The ‘menino prodigio’ from Palmeiras has still not scored since he signed for Real Madrid: there are already 10 games, with 0 goals and 0 assists
Endrick, who will land in Madrid in the summer of 2024, is devastated and broke down in tears after extending his drought against Red Bull Bragantino
He signed for Real Madrid and no longer scored any more goals. This is the summary of Endrick’s tragic start to the season with Palmeiras. His offensive records are already more than worrying in a drought that has perplexed both his future club, which paid 35 million euros plus variables for him in December, and the ‘crooked’ of ‘Verdao’, who is the current champion of the Brasileirao and the Supercopa do Brasil.
The 2023 South American football season has started in the worst way for him. There are 10 games played with the 16 shirt, which indicates his age, between the Paulista Championship (the most important regional tournament in the country) and the Super Cup final, and his tally of goals and assists has yet to be released. He has already enjoyed 625 minutes of play, which is equivalent to almost seven full games.
There have been 40 days of official competition, since it debuted on the opening day of Paulista on January 14… the games went on, the classics against Santos, Sao Paulo and Corinthians, the clashes against small rivals or the Super Cup against Flamengo (which ended with a victory for ‘Verdao’). And nothing, everything stays the same. He lives installed in his particular groundhog day.
As much as his coach, the Portuguese Abel Ferreira, tried to cut short the debate about his poor performance, reality has ended up turning his lack of aim into the great debate of the moment in São Paulo football… but not for La Caverna, who, accustomed to wanting to set the agenda, has no choice but to look the other way.
THE CRY OF THE CRACK APPRENTICE
Endrick himself exposed his state of mind, when at dawn from Wednesday to Thursday, he was replaced by the winger Giovani (min. 60) at home, at the Allianz Parque in Sao Paulo, in the regular season game of Paulistao against him Red Bull Bragantino, which ended with a 2-0 local victory.
Endrick in an offensive action against Corinthians
| Cesar Greco/SEP
The ‘menino podrígio’ spent the next ten minutes sitting on the bench with his face covered by his bib. Psychologically sunk, he cried profusely. There is no denying that he is feeling the weight of the pressure.
His 2022 was meteoric: he broke his team’s historic jinx in the Sao Paulo Juniors Cup, he made his debut with the Seleçao U-17, he signed his first professional contract in July when he turned 16, he made his debut and scored for the Brasileirao and in December he signed for Real Madrid.
Now his progression has suffered an unexpected slowdown. No matter how much your understanding of the game evolves, your personal records are a slab. He is portrayed even when compared to other homegrown players. It is the case of the left winger Young (19 years old), who was about to join Ajax in Amsterdam a year ago. He has played much less: only 171 minutes divided into 7 games, but he has participated in three goals, scoring one goal and giving away two assists.
Palmeiras has no choice but to close ranks around their crack apprentice. “What he asks is that he doesn’t lose his smile, he’s going to miss and he’s going to hit the mark, but he’s 16 years old. The squad is here to help him, the coach, the club…everyone,” he said. Abel Ferreirawhich reinforced the future Real Madrid player “What he needs now is a hug and I failed because I didn’t give it to him when I replaced him.”With the suffocating pressure and all the spotlights pointing at him, Endrick will return to the scene this coming Sunday in a Paulistao match, which will play at home against Ferroviaria.