Former Real Madrid defender Ivan Helguera has shared painful memories from his time at the club, revealing deep emotional scars.
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Speaking on the Offsiders podcast, Helguera reflected on his early excitement and eventual disillusionment during his spell at the Bernabéu.
The Spaniard described how Fernando Hierro personally encouraged him to leave Espanyol and join Madrid, calling him over at an airport meeting.
“I wasn’t thinking about Rayo or any other team. Hierro was one of my idols,” he explained emotionally.
Helguera said he arrived at Madrid full of fear and had to toughen up quickly to survive in the demanding locker room.
He likened his playing style to Aurelien Tchouaméni: “I did the invisible work. I wasn’t flashy, but I made a difference.”
But his final years turned bitter. He says sporting director Predrag Mijatovic sidelined him, and coach Fabio Capello initially demoted him to the reserves.
Despite fighting back to become the sixth most-used player in a title-winning season, he says he was again frozen out the next year.
“They told me they’d take my shirt number and make life miserable,” Helguera recalled. “Emotionally, I was screwed. The president didn’t even greet me.”
He eventually joined Valencia, closing a painful chapter in Madrid, reports Madrid Universal.
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