{
  "id": 15133085,
  "title": "Real Madrid manager will continue backing midfield duo as his top choice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/real-madrid-manager-will-continue-backing-midfield-duo-as-his-top",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-17T06:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/real-madrid-manager-continue-backing-060000034.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid’s manager, Jose Mourinho, is determined to continue supporting his preferred midfield duo, Autelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde. Although the team showcased a strong comeback against Roma, Los Blancos struggled with ideas and inspiration before the substitutions of Arda Guler and Bernardo Silva. This shift led to an immediate improvement in control of the game. However, the manager's preference for physicality over technicality in midfield remains unchanged, as stated in his post-match press conference. It is expected that Mourinho will stick with Tchouameni and Valverde as his top choice for the upcoming games, including the weekend's match against Sevilla. One potential solution could be to move Valverde to right-back, where he has previously excelled, thereby creating space in midfield for a more technically skilled player. With the highly anticipated El Clasico approaching, fans will be eager to see how Mourinho balances the physical and technical aspects of his midfield lineup.",
  "summary": "Real Madrid’s comeback win over Roma midweek was a massive statement from the club that they still have the winning mentality that has defined them over the years.Until midway through the second hal...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Three Real Madrid players who could benefit from Vinicius’ four-match suspension",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/three-real-madrid-players-who-could-benefit-from-vinicius-four-match",
        "published": "2026-10-17T06:40:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}