By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid experienced several changes over the summer, with some key players retiring and others, like Guerschon Yabusele, leaving for the NBA.
After a great performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the French center returned to the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. Facundo Campazzo, who once faced a similar situation when leaving Real Madrid to play overseas, commented on Yabusele’s departure.
“These things can happen. It happened to me at one point. After his standout performance in the Olympics, where he had such a key role, it was a possibility. He’s a tough player to replace, but we have what it takes to do so. I wish him the best of success in the NBA,” Campazzo said, per Spanish outlet AS.
Besides Yabusele, Fabien Causeur also left Madrid to join Olimpia Milano, while Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodríguez decided to end their careers.
“They had been here for many years and knew what the club represents. Now it’s up to us to carry on the legacy, stay united, enjoy ourselves, have fun, and work hard — all the things that come with playing for Madrid. And to help the new players adapt quickly. We have Llull, our leader.”
Of course, the Spanish champions needed to replace those players, and they signed Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Andrés Feliz, while also bringing back Serge Ibaka and Usman Garuba.
“The players who have come in to replace those who left are of tremendous quality and have arrived to do the same, or even more, if they can. They’ve adapted well to the dynamic and the mentality. At first, there will be mistakes, but the goal is to improve with top-quality players to face the challenges ahead.”
Facu spoke in detail about Real Madrid’s new additions.
“I already knew them, maybe not Xavier (Rathan-Mayes) as well, though I had played against him. I remember he was tough to defend. When his signing was rumored, I watched some videos of him, and after seeing him train here, he’s a player of tremendous quality, a great scorer, a good passer, and he can handle the ball. He defends intensely and has a lot of skills. I love Andrés (Feliz) because he’s super competitive and a winner. He puts the team above himself, which fits perfectly with Madrid. He’s tough in practice, and I really like that — you can see he wants to win. Serge Ibaka is a true professional; he’s at the club 24/7 training, helping the young players… he does it all. He knows what it means to play for Madrid.”
Similar to Campazzo, Usman Garuba left Madrid to chase the NBA dream and returned to the Spanish capital after a few years.
“Yes, he’s a familiar face here, and like me, he’s come back to find the same dynamic as before. That’s made it easy for him, though it might take him a few months to adjust because after two or three years in the NBA, things are different. His energy and youth are very valuable.”
Real Madrid is set to face Barcelona in the Spanish Supercup semifinal, with the Catalan side also making big changes over the summer, starting with hiring Joan Peñarroya as the new head coach and signing players like Kevin Punter, Justin Anderson, Juan Núñez, Youssoupha Fall, and Chimezie Metu.
“Barça is always a great team and has signed players with size, athleticism, scoring, and presence in the paint. It’ll be as tough as ever, or even more so, but we have the tools to win on Saturday,” Campazzo concluded.