The Royal team said goodbye to Niko Mihić, who had been the head of the medical staff since 2017, when the club decided to part with Dr. Jesús Olmo, who had raised doubts among the players. MARCH reports that the club finally decided on this move after the recent injury of Arda Güler, who was out for another month due to a muscle tear and still has not made his debut for the team Los Blancos.
Mihić has known Florentino Pérez, club officials and Luka Modric for a decade, which helped him win the position in 2017. Previously, he worked in the HM hospital chain in Madrid, leading the prevention and diagnostics department. In addition, he worked, among others, in Canada and advised Air France and KLM airlines. At first, his methods were questionable, but over time, together with Antonio Pintus, he created one of the most physical teams in Europe.
The daily adds that the decision was made after a very problematic beginning of the season in terms of injuries, in which many important players were out for longer periods. Ultimately, it was decided to part ways after the last injury of Arda Güler, who, despite several weeks of individual work, suffered another muscle injury. In Turek’s case, Mihić had a conflict regarding the management of his case, in which physical preparation coaches, recovery coaches and physiotherapists recommended a completely different path.
Earlier, Mihić also argued with Dr. Leyes, who performed Turek’s knee surgery, regarding the 18-year-old’s meniscus injury. The Real Madrid doctor opted for conservative treatment, but ultimately the opinion of the surgeon who also underwent surgery on the cruciate ligaments prevailed: Thibaut Courtois and Éder Militão.
In the end, however, Güler is only one of the reasons for the club’s decision. Last year, the Royals were unable to understand the constant physical problems of, among others, Karim Benzema, David Alaba and Dani Ceballos. The players themselves were also said to be disappointed with the work of the medical staff. This led to a change in him after 6 years of cooperation.
UPDATE 12:45 The information was confirmed by Mario Cortegan from The Athletic.
