinho’s interest perked up for a second—but then he scowled.

Of course limiting Kaká’s defensive duties would help him. And of course shifting him slightly inward would reduce overlap with Ronaldo’s cutting runs.

But that’s not how Mourinho’s system works. Every midfielder had to track back. And Kaká didn’t like playing on the wing.

So Mourinho muttered, ”Useless.”

Leon didn’t take offense. He just laughed.

”Boss, I know you’re struggling to figure out the new midfield lineup.”

”Kaká’s not built for hard pressing anymore, and too much defending risks injury. But what if—I’m the one covering for him? I handle the defensive duties and midfield pressing, and he stays in the attacking third, looking for passes or chances to shoot.”

”How do you think the opposition would react to a free-roaming, low-pressure Ballon d’Or–winner lurking around the final third?”

Mourinho’s mind started churning.

But something felt off. He narrowed his eyes at Leon.

”You’re not just trying to push forward and ignore the defensive zone, are you? You want to cover for Kaká up front and leave Xabi to deal with everything behind you?”

”Hey, now, boss—don’t slander me like that! If I can cover for Kaká, I can cover for my mentor too. You think I can’t wipe down two players’ butts at once?”

Leon’s cheeky phrasing made Mourinho gag a little. He swatted Leon’s head.

”Can you really do both? Handle the defensive work up front and still help Xabi maintain the backline?”

”I think so. If Ángel [Di María] helps out with recovery runs, I can track back if we get broken. We can still form a solid line in front of the center backs.”

Leon’s confident reply had Mourinho thinking seriously.

He didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he sent Leon back to training, then sat down and started fiddling with the tactical board.

July 30. Before their friendly against Leicester City, Real Madrid had their final training session.

Kaká, who had barely played during the U.S. tour—only coming on in the second half, and not even appearing against Hertha—was suddenly handed a starting bib during the main drills.

Leon didn’t know what Mourinho had told him.

But after a short chat on the sideline, Kaká walked away clutching his bib, visibly emotional.

”Boss still knows what he’s doing,” Cristiano said proudly beside Leon. ”I told you he’d give Kaká another shot!”

Leon said nothing. He hadn’t told anyone about the conversation he’d had with Mourinho the day before.

To teammates like Cristiano, it looked like Kaká had earned this chance through his own hard work.

But Leon knew better—this was a test.

If Kaká passed, he’d get a role in the new system.

If he failed... well, that would be that.

Kaká himself wasn’t thinking that far ahead. All he knew was that Mourinho was giving him one more chance. That was all he needed.

He didn’t love the idea of playing in the right-sided half-space—it wasn’t his comfort zone. But this was his last shot.

He had to make it count.

As training moved into intrasquad scrimmages, Mourinho unveiled a new formation.

The team had shifted from their usual 4-2-3-1 into something... strange.

Leon was pushed higher as a central midfielder. Di María dropped from the wing into a left-sided midfield role. Kaká, meanwhile, took up the right half-space.

Was it a 4-4-2? Not quite.

Di María wasn’t wide enough to be a traditional winger. Kaká wasn’t hugging the touchline either.

Was it a 4-3-3? Still no.

Kaká wasn’t high enough to be a forward.

Cristiano and Higuaín looked confused. Di María looked confused.

And Leon?

He shrank his neck and whispered to himself, ”Crap. I said Ángel could help me defend a bit—not turn him into a full-time midfielder. Boss really went all in.”

Grumbling inwardly, Leon glanced at the positioning of the current first-team setup and couldn’t shake the feeling that it looked… familiar.

But before he had time to think more deeply about it, the scrimmage kicked off. Leon had no choice but to focus on the game and judge the results as they came.

Right from the start, Di María seemed uncomfortable in his new role.

Playing as a central left midfielder—not just as a central attacker—required him to drop deeper, and that led to positional lapses on defense when he wasn’t paying full attention.

Kaká wasn’t doing much better in his newly adjusted spot.

He didn’t have to hug the sideline anymore, true—but he still clearly preferred operating in central areas. He just looked... awkward.

Both Di María and Kaká felt out of place.

In contrast, Leon and Xabi Alonso looked as composed as ever.

Seeing that Kaká was struggling to get into rhythm, Leon shouted out a reminder.

”Just track back a little, don’t drop too deep! Press into their defensive third, look to feed Cristiano and Gonzalo!”

As he shouted, Leon motioned behind Kaká, signaling that he was covering the defensive duties. No need to panic.

The encouragement worked.

Kaká quickly realized Mourinho’s intent: don’t burn yourself defending—just focus on finding passing lanes.

After a moment of thought, Kaká got it.

If all he had to do was conserve stamina for forward play—especially short passing and shooting—he could still be effective.

Sure, it meant Leon had to shoulder more of the defensive burden…

But seeing the look of determined reassurance on Leon’s face, Kaká made his decision.

He would give this new system a real shot. Even if it felt unfamiliar now, it was still his best chance.

As soon as he mentally flipped the switch, Kaká came alive in his new zone.

Cristiano and Higuaín had always been excellent runners. Ronaldo, especially, exploded into space with frightening pace during transition.

To exploit those runs, you needed fast decision-making and inch-perfect through balls.

That was Kaká’s new job.

He reset his mindset, carefully watching both forwards’ runs and syncing his thought process to theirs.

Then—he acted.

After a front-foot tackle by Leon to regain possession, he slipped the ball forward to Kaká.

With a quick turn, Kaká lifted his head and—without hesitation—launched a diagonal lofted through ball.

At that moment, Higuaín was still trying to shake off Albiol, while Ronaldo had already surged past Marcelo on the left.

The pass from Kaká was perfectly timed.

It arced over the defense, met Ronaldo in stride, and all but begged for a shot.

Cristiano took it first-time—and missed, just inches wide of the far post. Adán, the backup keeper, was left frozen, watching the ball sail by.

”Beautiful!” Leon shouted, clapping with genuine admiration.

On the sideline, Mourinho’s eyes gleamed.

Kaká no longer had the devastating acceleration of his prime. But his vision and passing? Still elite.

That through ball had been fast, accurate, and dangerous.

Even if Kaká’s long-range shooting wasn’t quite what it used to be, his ability to pick passes like that made him viable.

Mourinho scribbled in his notebook, lips curled into a satisfied smile.

On the pitch, Kaká’s confidence soared. He turned to Leon and gave a thumbs-up.

He knew exactly where that opportunity had come from—and what it meant.

Khedira had mentioned it once: playing alongside Leon in the attack felt comfortable.

Meanwhile, Di María, though still adjusting, was finding his feet.

With Xabi anchoring and Leon sweeping, he could afford to push forward more boldly.

His natural left-footed drives created immediate danger.

And with his added support, Ronaldo’s performance soared. He got better with every touch—his inner rhythm syncing with the team’s new balance.

One particular cross from Di María, a driven inswinger behind the defense, almost resulted in a goal.

Leon watched from midfield and licked his lips.

He wanted in.

He wanted to sprint forward, challenge for a header, feel the rush of attacking play.

But with Mourinho standing right there on the sidelines?

Yeah, no thanks. Better to play it safe.

So he stayed back and kept sweeping.

At that moment, he wasn’t just covering for Kaká and Di María. He was covering for everyone.

It wasn’t sustainable long-term, but for 10–20 minutes?

He could do it.

He had the stamina.

He had the drive.

And when Altıntop and Şahin—watching from the sidelines—saw Leon flying around the pitch like a man possessed, they flinched.

This was the guy they were supposed to compete with for playing time?

No way.

They couldn’t even imagine lasting 20 minutes at this pace, let alone a full match.

Forget ”competition”—they’d be done before halftime.

The first-team side completely controlled the scrimmage tempo.

And before Leon’s stamina finally started to dip, Kaká sent in another perfect pass.

This time, Ronaldo didn’t miss.

A quick settle, a half-turn, and a laser into the bottom corner.

Goal.

Mourinho closed his notebook with a decisive snap.

He was pleased.

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