Starting as a Defensive Midfielder at Real Madrid

Real Madrid’s 2–0 win over Levante in Matchday 4 of La Liga was smooth and clinical.

Levante had defended admirably and remained gritty throughout the match, but the early goal had been too big a blow. It deflated them.

After seeing that Levante weren’t pushovers, Mourinho had no qualms about switching to counter-attacking football 30 minutes into the first half.

And Real Madrid lowering their stance? That was not something a team like Levante could capitalize on.

Higuaín’s well-timed strike in the 65th minute of the second half sealed the game with minimal fuss.

And Leon, with one assist and the most efficient defensive numbers of the match, was named Man of the Match.

Neither Callejón nor Higuaín, both of whom scored, had any complaints.

They were convinced.

Leon’s numbers told the story: 9 successful tackles, 5 key interceptions, and 2 clearances.

He had single-handedly shut down Levante’s second-half counterattacks in midfield.

His total distance covered? 14.2 kilometers—tops in the match.

Even Levante’s home fans had to marvel.

”He ran a wall across Madrid’s half.

Without him, we might’ve gotten something out of this match.

But with him? Nothing.

Mourinho and Madrid are lucky to have their ’new Makélélé.’ Maybe they’re about to do something historic this season.”

That was Levante head coach Ignacio Martínez, shaking his head at the post-match press conference.

Mourinho, meanwhile, was all smiles as he praised Levante’s fight and commitment.

Sure, Barcelona had just smashed Osasuna 8–0 in their game, looking like world beaters.

But Real Madrid, now with a perfect 3-for-3 start to the season, were the team all the media wanted to talk about.

They had depth. Their starters were firing. Their rotation players stepped up.

And Leon’s iron-man displays had helped Madrid fans forget all about a certain former attacking midfielder.

Any seasoned fan knows how rare it is to have a holding midfielder who never stops running and always brings consistency.

An attacking midfielder can raise your ceiling.

But without two proper midfield anchors, thinking about trophies while competing on multiple fronts?

That’s a dream.

Real Madrid had four such players.

Alonso was flawless.

Lass Diarra? A solid contributor.

Leon? Count him as 1.5—he ran so much it was like having two people.

And then there was poor Khedira, still recovering. Let’s call him the other 0.5.

Returning to Madrid with three straight wins in hand, the team received glowing praise from fans and media alike.

But Leon?

He couldn’t dodge the contract situation anymore.

Zidane and Karanka, acting as club representatives, had formally invited him for a meeting. He couldn’t say no.

After confirming the appointment, Leon called Mendes.

That night, they spoke for over an hour.

The next afternoon at 5:00 PM, for once skipping his post-training extra drills, Leon met with Real Madrid CEO José Ángel Sánchez.

After the usual round of polite greetings and meaningless flattery, Mendes and his team arrived.

The second round of renewal negotiations had officially begun.

This time, Leon would be personally involved.

Naturally, the core disagreement remained: image rights.

Madrid’s policy was clear.

Everyone in the first team was treated equally.

And that meant the club must own a significant share of each player’s image rights.

This was non-negotiable. It was a foundational pillar of Madrid’s global branding strategy.

Leon’s position, however, had never changed.

Mendes’ team held firm.

From 5:30 to 7:00 PM, the two sides talked.

No breakthrough.

Then, unexpectedly, Leon spoke up.

Previously silent for most of the session, he now exuded confidence and clarity.

Looking directly at Sánchez, he asked:

”Mr. CEO, if I want to sign this extension, does that mean I have to give up more of my image rights?”

Sánchez still wore his trademark warm smile, but his tone was firm.

”Yes. That’s the club’s strategic bottom line, Leon. You understand this.”

Leon nodded slowly, then asked:

”And what does the president say?”

”He’s willing to make a concession. Forty percent. You’ll have the same deal as Cristiano. That’s the highest compromise we can offer.”

Leon seemed to consider it. He nodded slightly.

Sánchez, sensing a breakthrough, began to relax—only for Leon to speak again.

”But my bottom line has always been 80%. I can accept a lower salary. But I want to retain at least 80% of my personal image rights.

Is there truly no room for flexibility?”

Sánchez fell silent.

Then he gave a rueful smile and shook his head.

”You really won’t reconsider?

Giving up 40% of your rights isn’t a bad deal. With Real Madrid behind you, your endorsement revenue would skyrocket.

We’d help promote you across Europe and the world.

That’s what matters most at this stage in your career.”

It was clear—Madrid’s position wasn’t going to change.

Leon understood.

And with just a glance, Mendes stepped up again—ready to lead the next phase of negotiations.

”We need to retain at least 70% of image rights, the new contract can’t be longer than three years, Real Madrid must take global responsibility for promoting Leon’s brand, and finally, they must go all-in to help push for this year’s Golden Boy award.”

This offer, as proposed by Mendes and Leon after their late-night strategy session, was slightly more aggressive than what they’d originally set as their baseline.

But this was negotiation—start high, give ground later.

If they didn’t aim high now, how would Mendes bargain later when Florentino Pérez inevitably countered?

The three-year contract clause was actually a smokescreen.

What Mendes and Leon really wanted were two things:

Real Madrid’s full global marketing machine behind Leon’s image.The club’s influence and lobbying power to boost Leon’s candidacy for the Golden Boy award.

After listening to the new terms, CEO José Ángel Sánchez signaled his negotiation team to continue the talks while he stepped out and called Florentino directly.

From that point forward, both sides grinded through hours of back-and-forth bargaining.

It wasn’t until 9:00 PM that they finally reached a preliminary agreement—one that both Leon and Florentino personally approved.

Leon eventually agreed to concede 40% of his image rights to the club.

In return, Real Madrid offered him a €4 million net annual salary, with a three-year contract—but there was a catch.

If Leon insisted on only signing for three years, Madrid demanded an exclusive renewal clause.

That meant when Leon’s contract entered its final year, and other clubs began making offers, Real Madrid would have the right to match any incoming bid. If they did, Leon would be obligated to stay.

In addition, the club fully agreed to launch a global marketing campaign for Leon and to actively promote him for the Golden Boy award this year.

The remaining contract details would be ironed out in the coming days.

Madrid also presented a second proposal:

They could match the salary of a certain former No. 10—around €5 million net per year—but only if Leon agreed to a five-year deal.

Leon asked for time to consult with Mendes.

With the major conditions mostly settled, the renewal would be finalized within days.

Now unburdened, Leon relaxed completely.

Mourinho, who had been quietly monitoring the situation, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

What he feared most was another round of internal or external turbulence.

His past success at Porto and Inter had hinged on one core principle: unity—from the squad to the backroom, everything running as one.

His time at Chelsea had begun brilliantly, but British tabloids were relentless, and off-field distractions—especially during the Champions League—gradually chipped away at the squad’s cohesion.

He lost the locker room. Results became inconsistent. His luck ran dry.

He didn’t want that again.

Now, seeing that Leon had calmly settled his contract and avoided media leaks that could’ve stirred up trouble, Mourinho was more than satisfied.

”As long as Leon stays drama-free and in form, we’ll take care of the mid-to-bottom table teams without breaking a sweat.

Even if we grind our way through the season, we’ll rack up more points than Barça.”

After training one day, Mourinho watched as Leon, despite just finishing a full session, still opted for solo extra drills.

He turned to Karanka.

”As long as he stays healthy.”

Karanka nodded, but gave a cautious reminder.

”That’s the key, isn’t it? If he ends up like Khedira—out for months—we’ll be stretched thin.

We might even have to play Ramos at DM.”

They both knew the risk.

Madrid’s system could not afford to lose either Alonso or Leon.

Lass Diarra wasn’t consistent. He couldn’t intercept like Leon, and his obsession with holding the ball was a problem that just wouldn’t go away.

Khedira? No point in talking about Khedira for now.

The fixture list hadn’t gotten congested yet. Things were smooth.

But Mourinho knew—it was time to think about reinforcements.

If they could offload Diarra in January and bring in a more efficient, low-maintenance DM…

Madrid could survive even the hardest stretches of a three-front campaign.

As for Altıntop and Şahin?

They weren’t Mourinho-type DMs. Better to let them fight for bench minutes behind Kaká and Di María.

Mourinho’s eyes sharpened. He already had someone in mind.

※※※

September 21st, Madrid went on the road again.

Matchday 5: away at Racing Santander, kickoff at 7:00 PM at Estadio El Sardinero.

Santander had just two losses and one draw in three games—second-bottom in the table.

Madrid fielded a near-full-strength squad, and they didn’t mess around.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaká, Benzema—all found the net.

Cristiano’s two goals and one assist earned him a chorus of boos from the home fans.

Benzema opened the scoring, Kaká contributed a goal and an assist, and Di María—rested in the first half—came off the bench in the 73rd minute to score as well.

5–0. Total domination.

Madrid were on a four-game win streak in La Liga, and their next opponent in the Champions League, Ajax, was already shivering.

Leon didn’t make headlines in this match.

He didn’t record any assists or goals.

He just focused on defense, shutting down every Santander counter with Alonso.

But once again, the media dragged him into the spotlight.

”Another Ten Who Doesn’t Look Like a Ten?”

”The Curse of Madrid’s No. 10”

”Lass Steps Aside Gracefully—Seeking a Brighter Future at Real”

”Why Leon Doesn’t Fear the Curse: Because He’s Not a Playmaker”

Photos of Leon’s tackles and interceptions were pasted under bold headlines.

Spanish fans buzzed with discussion.

Last season, the media roasted Lass Diarra for wearing the No. 10.

They argued he was the least ”number 10-like” player in the history of European football.

Eventually, Lass gave up the number before the new season.

If Madrid’s former playmaker hadn’t left, he would’ve been the obvious choice for the shirt.

But he left.

The jersey was available.

Di María and Kaká didn’t want it.

Şahin and Altıntop probably feared the curse and declined.

Leon didn’t care. He had no mental baggage about the number.

When Mourinho announced that No. 10 was available, Leon just shrugged and took it.

After all, ever since Figo, no one wearing the shirt had lived up to the hype.

Robinho. Sneijder. Lass Diarra.

Six years of disappointment.

So what was the point of fixating on it?

Heading into Matchday 2 of the Champions League group stage, Leon was visibly annoyed by the media’s obsession.

He remembered what Mourinho had once said to the English press.

Now, those words fit him perfectly.

”I don’t need to prove anything for a number.

I came back to Madrid with a domestic double from Italy.

If you question whether I deserve to wear this number, go ask my Milan teammates.

And as for curses? I don’t believe in that crap.

Because I’m the special one, too.”

With that, he stepped into his car and drove off.

The reporters at the scene were thrilled.

Finally, a quote worth printing.

The next day, Leon’s statement made headlines in every Spanish sports paper.

”Domestic Double.”

”No Curse on Me.”

”I’m the Special One, Too.”

Fans couldn’t stop talking.

Some loved it.

”Finally! A young player with backbone! He’s 20 and starting at Madrid—of course he’s confident!”

Others sneered.

”Mourinho could say that—he won the UEFA Cup and the Champions League with Porto.

You? You’ve got a domestic double and now you think you’re the Special One?”

Debate exploded online.

Leon didn’t care.

But his teammates?

They rallied.

Alonso, Ronaldo, Benzema, Marcelo, Kaká, Ramos—one by one, Madrid stars posted on social media backing Leon’s message.

And in Italy, when Ibrahimović heard what happened, he gave a statement of his own:

”Those paparazzi scumbags who follow players around, trying to provoke them into saying something controversial—they know nothing.

But me?

Today, I’ll tell every journalist and fan in Spain—

Leon is a player I personally endorse.

His talent is real. His potential is limitless.

He, like me and Mourinho, is one of the special ones.”

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